BlogToday 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.
Installation is pretty easy, but before we start, here are a few things to know:
• 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.
Here are some tools we will need to get started:
1. Screwdriver
2. Wire strippers
3. Electrical tape
4. Wire nuts
5. Circuit tester
Installation instructions:
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.
Dimmer switches are nice and have a place to do just what the article says, but I also went with motion switches in the worst offending rooms ….wifes laundry room/pantry, kids and guest bathrooms. They will stay on while someone is in the room then 2 minutes later poof off they go. Mine were $20 at Home depot and paid for themselves in about 8 months.
1. Today’s energy saving bulbs (all made in China) are NOT designed to be used with a dimmer switch. No fluorescent bulb is designed to be used with a dimmer switch. LED bulbs will not operate properly with such a switch either.
2. This is one DIY project that I do not recommend to anyone who is not VERY familiar with electrical wiring. The installation instructions given here are quite simple in reading but can lead to problems. Especially the one about “turn on breaker and test.” If you haven’t done it right in the first place you are looking at a potential disaster. If you are not qualified to do electrical wiring CALL a professional FIRST!!
3. Do NOT use electrical tape to secure wire connections. Use UL approved wire nuts.
And, remember, when you turn off the MAIN breaker you turn off power to EVERYTHING in the residence. That’s EVERYTHING!! There are many items in the home today that will have to be reset once this is done and if there are any medical appliances in use this could be a major problem.
Last: Dimmer switches are great for use with incandescent light bulbs. They can reduce power consumption.
Great idea! I believe it’s very feasible. Keep up the good work!
Why not just buy lower wattage bulbs, same effect.
Hello, I am not sure that dimmers save any power. I shall explain and am open to correction. I am willing to learn !
My understanding of the operation of a dimmer is that the dimmer device actually introduces a (variable) resistor into the light circuit. The more of the resistor there is in circuit, the dimmer the light. Electricity running through any resistance produces heat – heater, light bulb, computer, TV, printer, … – . One has only to place one’s hand over the face of the dimmer to feel the dimmer is quite warm; depending upon the time it has been in use; so electricity is being consumed by the resistor and is producing heat. In other words the reason the light is dimmer is because some of the electrical energy is diverted through the resistor (and is heating the resistor) so there is less available to produce full brightness in the light bulb. Although there is a dimmer light power consumption is not reduced.
PS. This is what I believe is happening. Electrical work is not my expertise so I may be well ‘off the mark’. Regards.
This WAS true a long time ago, but dimmer switches now work by turning on and off the current to reduce the total current thru the light bulb. Because the switch is either ON or OFF, there is no real resistance effect. Some heat is generated because of the working of the switch, but nowhere near what the old resistance style dimmers used to generate. Dimmer switches produced now can handle a lot greater wattage than could be handled by the resistance style, but do really reduce the total current through the system. Even the older style reduced the current, and therefore the cost, but did waste some of the current thru a resistor. Imagine an old style dimmer set on the lowest setting that could produce light. The resistance is set so high that very little current goes thru the switch. This means there is very little current being paid for, and it is cheaper.
In dimmers, it is not a matter of DIVERTING electricity through the resistor, but of adding a resistor in series with the light to reduce the total current.
Awesome stuff, thanks a ton for sharing.
Hello Doug,
Thank you for taking the time to ‘steer me in the right direction’ and for your explanation.
Regards.
This really answered my problem, thank you!
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