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Thread: Four lamps, one living room

  1. #1
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    Four lamps, one living room

    Hi. I'm a total newbie to the idea of WiFi controlled lighting.

    We living in a 1920's period American Foursquare. I want to light the living room by hanging four dimmable LED pendant Edison light bulbs in a large square about 2/3rds the size of the entire ceiling. I have attached a PNG image.

    #1 in the PNG. I assume the most cost-effective and wattage-compliant way to do this is to put in two smart outlets, one on each side of the LR and run two rope cords out of each and over to two of the four bulbs. If so, will one SmartBridge control all four lights (via two smart outlets) simultaneously so that one dimming operation dims all four lights via the two outlets? If so, is it correct to assume that the maximum wattage of each LED Edison bulb will be 50 watts?

    #2 in the PNG. Alternately, could I use a single smart outlet, using both of the plugs, and wire them as shown to control the four lights in a single dimming operation? If so, is it correct to assume that, this way, the maximum wattage per LED Edison bulb will be 25 watts?

    Thank your for your kind help.

    Glenn
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Screen Shot 2017-02-08 at 10.28.23 PM.png  

  2. #2
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    To be clear are you planning on using a hardwired switch or the plug in lamp module?

    Either way most leds only range from 6-13w. So that will not be an issue.

  3. Likes Zach R. liked this post
  4. #3
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    Have you seen those bulbs in person? I've got incandescent Edison-style on an outdoor fireplace and the glowing-ember effect of the filaments is nice. I tried one no-name brand of LED equivalents and it was nothing like the real thing.

    Fixtures like that aren't typically done with plugs. They're hard-wired into junction boxes and use a wall switch to control them. Dangling things from cords is not something most firemen appreciate when they have to rescue someone from a burning house.

    As for control, depending on the wattage all four could be controlled with one in-wall dimmer. Which would probably be best unless the design required the ability to control them in separate steps.

    Likewise, work done by a licensed electrician is often not as expensive as people think. Having one install proper boxes and wires need not be more than a few hundred dollars. It's worth checking first.

  5. #4
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    Four lamps, one living room

    Thank you, Sawdust. I hope to be using the plug in lamp module (or modules) to run rope light cords up the the ceiling. Does this help. Glenn
    Quote Originally Posted by Sawdust View Post
    To be clear are you planning on using a hardwired switch or the plug in lamp module? Either way most leds only range from 6-13w. So that will not be an issue.

  6. #5
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    Thanks!

    Thanks, wkearney99. We have both the incandescent and LED Edison-style bulbs. I agree they are not the same. I will be using lower-wattage equivalent LEDs, though, hoping to cut down on the intensity. Also, with a dimmer lamp pack (they do dim, right?), we can use the overheads more for mood and supplementation than for the majority of illumination. We have a licensed electrician coming in to add some grounded GFI breaker-box circuits. These wall outlets will be hard-wired into the system by him. Right now, the house is knob-and-tube, so anything's any improvement. We do not have the money to replaced the knob-and-tube in one shot, so we're going one room at a time, starting here. I'm not sure "dangling things from cords" is exactly the correct characterization of what we're doing here. Pendant lights are staples of room lighting. That is what we are doing, the difference being we'll be using standard UL-listed decorative "rope" cords to go up and over the interior wall and ceiling. Point taken, however. For the time being, we're staying out of the walls. With this solution, he can come up through the floor. You say it can all be controlled by one in-wall dimmer. Does the same apply to one in-wall lamp outlet controlled through the bridge? That would be the #2 option in the PNG file I attached. Thanks. Glenn
    Quote Originally Posted by wkearney99 View Post
    Have you seen those bulbs in person? I've got incandescent Edison-style on an outdoor fireplace and the glowing-ember effect of the filaments is nice. I tried one no-name brand of LED equivalents and it was nothing like the real thing. Fixtures like that aren't typically done with plugs. They're hard-wired into junction boxes and use a wall switch to control them. Dangling things from cords is not something most firemen appreciate when they have to rescue someone from a burning house. As for control, depending on the wattage all four could be controlled with one in-wall dimmer. Which would probably be best unless the design required the ability to control them in separate steps.Likewise, work done by a licensed electrician is often not as expensive as people think. Having one install proper boxes and wires need not be more than a few hundred dollars. It's worth checking first.

