Re: Does any wall dimmer have overload protection?
- From: Marc_F_Hult <MFHult@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:54:30 -0400
On Tue, 8 Apr 2008 10:49:50 -0400, "Robert Green"
<ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
<VPydnedJd6PvFWbanZ2dnUVZ_saknZ2d@xxxxxxx>:
I don't think there's any way to prevent plugging a vacuum cleaner into a
dimmer unless you made the outlets and plugs incompatible. An easy way to
do that with a lamp outlet is to replace it with an ungrounded outlet and to
make sure that the vacuum cleaner has a grounded plug.
Just so that we are clear, IMO this suggestion is _also_ a violation of the
US National Electrical Code (NEC) .
(But don't take your NEC advice from a geologist! ;-)
That way, you
couldn't accidentally plug the three-pronged vacuum cleaner cord into the
two pronged lamp outlet without a three-wire adapter plug. That's pretty
easy to do with plug-in lamp dimmer modules, because (IIRC) the X-10
versions are all two pin devices. That's not a complete solution, though,
because more and more heavy duty appliances are double-insulated and do not
use a three-pronged grounded plug.
As Marc has noted, it's precisely this situation that makes dimmer
controlled outlets "against code." It's just too easy to make a mistake and
plug in a motorized device, often with serious consequences.
Specifically supplying 'dimmed' power to a standard Edison AC power outlet
(eg "duplex" ; NEMA 5-15) is, in this geologist's opinion, a violation of the
National Electrical Code (NEC) 110-3(B) and 404.14(E) (and maybe others)
Lutron makes an specialized connector set (eg NTR-15-HFDU outlet and
RP-FDU-10 plug ) that has UL listing for dimming, but ABIK it is only UL-
listed for use with Lutron dimmers -- of course ! ;-)
www.lutron.com/pdfspecs/novatb.pdf These dimmers may very well also "make
smoke" when used with the inductive load presented by a vacuum-cleaner motor.
HTH ... Marc
Visit my ongoing Home Automation and Electronics Internet Porch Sale at
www.ECOntrol.org/porch_sale.htm
Marc_F_Hult
www.ECOntrol.org
.
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