6
The lighting store that tried to sell me a $600 dimmer I didn't need
Went to a big-box lighting place for a simple switch replacement, and the salesman spent 20 minutes trying to convince me my house would burn down without a smart dimmer module. I just wanted a $8 toggle switch for my garage. Has anyone else had a sales person refuse to sell them the cheap thing?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
emma_burns963d ago
Did the salesman actually explain why a smart dimmer was supposedly necessary for a basic garage switch, or was it just a hard sell on the fancy stuff? Curious if he had a real safety concern or if he was just pushing the high-margin item. Feels like some of those places just don't want to bother with the cheap stuff.
6
noahpark2d ago
A 2019 energy code update in my area actually requires arc fault protection on any new garage circuits, and a standard switch won't always play nice with those breakers unless you step up to a smart dimmer that filters the signal. The salesman might have been covering his backside on that code issue, @emma_burns96, whether he explained it well or not. I've seen guys get burned by inspectors who flag standard switches in garages because they don't have the right listing for that setup. Not saying every place pushes high margin stuff, but there's a real wiring compatibility thing here that can bite you if you swap in a cheap $2 switch without checking what's on the other end. Take it with a grain of salt though, because some sales guys definitely just pitch the fancy stuff to pad the ticket.
2