Looking for ways to save money on electricity? If so, you should start by examining your lighting habits. Every time you enter a room or hallway, you don’t necessarily need bright overhead lighting. With dimmer switches in the right locations, you can save energy by adjusting brightness without sacrificing your comfort and visibility.
What Are Dimmer Switches?
Electrical gadgets known as dimmer switches allow you to alter the light’s intensity rather than just turning it on or off. Reducing the brightness helps decrease energy expenditures by reducing the amount of power consumed. You can put them in every part of the house, and they function with just about any type of light bulb. The ability to change the lighting to suit your mood, task or time of day makes them extremely versatile.
What Are the Different Types of Dimmer Switches?
You have a large selection of dimmer switches to choose from. Picking the right ones depends on how you plan to use them and your energy-efficiency goals.
- Rotary dimmer switches
- Slide dimmer switches
- Toggle dimmer switches
- Touch dimmer switches
- Tap dimmer switches
- Smart dimmer switches
- Remote-controlled dimmer switches
- Motion-sensor dimmer switches
Living Room Movie Nights
Dimmer switches are a huge benefit for family movie nights. Instead of turning the lights all the way to their maximum brightness, you can dim them until they’re perfect for the room’s layout and mood. This not only makes the room seem more theater-like, but it also decreases energy usage. It’s useful for parties when you don’t want to waste time turning lights on and off, too. You can simply set them to the right level and spend the rest of your time having fun.
Dining Room Ambiance
Using a dimmer switch to produce a cozy feel can help set the mood when everyone sits down to dine together. Or maybe you’re hosting a dinner party where guests want to linger and chat. Turning the brightness to the lowest level possible can generate a warm ambiance, letting you relax with good food and conversation. It also means less energy use. Placing the dimmer switch next to the dining table will keep it convenient, making it easier to adjust the brightness as needed.
Kitchen Prep vs. Cleanup
It’s normal to want powerful, bright lighting when cooking and cleaning. But if you’re in the kitchen for a midnight snack, you’ll want low light that doesn’t hurt your eyes. Having a dimmer next to the main counter will let you brighten and dim as much as you need as you switch between meal prep and late-night snacking.
Bedroom Wind-Down
Bright overhead lighting is the last thing you want when you’re trying to get in the mood for going to sleep. With a dimmer switch next to your nightstand, you can gradually reduce the brightness after reading or watching TV. Many homeowners pair their bedroom dimmer switches with a timer to automatically shut off at a certain time. This type of convenience is particularly helpful for kids and light sleepers.
Kids’ Rooms
Dimmer switches in kids’ bedrooms let them fall asleep without having to turn the lights completely off. Maybe you’re doing some bedtime reading before you tuck the kiddos in. Or perhaps they’re finishing up some homework before they sleep. Being able to match the brightness to the activity gives extra flexibility you can’t achieve with regular light switches. It also helps lower energy consumption thanks to reduced wattage use.
Hallways
There’s no reason for keeping the lights on full brightness in hallways. A dim setting that gently illuminates the path will keep these areas safe. Dimmer switches remove the hassle of constantly switching the lights on and off. Just keep them on a low level at night to guide the way and save energy. If someone ends up needing extra brightness, they can simply adjust the dimmer. Models with timers work well in these areas — just set them and they’ll automatically turn off at a certain time each morning to save even more energy.
Bathrooms
Most people want bright lighting in the bathroom as they get ready for work or school. But at night, when the house is quiet, a lower level of lighting is better for winding down. With a dimmer switch, you can adjust the lighting as much as you need. Maybe you want to soak in a bath after a long day at work. If so, adjust the dimmer to a soft level to create a calming atmosphere. Or maybe you need to shave while you get ready. Setting the light to the brightest level will give you clear visibility. Just remember: The lowest brightness setting will use the least energy.
Home Office
If you work in a room with lots of natural light, your overall lighting needs will change throughout the day. Dimmer switches let you adjust according to your tasks and comfort. If you need bright light for focused work, set the lights to full brightness. When the task involves reading or using a screen, you can adjust the switch to a lower level to reduce eye strain. Reducing the brightness cuts down on electricity use, helping you save energy while staying productive.
Garage or Workshop
Lights in garages tend to consume a lot of power. Having the option to keep them at a lower level is great for making the home more energy-friendly. You can keep the lights bright when you’re working on a project or parking the car and at a lower level when organizing storage or quickly grabbing something. With this type of control, it becomes much easier to fully use the garage according to your needs. The best locations for dimmer switches in garages include places near entryways and workbenches. These spots provide convenient control for everyday access and task-specific lighting.
Laundry Room
You need two levels of brightness in a laundry room: bright for sorting and checking stains when putting clothes in the washer and then dim for pulling clothes out of the dryer. A dimmer switch makes it easy to switch between tasks. You’ll save energy and help the bulbs last longer without sacrificing visibility.
Entryway
Keep the entry lights bright when guests are arriving, but turn them down low after and at night. The lower level will save energy while also lighting walkways without drawing unnecessary attention. In addition to reducing energy use, your home will appear more inviting. Additionally, this type of careful lighting can be useful if you want to give the impression that someone is home when they’re not.
Now that you know all of the different ways to use dimmer switches to save energy, it’s time to get them installed. Here at Potts Electric, we’re pros at installing dimmer switches and other types of lighting accessories. We also offer expert support for electrical and wiring repairs. Give us a call now to book service with one of St. Louis’ most trusted electrical companies.
