Enjoy modern convenience and energy savings when you buy Classic Accents antique reproduction push button dimmer switches for vintage homes. Shop standard or trimmed push button light dimmer switch styles with black or white pearl knobs. See Push-Button Switches for non-dimming devices. Pushbutton dimmers work with many LED bulbs. (See below)
Classic Accents holds the patent on all push-button dimmer switches. So if you want to be assured of buying a quality push-button light dimmer from a reputable company, look for the Classic Accents brand. Genuine Classic Accents dimmers have a solid feel and a smooth feel when turning the knob to adjust lighting levels and they come with a 1-year warranty. With a 30-year history of reliability and innovation, Classic Accents should be the only brand you choose when you want a safe, dependable pushbutton dimmer for your home. Kyle Switch Plates is an authorized Classic Accents distributor.
Typically, pushbutton dimming switches are installed with the on/off button on top and level controller on bottom, however, there is no harm in installing them the opposite way with the rotary dimmer knob on the top, if that is your preference.
The dimming control knob has ridged sides and offers a slight resistance when turning the knob to adjust lighting levels; the ON/OFF button has smooth sides. Each pushbutton knob protrudes about 3/4" (ON) or 13/16" (OFF) from the surface of the device; the dimming knob protrudes 13/16" at all times. (Regular single pole/3-way/4-way switch knobs protrude 17/32" (OFF/OUT) and 5/16" (ON/IN) by comparison.)
Note that the mechanical feel of the single pole dimmers vs. the 3-way dimmers is slightly different: the components used in each are not the same. The single pole dimmers have a quieter click and stay depressed when on, then pop back up after pushing them off. The 3-way dimmers have a looser ON/OFF button, a slightly louder click, and pop back up after each push whether on or off. The dimming knobs on the 300W dimmers (single pole and 3-way) rotate and click when fully off; the dimming knobs on the 600W dimmers just rotate smoothly to off with no click. To summarize:
Single pole 300W dimmer: Quiet click, on/off button stays depressed when on, dimmer knob rotates then clicks off
Single pole 600W dimmer: Quiet click, on/off button stays depressed when on, dimmer knob rotates smoothly to off
3-way 300W dimmer: Louder click, on/off button pops up after each ON/OFF click, rotates then clicks off
3-way 600W dimmer: Louder click, on/off button pops up after each ON/OFF click, dimmer knob rotates smoothly to off
Classic Accent push button dimmers have been successfully tested for use with dimmable LED light bulbs from Cree, Philips, Fiet Electric, Utilitech, Sylvania, EarthLED, and OSRAM. Other brands of LED light bulbs and fixtures may work successfully, too, but would require testing on your part. (Note that the bulbs must be dimmable - not all LED's can be dimmed - and are a minimum of 8W+ (more is better) to ensure there is enough current to avoid flickering.)
In addition, it is difficult to know whether the dimmers will work with any particular LED light fixture including can lights simply based on their specs. We recommend testing the fixture and the dimmer together to see if they are compatible before buying or installing units for all locations. If you install a dimmer and it fails after a few days, your bulbs are likely not compatible.
LED ribbon lighting may experience issues - the bulbs dim to 15 to 20% then no longer dim or shut off completely. If you plan to use LED's in a multi-bulb lighting fixture or want to control multiple lighting fixtures from with a single dimmer control, please note that all LED light bulbs and fixtures must be from the same manufacturer (no mixing and matching), otherwise you will experience issues such as flickering or bulb failure.
Note that the dimming switches cannot be used on LED low voltage fixtures (which typically cannot be dimmed).
For the best results, based on our testing, we suggest using dimmable Utilitech or Cree LED light bulbs with our genuine Classic Accent push-button light dimmers.
Push button dimmers are not rated or listed for use with MLV light fixtures or transformers. They would likely cause problems if attempted at your own risk, therefore we do not recommend not using them with magnetic low voltage lights.
It is possible to use the dimmers with ELV as long as the dimmer is placed before the transformer in the circuit. They haven't been rated for this use so to use them on ELV is up to the customer to determine whether they wish to try this. We recommend consulting an electrician. There is a possibility that they will not work properly especially if it is an LED bulbs fixture.
You will find both standard full sized and narrow or "trimmed" push button dimmers for sale above. Please note that when placed side by side in an electrical box, the edges of 2 standard sized push button dimmers will overlap and overheat as a result. When installing multiple dimmers, it's important to purchase narrow ones so that they won't overlap and will sit properly in the electrical box. Narrow push button dimmers have been trimmed down on the edges to prevent them from touching in the electrical box.
Note that de-rating occurs when the flanges are trimmed. De-rating means that the narrow dimmers cannot carry the same load as an untrimmed dimmers because they cannot dissipate as much heat. For example, a 600W dimmer once cut down would be derated to 400W.
Single pole switches can control one light fixture from a single wall switch. Three-way switches give you the flexibility of controlling that one light fixture from two different wall switches like those at the top or bottom of stairs, ends of hallways, etc.
If you aren't sure which you need, you can always buy the 3-way version and simply wire it as a single pole dimmer by capping off the one of the red traveler wires. Then if you later decide to add a second location for 3-way control of that light you won't have to replace that dimmer.
Note that when dimming in a 3-way setup, only one dimmer switch can be used; the other switch should just be a regular 3-way switch (not a dimmer).
