Dimmer Switch Question

[Lightyear68]

I'm a safety conscious homeowner with basic electrical knowledge but am not a licensed electrician.

I need to determine an appropriately rated dimmer switch for a lighting fixture to be installed on the ceiling of my garage.

I'm planning to add a 14/2 branch line off of an outlet that is part of a 15amp circuit that has six total outlets, three inside the garage and 3 outside of the house.

My question is whether the dimmer switch only needs to be rated to carry the load of the light fixture, or whether the dimmer will carry any of the load from the outlets on the circuit.

My experience tells me that the dimmer will only carry the load from the hot wires that attach to it, but I wanted to be sure before buying the dimmer.

I also know that the dimmer must be matched to the type of light fixture...

 

[Zeke]

The dimmer is a switch and controls the switch leg to the fixture. You would normally buy a 15 A switch for that purpose, therefore the typical household dimmer rated for your fixture is all you need. And vise versa.

 

[frankush]

Dimmers are rated for a certain number of watts. The most common being 600 watts. Receptacles should never be installed on a circuit that a dimmer controls. Most dimmers will have small break off tabs on their sides to help dissipate heat that is generated while in use. These may have to be broken off if the dimmer shares a box with another device. This de-rates or lowers the number of watts it can handle. You may have to do a little rewiring to remove any receptacles from the circuit. Very few dimmers will carry a 15A load. If your system is piped, it will be a simple affair.