Why Dimmer Switches?
Modern-day dimmer switches have come a long way since the classic dimmer switch with a nodule to manually push up or down. Nowadays, dimmer switches are economical and cut down tremendously on energy usage and costs. We used to have the old, outdated switches in our old house and never took full advantage of the dimmers, due to the fact we had to get up and dim down multiple switches in the kitchen and living room area. Dimmer switches are more intuitive than ever. You don’t have to constantly get up and set your switch to a certain setting.
Save bulb life by using less energy. If you dim your lights down by 50%, you can cut down on your electric use by 40% and make your bulbs last 20 times longer. You can get an extra 3-4 years on your bulb life just by changing your light setting down a notch. If you dim down the lights by 25%, you can save 20% on electricity annually. When choosing dimmer switches for energy efficiency, make sure you pick out one that is compatible with compact fluorescent lamp(CFL) bulbs and light emitting diode(LED) bulbs. A tip before you begin purchasing your switches: know what wattage and whether you have a single pole or a three-way/four-way switch. Another thing to think about is where you’ll be placing your dimmers. You want to install dimmers in rooms where you’ll be using the most amount of light such as the living room, kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms.
Besides the obvious benefit of saving energy, there are more hidden reasons behind upgrading to dimmer switches. The first being that you can control the mood and ambiance of the room. Whether you’re having a dinner party or enjoying a relaxing Saturday night in, you can control the lighting to fit your schedule and events. This allows for more functionality of a room. For example, you can turn your living room into your own personal theater by simply dimming the lights for movie time and brightening the room when you need a productive workspace.
The great thing about today’s dimmer switches is that they work with almost every home, regardless of age and doesn’t require a neutral wire. Wifi out? No worries, you are guaranteed wireless performance even when the Wifi is down.
Like I said before, dimmer switches are more intuitive than ever before. We’ve partnered with Lutron to give our clients top quality lighting and shade services. We’ve installed quite a few dimmer switches into our clients’ homes and they always rave about how great they are. With Lutron dimmer switches, lights can automatically adjust with the changing seasons and daylight savings time. Modern-day switches allow you to dim via handheld remote or smartphone device giving you more control over your lighting in any room. One dimmer can have up to 9 remotes connected to it. The Lutron app lets you create rooms, zones, scenes, and automated schedules. For example, you can create custom fade durations for when you wake up in the morning, or when you’re getting ready for bed. The Lutron Caseta works with more smart home devices more than any other smart lighting control brand. You can now control via voice command with Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri and supports integrations with SmartThings, Sonos, Logitech, Nest, and many other popular smart home systems. Imagine now being able to play music and have lighting synced and matched to it. Boy, have we come a long way.
You probably would have never thought about this hidden decorating gem. Why not control in style? You can now customize dimmer switches to fit your aesthetic. With Lutron, switches come in a variety of colors, tones, and finishes that can blend in with your style. There are plenty to choose from that can suit your style.
By: Wendy Wang
