Buyers Guide to Dimmer Switches
Buyers Guide to Dimmer Switches
I maintain a special list of companies that make all sorts of building products and materials. One of the categories happens to be "Lighting Controls / Dimmers." There are 24 companies in this category. Only a handful of those companies are real players in the residential dimmer department. Some of the other companies make highly specialized dimmers and controls for all sorts of equipment.
For example, Honeywell is listed. Well, they probably are the leader in highly specialized lighting controls, climate control switching, etc. I attended an editors' conference not too long ago that they hosted. They showed us super high-tech equipment that only a small percentage of the population could really afford. That is not to say it isn't any good! It is superb electrical equipment, not just as practical and affordable as I would like to see.
The Real Players
If you want to discover who makes a wide variety of dimmers, you simply need to visit a unique store that exists in your city or town. You probably have never heard of the place as they rarely advertise. Why is that? These stores cater to electricians. They sell all sorts of wire, cable, boxes, outlets, switches, etc. to electricians. Some of these stores also have a light fixture showroom.
We have several places like that in Cincinnati. One that pops into mind is Becker Electric Supply. Wow, do they have a selection of dimmer switches along with every other conceivable electric device you can imagine! There are other companies in Cincinnati as well: Richards Electric Supply Company, Rexel Electrical & Datacom Products and a few others.
The point I am trying to make is that you can start with a local hardware store and then fight the long lines, lack of informed help and clutter often found at the big box home improvement stores, and finally end up at the specialty electrical store. Why not go there first if you want to see an enormous product selection?
Yellow Pages
To find these oases, open the Yellow Pages. Look under "Electric Supplies-Retail." The second place to look would be "Lighting Fixtures." Stores that sell specialty lights, by default, have to carry special switching and dimming devices that are accessories to many cool lighting fixtures.
So Who Are They?
Once you visit a real electrical supply house you will undoubtedly see products made by:
- Leviton
- Lutron
- Pass and Seymour
These are the major players in residential dimmer controls. You will most likely find products made by these companies at your local hardware stores and the big boxes. But perhaps the greatest depth of product line will be found at the specialty electrical supply house. Your trip there will not be wasted, trust me.
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