I’m thinking about a down-to-the-studs bathroom remodel. (Thinking, as I tell my wife, is free.) I would like to install dimmable LED accent lighting. I’m trying to avoid requiring the everyday user to flip two switches to turn on both the main lights and the accent lights … BUT I also want to give more advanced users different accent lighting options. Specifically, three modes: “normal” (switched with main switch), “night light” (on even when main switch is off), and “always off” (for people who don’t like accent lights). I would like one main SPST switch to control all normal bathroom lighting (including the LED lighting in “normal” mode).
To accomplish this, I’m thinking of installing a 3-way dimmer switch—the kind with a toggle and a slider—on an accent wall near the toilet. (Use of this switch would not be required of the everyday user.) The dimmer switch’s output terminal would control the accent lighting. One of the two input terminals would be wired to a black, always-hot wire, so the switch being up would activate “night light” mode. The other input terminal would be wired to the red, switched-hot wire from the main light switch, so the switch being down would activate “normal” mode. The “always off” mode could be (almost?) accomplished by sliding the slider all the way down.
Would this work? Is it okay to not to have a positive “off” switch (just low dim) for LED accent lights? Is this otherwise a bad idea?
To accomplish this, I’m thinking of installing a 3-way dimmer switch—the kind with a toggle and a slider—on an accent wall near the toilet. (Use of this switch would not be required of the everyday user.) The dimmer switch’s output terminal would control the accent lighting. One of the two input terminals would be wired to a black, always-hot wire, so the switch being up would activate “night light” mode. The other input terminal would be wired to the red, switched-hot wire from the main light switch, so the switch being down would activate “normal” mode. The “always off” mode could be (almost?) accomplished by sliding the slider all the way down.
Would this work? Is it okay to not to have a positive “off” switch (just low dim) for LED accent lights? Is this otherwise a bad idea?
