Dimmer Switches

[uujudy]

The electrician is coming on Monday to give me an estimate to install 5 dimmer switches in our villa. Does anybody have a ballpark idea of how much this should cost me? I'd like to know if his number is reasonable when he gives me the quote. We have the kind of light switches that you can turn on with your elbow. The dimmers would be used only for lights, but come to think about it... can you use them for the ceiling fans?
Thanks for any info,
Judy

[l2ridehd]

Dimmer switches can be put on ceiling fan lights. The switches that control a fan with 4 different speeds and the light with the dimmer feature are expensive. About $45 each. The regular dimmer switch for a light is under $10 each. Home Depot has them for about $5. I would look to pay around $20 for each switch install labor plus the cost of the switch. So say one fan and 4 regular a reasonable price would be about $200 total. $100 labor and $85 for switches. I would not pay more then $250. If you have more fan switches, adjust price up accordingly.

[Villages Kahuna]

The only dimmers that will match the color of the other plates in your villa are the ones sold by the eletcrical supply house on Rolling Acres Road that supplies TV contractors. The dimmers available at Home Depot or Lowes will not match the color of your other switches and outlets.

Dimmers are not stock items at the supply house, but they can get them in a matter of days. If I recall correctly, they cost about $20 each. They're not a big deal to install--you could easily do it yourself. I wouldn't necessarily hire an electrician just to change out switches for dimmers. Many of the 'handyman' services in TV can do this job.

[l2ridehd]

Take one of your switch or outlet plates off and take it to the store with you to compare colors. They are most always either white or ivory. I did find mine at Home Depot. But VK makes a good point that it is worth checking as it is very easy to do.

[dgammon6]

Got ours at lowes, color matched and was easy to install.

[2Wheels]

Leviton dimmer color matched for house built in 2008. Available at HD or Lowe's. I install them myself. Multi-switch boxes can sometimes be tricky getting the larger dinner switch to fit because of the extra wiring in there.

[Talk Host]

I think your question was about cost. An electrician will likely charge between $50 and $75 per hour for labor and parts will be on top of that.
The rate depends on the quality of the company. A good electrician should have five switches changed in about 2 hours max. I am an accomplished amateur electrician and I could do it in about that time.

Be sure to ask them how long they expect to take! It is easy for a service worker to pad the time clock when you don't know what he is doing. It shouldn't take him more than 15-20 minutes per box, maybe less.

I will add this. If after the dimmer switches are installed, you experience some unexplained interference on some of your radio or television appliances, you can suspect the dimmer switches. They really do give off an unwanted field of electrical interference. Not always, but at least remember this.

I have an electic digital clock on my bedstand. When my wife is in the master bath with the (dimmer controlled) light on, my clock has an aweful BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. The instant that she turns the light off, the buzz stops.

JLK

[chelsea24]

Judy, I agree with the peeps that say get a handy man because they are very easy to install. Why pay an electrician big bucks! Even my hubby, mechanically-challenged, installed a couple of extra ones in our home. And, if he can do it ........ well, you know the rest. ;)

Also, TH, we have them all over the house, fans included, and we've never had any electrical interference problem. Actually we had them in Chicago too and never even heard of the problem your describing. :shrug:
Are you sure you're not building some kind of Frankenstein monster on that gorgeous lanai of yours? :laugh:

[Talk Host]

When hiring a handy man or any other service worker, be sure they are licensed and insured. If some jumoke improperly installs a switch in your home and it burns down, you want to be sure you have some recourse. Ask! If they say no, say "good bye"

[chelsea24]

When hiring a handy man or any other service worker, be sure they are licensed and insured. If some jumoke improperly installs a switch in your home and it burns down, you want to be sure you have some recourse. Ask! If they say no, say "good bye"

Yes, I agree with TH on the licensed and Insured.

JUMOKE! JOMOKE! TH, are you sure you're not from Chicago! :laugh:

[Mintjulep]

They are easy to install.
I have done them in less than 15 minutes myself.
We put dimmers on nearly everything, including the lanai...

But don't get the ones with the circular control.
We were told by an electrician friend that most people don't actually ever turn them off, just dim them to off. And that can make them less desirable as the power is still running to them.
He said the switched ones dimmed to off no longer have the power running to them.

[Villages Kahuna]

Definitely a Chicago term.

Us south siders all know exactly what it means, but the definition is seldom written. Here's a few definitions that pretty well let you know how to use the term in everyday conversation...

Mainly the term for an idiot...A chump...A clumsy loser who is incapable of doing normal human tasks...an idiot...ineffectual and unaware of it....someone who is incapable of doing anything that involves brain usage or common sense...a loser or wierdo.

Here's an example of the useage of the term...Governor Blagojevich was a jamoke.

[chelsea24]

Kahuna! Yes, we all know that term and use it often! Hahahaha! :laugh:
And your use in that sentence is right on!

Hey, why don't you join and post in the Chicago Natives Club. We could use your good sense and humor. And the memories are wonderful! :coolsmiley:

[chuckinca]

If you really want to get insured, make them add you as an additionally insured on their liability policy - and get a certificate from their broker before they do any work. If you don't get a certificate naming you as insured - you're not insured.

Licensed contractors with proper workers comp and liability insurance cost you much more than a handyman - it's your choice.

[trichard]

Do it yourself.

[SABRMnLgs]

Dimmer switches are easy to install. I put a few in myself and all it cost me was an hour or so in time + the cost of the switches. And I am NO electrician believe me.

[Sidney Lanier]

Dimmer switches are easy to install. I put a few in myself and all it cost me was an hour or so in time + the cost of the switches. And I am NO electrician believe me.

I agree: Dimmer switches are VERY easy to install. However, check to be sure you don't have the same kind of bizarre wiring that we have. We have four interior fans, and I've installed lights on all of them. However, the way the wiring was set up, the wall switch operates ONLY the fan on-off; fan speeds are changed by a pull chain on the fan. The lights, however, are NOT operated by the wall switch at all; they operate ONLY from the other pull chain, the one that hangs from the light fixture mounted to the fan.

We have friends two houses from us who have the identical house interior-wise. Before we owned our house, I installed all the lights on their interior fans for them. On every one of them, the wall switch operated the lights AND the fans. When I did our first one, I was very surprised to find it different and assumed that the electrician had made a mistake, only to discover that every interior fan here was wired the same way--and different from our friends. Obviously two different electrical subcontractors were involved in building these two neighboring houses. Go figure....