Today I’m going to show you how to use dimmer switches to lower your power bill. Most people think of dimmer switches as a way to set the mood for a room, but dimming the light also reduces the power draw and extends the life of your bulbs.
• Make sure the bulbs you have are compatible with dimmer switches.
• Before you buy a dimmer, find out how the existing switch is wired. Most of the time you’ll need a 2-way switch, but sometimes you’ll need a 3-way switch. If you’re unfamiliar with this terminology, you may want to consider professional installation.
There are many different dimmer switches on the market. You don’t need a fancy dimmer to save electricity, but choose the one that fits your needs. Make sure you read the manufacturer’s instructions and take all safety precautions. Again, if you are not comfortable working with electricity, please contact a certified electrician.
1. Screwdriver
2. Wire strippers
3. Electrical tape
4. Wire nuts
5. Circuit tester
1. First, locate your electrical panel and turn off the breaker to that switch. If you’re not sure which breaker it is, turn off the main breaker.
2. Remove the face plate for the light switch.
3. Check the circuit with the tester to insure the power is off.
4. Disconnect the old switch and make note on how it was connected.
5. Determine if you need to strip the wires for proper connection.
6. Connect the wires to the dimmer switch.
7. If your dimmer switch has lead wires connect them to the house wires with wire nuts.
8. Connect the ground wires with wire nuts.
9. Tuck the wires into the circuit box and attach plate with screws.
10. Turn on breaker from the electrical panel and test.
11. If the light does not work, turn breaker off and check connections.
Now that you have a dimmer switch, you can adjust the brightness of the lights. To save power, set you lights to 50-75% brightness or less. This will help save you money, extend the life of the bulb, and give the room a nice relaxed feeling. I hope you have enjoyed this video, and don’t forget to add your thoughts in the comments section.
Energy Saving Tip Of The Month See All Tips
posted October 4th 2010 at 5:00PM
Don’t forget that people managed to get their dishes clean for millenia before there were electric dishwashers! If you can spare the time, try doing them by hand. If you make a habit of cleaning your dishes as you use them, you’ll find that the task isn’t so intimidating. Even doing dishes by hand several times daily will use less water than running the dishwasher once… and it won’t use any power!
posted September 14th 2010 at 1:21AM
A:
The results you see, and the energy-saving benefits you will enjoy, will both be a direct function of the size and quality of the system you build, as well as all the characteristics of your home (insulation, southern exposure, materials). But you should know that your total energy output will also be impacted by the solar and wind resources in your specific area and neighborhood – It will depend where you are and what surrounds you (hills, valleys, buildings, etc).
It would be best if you consult the Dept of Energy’s website and pay particular attention to the solar and wind resource maps. Often this information is also available at your municipality’s city hall, which would also be the most relevant source for any legal questions and inquiries related to available rebates.
To get more specific than the answers you would find there can get very difficult for us as a centralized provider of renewable energy how-to information. Even if we know what city you live in, we don’t know exactly where you are, and we don’t know what surrounds your property. Naturally, specific questions about the results customers will see are impossible for us to answer. Your circumstances, like those of all of our customers, can’t be assessed without being there.
Sincerely,
John Russel
Electrician, Researcher, Inventor, Home Energy Consultant, and Creator of the Power4Home System
hkLink type="id" value="754"]link text[/hkLink]
[[T_F]]Data Leak Prevention – Data Security Solutions – Information Theft Protection, Detection and Prevention Software Productstracefusion_signature=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[[T_F]]
Latest Project 
Question Of The Month See All Questions