How many CFL bulbs can you use on a single pole dimmer?

Answer 1

Most CFL bulbs will not work with a dimmer, but there are special ones made for dimmers. Assuming you find some that work, the number depends on the wattage of the bulbs and the rated amperage of the dimmer. To figure it out, you would take the total wattage and divide it by volts. ( 120V) for normal house hold) which will give you amps. Then you would do 15% of the amps the dimmer is rated for and subtract that from the total amps the dimmer. Lets say you have a 15 amp rated dimmer and some 20 watt bulbs. 15% of the dimmer amps would be 2.25 amps, minus from the rating would be 12.75 amps. That is the safe zone. Anything over that on anything rated for 15 amps is considered overloading and dangerous. Now a 20 watt bulb is around 0.17 amps. To be safe lets say .2 amps. That would mean you theoretically could put around 60 bulbs for that one dimmer. No one would recommend doing that nor is it practical. All of this is an example. No exact numbers can be calculated with the info given. If you don't know what you are doing then call a pro. Always deenergize the circuit before working on them, and remember all electricity can kill you regardless the voltage or amps so respect it.

Answer 2

The number of CFL bulbs that can be used on a single pole dimmer depends on the wattage of the bulbs and the maximum load capacity of the dimmer. Each dimmer has a specified maximum load capacity, usually measured in watts, which indicates the total wattage it can handle. To determine how many CFL bulbs can be used, divide the dimmer's maximum load capacity by the wattage of the CFL bulbs being used. Make sure not to exceed the dimmer's maximum load capacity to avoid potential overheating and damage.