least harmful light dimmer

If the system has its own dedicated lines, then a dimmer shouldnt effect anything.

The designer really feels we need a dimmer for the lights over the island.

And what is your opinion of this, since it is your house ?

Well, we love music, but we also love to cook. A dimmer on the lights over the island would allow us to adjust light where we will be prepping food, and those lights will be quite bright at the highest setting (generally, but not always a good thing). So I tend to agree with the designer.

Yes, dedicated lines would seem to be a good answer, and I am planning on it. But since dimmers can affect circuits other than the ones they are on (at least I thought so), I wasn't sure a dedicated line would do it.

If you decide to go with the dimmer, does a line have to be ran for this , or is there one already there ?

If one has to be installed, and since he is up in the attic, may as well have the dedicated line ran at the same time.

If the kitchen and listening room are on different circuits it will not matter.

Dimmers go a bad name for causing noise when they were a new thing. With those sold today I experience no problems. I even have one on the light over my turntable, and I can't tell from the sound if it is on or off.

Ditto Lutron.

They were the first dimmers that didn't radiate RFI all over the place (even their line cord dimmers are quiet.) Naturally, they cost the most too ;-)

Lutron toggle dimmers. I'm a designer with two showrooms. We recommend Lutron exclusively UNLESS the lighting source is LED. There's a different quality (but expensive) dimmer for that.

In fact, we put in Lutron toggle dimmers wherever there is lighting.

When we create media rooms we always isolate the lines in a manner that eliminates line interference. We use Lutron toggle dimmers in these living spaces.

Very helpful indeed. I will check out Lutron. Thanks everyone.

The advice that separate lines solves the problem is incorrect. Since all of the lines are tied together at the breaker box even if the dimmer is on the other hot phase they share a common neutral line so they are not isolated. I had a dimmer on the stove hood in my kitchen which caused my stereo to buzz in the basement and the stereo was on a different breaker. However, I do agree that modern dimmers are not a problem. I have one on almost every wall switch in my house as well as several lamps with built in dimmers and I have no noise.

When we create media rooms we always isolate the lines in a manner that eliminates line interference.

How do you do that?

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I use Lutron mainly also.There are some out there that make nasty RF interference.On the touch ones,be careful with strong cleaners.If you think you have a bad one (making noise)try a AM radio set off station.A portable one makes is easier.The dimmest setting is the noisiest in all the ones I have.I have two going bad now.The one is a bathroom is the easiest,its set to turn on dim at night,but goes up to full brightness now.Its loosing its memory like me.The other one is noisy and I can't find an AM radio around.The bad one is interfering with a few of the clocks that pickup the shortwave signal from Colorado.They sure make the bulbs last longer,especially nice on the hard to change ones.