  7. #6
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    My advice is get one of those LED bulbs FIRST and be sure you're ok with how they look (I wasn't). That and how the fixtures (or lack of them) casts light. What looks great in a professionally retouched picture posted online may look terrible in your actual setting. Especially with faux period attempts like those Edison-style LEDs.

    Code is picky about using a wall dimmer to control an outlet. You're not supposed to do it. But if you do it there's a specific kind of plug and socket you're supposed to use. Lutron makes some. One of the tangs on the plug is smaller. This allows the lamp to continue to be used in a normal outlet but prevents a normal device plug from being inserted into the socket. This helps avoid someone doing something stupid later on like plugging a vacuum (or other tool) into a dimmer-controlled outlet. The outlet can be had with just one or both sockets with the special plug.

    http://www.lutron.com/TechnicalDocum...369269_ENG.pdf
    https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...on+SCR-20-HDTR

    I hear you regarding cost-management. I'd still at least get a quote on putting actual boxes in the ceiling. Depending on how the joists run it might not be that bad. Everybody dislikes the idea of patching drywall or plaster but it's really not all that horrible (save for situations involving wallpaper or other wall treatments). It does require proper skills to snake the wires with the least amount of disruption. There are various auger and flexible bits that can be brought to bear. That and if ceiling corners are involved then sometimes adding crown molding provides excellent cover, and even a channel in which to hide the wires.

    I'm not trying to spend your money for you, just offering that there's ways to get common sense things done that need not be a huge cost increase.

  8. Thanks Zach R. thanked for this post
  9. #7
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    Thank you!

    Very helpful Thank you, wkearney99

    Glenn

    QUOTE=wkearney99;12727]My advice is get one of those LED bulbs FIRST and be sure you're ok with how they look (I wasn't). That and how the fixtures (or lack of them) casts light. What looks great in a professionally retouched picture posted online may look terrible in your actual setting. Especially with faux period attempts like those Edison-style LEDs.

    Code is picky about using a wall dimmer to control an outlet. You're not supposed to do it. But if you do it there's a specific kind of plug and socket you're supposed to use. Lutron makes some. One of the tangs on the plug is smaller. This allows the lamp to continue to be used in a normal outlet but prevents a normal device plug from being inserted into the socket. This helps avoid someone doing something stupid later on like plugging a vacuum (or other tool) into a dimmer-controlled outlet. The outlet can be had with just one or both sockets with the special plug.

    http://www.lutron.com/TechnicalDocum...369269_ENG.pdf
    https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...on+SCR-20-HDTR

    I hear you regarding cost-management. I'd still at least get a quote on putting actual boxes in the ceiling. Depending on how the joists run it might not be that bad. Everybody dislikes the idea of patching drywall or plaster but it's really not all that horrible (save for situations involving wallpaper or other wall treatments). It does require proper skills to snake the wires with the least amount of disruption. There are various auger and flexible bits that can be brought to bear. That and if ceiling corners are involved then sometimes adding crown molding provides excellent cover, and even a channel in which to hide the wires.

    I'm not trying to spend your money for you, just offering that there's ways to get common sense things done that need not be a huge cost increase.[/QUOTE]

  10. Likes Zach R. liked this post
  11. #8
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    Sounds like you are on the right path and know what you want to do.

    You can of course use 1 dimmer and one pico. If its easier to run, you can also use 2 lamp dimmers and tie them both to the 1 pico, allowing them to work together.

  12. Likes Zach R. liked this post
  13. #9
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    Pico

    Thanks, Sawdust. With Lutron, do I need their remote (tabletop) or can they be app-based?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sawdust View Post
    Sounds like you are on the right path and know what you want to do.

    You can of course use 1 dimmer and one pico. If its easier to run, you can also use 2 lamp dimmers and tie them both to the 1 pico, allowing them to work together.

  14. #10
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    Pico remotes can be mounted any number of ways. There are surface pedestals, Decora wall switch brackets or their included adhesive bracket. I've got some put in the screw-less Claro wall plates that look exactly like a legit wall box. 2-gang Claro, 2 Pico remotes, 2 Pico wall plate brackets, some 3M CommandStrip picture hanging strip (sorta-like velcro) and you really can't tell it isn't an actual in-wall box. Works great for a kitchen work area, top of a kid's bunk bed, closer to a shed/garage door, etc.

    All of the devices can be controlled via the app, of course. But I prefer not to have to dig through a phone to control lights. Now and then it's convenient, and great for setting up the schedules, scenes and such.

  15. Thanks Zach R. thanked for this post
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