On January 14, 2016 at 19:01, Fiasco said...
On switched outside circuits you should always be using a contactor to energize the circuit and the 8ans to energize the coil in the contactor. The amp draw for the contactor coil is negligable and the 8ans is protected from overdraw and electrical short from water entering a fixture enclosure.
Changing bulbs is not a permanent solution. Someone may change bulbs to higher wattage at a later date.
- Why a contactor as a practical matter?
I've lived in/worked on homes for 40+ years that had dimmers on outside circuits and never had an issue that would suggest a contactor as being required.
Outside circuits are going to be GFI protected so water getting in is going to trip that.
- Increasing the load outside of spec can happen on any circuit inside or out.
If you found a fixture or circuit carrying too much load because the wrong bulbs were installed would you not change them simply because somebody else, at some future time, might change them again?
