Dimmers are relatively old devices. Granville Woods patented a “Safety Dimmer” in 1896 in order to substantially reduce energy usage. Saving energy is actually the first reason on our list of reasons why you should install dimmer switches throughout your home.
1. Energy Saving
The biggest advantage to dimmer switches is that they can reduce energy consumption and costs by allowing you greater control over your lighting. Traditional light switches only have two options—on (100% power) and off (0% power). However, if you want to save electricity, you have an entire spectrum of settings in between to choose from. For example, if your family is watching a movie in the living room, you don’t need the lights all the way up to see where the popcorn bowl is. Instead of leaving the living room light on during the entire movie, you can turn it down to maybe 40%.
2. Ambiance
One of the benefits of controlling the amount of power your lightbulb gets is also controlling the ambiance. In the above example, the family watching the movie managed the level of lighting in the room, allowing the living room to turn into a makeshift theater. Likewise, if a couple wanted to have a romantic dinner, they could lower the lighting in the dining room to 30% instead of relying on the dim illumination of a couple of candles.
3. Lightbulb Life
Lastly, another benefit of installing dimmer switches is preserving your light bulb longevity. Lightbulbs subjected to constant, high-energy exertion every day will have a significantly shorter life than dimmer bulbs. A dimmer switch will make a bulb last at least 3 or 4 years longer than a standard light switch. Even dimming the lights by 25% can save you a significant amount of money and make your light bulbs last 4 times longer than normal.
While dimmer switches are relatively easy to install, ensure that you have an experienced Marietta electrician there to help. The electrical system in a home can be finicky, particularly in older homes. Let our highly rated technicians help. Contact us at (404) 471-3847 or fill out our online form to request a service today.