Hi! I am Mark Donovan from homeadditionplus.com and today, I am going to talk to you about dimmer switches and the types of light bulbs that can be used in it. Dimmer switches are excellent for a living room or dining room or even a home theater room for setting a mood. However, there are certain types of light bulbs that should be used with them and only certain types of light bulbs.
The standard incandescent light bulbs like here are perfect for using in a dimmer switch. Likewise, a 124 halogen light can also be used. What is not allowed to be used are your traditional fluorescent bulbs or your compact fluorescent light bulbs that look like this. Sometimes, you have to be careful. They now look like almost standard bulbs, but these bulbs as well are not also to be used in a dimmer switch. For a low voltage halogen lights, you should use a specially designed dimmer switch for those types of bulbs.
Another thing to consider when installing a dimmer switch is the type of light circuit that you are installing in it. If the light is controlled by just a single switch, then you need a single pole dimmer switch. If the light is controlled by two switches, then you need a three way dimmer switch. So make sure you take a careful at those at the home improvement store before you come home with the wrong switch for your application.
After installing your light dimmer switch, you may notice the front plate is hot. This is absolutely normal. However, they are seller of the state design and very efficient, most dimmer switches have an efficiency of approximately 98%. The remaining 2% of energy that flows through them is dissipated as heat and it is directly toward the faceplate of the dimmer switch itself so that is why it feels a little warmer. As long as your load is about 90% of the maximum rating on the dimmer switch, then you are safe and that warm feeling is absolutely normal condition.
Finally, dimmer switches are great way to improve energy efficiency in your home as well as it extend a life of the bulbs. The way that dimmer switch technology work is effectively it is turning on and off the light bulb many times per second at a rate that you cannot observe it from the normal eye but in effect it provides the dimming function. In addition, it reduces the amount of time that the energy is flowing to a light bulb and thus saving the life of the bulb as well as saving energy in your home.
So that is it. If you have any other questions on dimmer switches or any other home improvement questions, visit us at homeadditionplus.com today.
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