Replacing plastic switches with stainless steel dimmers

[Oz]

I am rennovating a house and have decided to finish off by replacing the existing plastic switches with stainless steel flat plate dimmer switches. I have been told by a friend that this wont be possible as the backs to the switches i have are not deep enough ie not recessed in the wall far enough.

Other people have said that it will be fine as you can now get dimmers that allow for this situation.

Is this true? I know that there are 16mm backs. What other depth backs are there? I think mine are 16mm deep.

Thanks

Oz

 

[Job_n_knock]

You'll need deeper boxes for dimmers for sure, the higher the load the bigger the dimming coil so maybe even a 35mm deep box will be needed. Ask the supplier what the depth is and add a few mms for connections. Make sure you have an earth in the switch drop.

 

[Adam_151]

dimming coil

The only 'coil' in a modern switch plate dimmer is a series inductor to try and reduce the interference from the phase cutting circuitry , variable wirewound resisters and varibale autotransformers would be too large and costly... (old stage equipment on the other hand did make use of such techniques)

 

[Oz]

Thanks for that. I'll probably have to give the dimmers a miss then.

Oz

 

[RF Lighting]

You will need deeper back boxes. The last load of flat plate gear that I fitted required (min) 25mm back boxes for switches, 35mm for sockets and DP switches. I would have thought that the dimmers would require a 35mm back box (but you would need to check this)

You can get white plastic dimmers that will fit a 16mm back box, but they have thick face plates to make up for the thin back box.

 

[Oz]

Thanks alot. Thats very helpful