If you don’ have dimmable switches in your home by now, now is the time! Especially for winter! As night falls early, families settle in for a long winter of feasting, watching movies, playing games, and other indoor activities, dimmer switches can be the deciding factor in creating the perfect, cozy atmosphere. Installing dimmer switches with compatible light fixtures not only saves energy but also allows you to soften down too-bright ambient lighting and have more control over the mood of a room. Plus, installing the right certified dimmable LED bulbs incompatible dimmable fixtures can extend the life of your bulbs and minimize the need to change out bulbs in those hard-to-reach fixtures.
They are also great to help make your next trip to the lighting aisle a little less confusing, we’re shedding some light on the topic of dimmable energy-efficient lighting.
Why Dim?
Assuming you spend lots of time in your living in your home, then your lighting should be adaptable enough to set the stage for a wide range of activities. Dimming not only provides options but also increases savings potential by allowing for periods of lower energy use without turning the lights off all the way.
If you would like to be able to control the brightness of an LED bulb, you will need one that is dimmable. Dimmers and other lighting controls allow you to adjust light levels for specific entertainment preferences, set a mood and provide safe and comfortable environments.
Plan for Placement
Dimmer switches can operate differently. They can slide, rotate or be tapped to operate. Traditional dimmers work by limiting the amount of electricity sent to the bulb. As they were designed to work with incandescent bulbs, they are not always suitable and may actually interfere with the performance of LEDs. Pairing dimmers and bulbs that are incompatible can result in flickering light, limited dimming range, slow start-up, buzzing, inconsistent illumination and decreased the lifetime of the bulb.
If you are going to be using LED bulbs, the easiest way to avoid these issues is to make sure you have a compatible or universal dimmer switch. You can determine compatibility by checking the packaging or through an online search.
For installing your dimmer switches, call USA Electric today to get an estimate which you will more than likely be pleased with as we are southern California’s leading competitive electricians.
