Uses Of Dimmer Switches
Dimmer switches can create a good ambiance in dinning room or a home theater. Installing them is also not a cumbersome task. But before purchasing it, you should have a basic knowledge regarding them.
Dimmer switches can only work with 120V incandescent bulbs and halogen bulbs. They can not be used with fluorescent bulbs and most compact fluorescent bulbs.
Commonly, dimmer switches work with those bulbs that have wire filaments like 120V incandescent and halogen bulbs have. But when we talk about fluorescent bulbs and compact fluorescent bulbs, they usually work with a gas and they also need voltage for their functioning. If you are purchasing halogen bulbs having very low voltage then you need to purchase special kind of dimmer switches.
Generally, there are single pole and 3-way dimmer switches. Choose the appropriate one for your application. If you want the light to be turned on via a single switch then you need a single pole dimmer switch and if you want it to be turned on by two switches then you need a 3-way dimmer switch. Note that in a 3-way lighting application only one of the switches can be a dimmer switch.
Years back, dimmer switches work on concept of varying voltage of light fixture like when you move down the dimmer switch voltage also go down and when you move up the dimmer switch, voltage also go up. This was generally handled by a rheostat that was considered to be energy inefficient.
However, now dimmer switches are operated using a TRIAC which effectively switches the power on and off to the light bulb at a high frequency. The rate of switching is so quick that you can not determine the bulb is ever off.
As light is turned off for a portion of time using these TRIAC based dimmer switches, dramatic energy can be saved by them. In addition to this, life of the light bulb is also significantly extended. For example, if the bulb is dimmed to 50% of its output, it will save near around 40% in energy costs and can extend the life of the bulb up to 5-20 times depending upon the bulb type.
Homeowners, who regularly work for beautifying their house can try these dimmer switches as they will add beauty to your dining room, living room and home theater room.
Scott Rodgers is an author with great experience in electricians work all over the country. His exemplary guidance has generated business opportunities for a lot many Grove City Electricians (Need one? click here!) and Fort Washington Electricians (Need one? click here!).
