Enter the total number of fixtures and the wattage of the fixtures into the calculator to determine the dimmer wattage.

Dimmer Wattage Formula

The following formula is used to calculate a dimmer wattage. 

DW = F * FW * 1.25
  • Where DW is the dimmer wattage (watts)
  • F is the number of fixtures
  • FW is the wattage of each fixture (watts)

To calculate the correct dimmer wattage, multiply the number of fixtures by the wattage of the fixtures, then multiply the result by 1.25. You may need to round up to the nearest standard wattage for the dimmer.

What is a dimmer wattage?

Definition:

Dimmer wattage is the total amount of wattage that a dimmer should be rated for in order to handle a certain amount of fixtures.

How to calculate dimmer wattage?

Example Problem:

The following example outlines how to calculate the proper wattage of a dimmer.

First, determine the number of fixtures. In this example, there are 10 total fixtures the dimmer will control.

Next, determine the average wattage of those fixtures. For these fixtures, the average wattage is 60-watts.

Finally, calculate the wattage the dimmer needs to be rated for using the formula above:

DW = #F * FW * 1.25

DW = 10* 60 * 1.25

DW = 750 watts