Does anyone make a dimmer switch with only two fixed settings (high and low)?

[Dan Friedrichs]

Remodeling a bathroom, and would like a dimmer for nighttime, but I feel like a standard infinitely-variable dimmer is not very useful: who needs that full range of control? I want two settings: full and dim (or, daytime and nighttime). Ever seen a dimmer switch like that?

[Maurice Mcmurry]

We have a bath fan, light, night-light combo. The night light is a 2nd tiny bulb under the dome along side the regular bulb.

Some outdoor motion detector lights have a dual bright feature.

[Jim Koepke]

Years before the variable dimmers, circa 1960s, there was such a dimmer for incandescent lamps.

Up would be full brightness. Center position was off, there was an internal neon lamp to light the switch's toggle. Down would be dimmed.

These were basically a single pole switch with a diode in the circuit of the dim position to deliver only half of the AC sine wave to the lamp.

jtk

[Bill Howatt]

...9, 8,7,6,... This is the countdown time before your wife tells you the second setting is still too bright or too dim!

Years ago I bough a dimmer that had a remote. The remote had a preset button for s fixed setting which I think you could configure. No idea if you can still get it and it does need the remote but it may give you some idea of what you can search for.
What about just getting a little plug-in night light for the dark times?

[Lee Schierer]

The Meross Smart Dimmer switch can be set for several fixed levels.

[roger wiegand]

Any of the fancier "smart" dimmer switches will let you set different "programs" that allow different discrete light levels.

[Bill Dufour]

You could wire up a three way switch with a diode. I have a feeling led bulbs will not like the diode power.
Bill D.

[Mike Henderson]

Not on point, but Levitron makes a GFCI outlet that includes a night light. I have that in my bathroom. Gives enough light for night and has a light sensor so it turns off during the day.

Mike

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I see several light fixtures with built in night lights.
https://www.amazon.com/Matane-Ceilin...b911a76f0fedf4

[Jim Koepke]

With incandescent lamps, there used to be a lesson/experiment where a 100w bulb would be wired in series with a lesser wattage bulb (10-60w) with the question being which would be brighter when power was applied. The lessor wattage bulb would always be brighter.

Something like that might work for you. There are switches that can be doubled in a switch box. they fit in like a wall outlet. Then you could have one switch to supply power and the other to select which bulb would be on.

jtk

[Earl McLain]

Our range hood has a toggle that is low-off-high, so the animal exists in the wild. I replaced the original halogen bulbs with LEDs a few years ago, but i don't recall if i checked to see if the replacement LEDs were dimmable. They've worked well though. Fixture is rated for 2 60 watt mini halogens, so the switch has to have at least that much capability. If you find that kind of toggle (McMaster-Carr maybe?) you might have to fabricate a switch cover good woodworking project!!

[Alan Rutherford]

...: who needs that full range of control? ...

You do, the first time you want to take a closer look at something in the middle of the night. I think you'd regret the one-option choice sooner than a conventional dimmer.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Hmm, interesting thoughts, but nothing quite like what I'm looking for.

There are dimmer switches where the on/off toggle is prominent, and the dimmer control very small. These make good sense to me for applications like mood lighting where you tweak the dim level once then rarely/never touch it again:



But the other configuration (dimmer control prominent, on/off control smaller) doesn't make much sense. When do you need infinitely variable control? Why place the dimmer function so prominently, when the on/off function is far more commonly used?



All the "smart dimmers" I'm seeing are some variation on this (dimmer controls very prominent).

I would think there would be a market for a Off/Low(adjustable)/Full dimmer. Either two switches or a 3-position switch. I'm just surprised such a thing doesn't exist. It seems like the obvious use case for most dimmers.

[Mike Henderson]

The other thing I've seen done is to put some "tube lights" - the ones that look like a transparent hose and have LED bulbs in it - under your sink overhang and put that on a separate switch/dimmer for a night light.

I have the Lutron dimmers like you showed. They're nice but the minimum dim is still fairly bright. I think it has some adjustments but that may limit the brightness of the high setting. It was quite a while ago that I installed them.

Mike

[Jim Koepke]

…
I have the Lutron dimmers like you showed. They're nice but the minimum dim is still fairly bright. I think it has some adjustments but that may limit the brightness of the high setting. It was quite a while ago that I installed them.

Mike

I haven't worked with dimmers since before incandescent lamps went out of style.

Different dimmers use different circuitry to do their thing. I recall one of the characteristics of the lamp/dimmer relationship is the lamps had a minimum ignition point before the filament would begin to glow. Once this was reached, the dimmer could be lowered and maintain a lesser glow until the power was shut off and one would have to start all over again.

Okay, just did a consult with Dr. Google > Hi - lo light switch < and found this > https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-5685-...df_B07DVHR12B/

That may do the job for you.

Looking closer at this it may be a single pole double throw switch. This could work for wiring with your own diode if you are using incandescent lamps. You would have to make sure the diode can handle the load and it may need heat sinking.

jtk