Save Energy With Dimmer Switches

Save Energy With Dimmer Switches

Energy efficiency is an  important topic in the world today. The United States consumes more  electricity than most of the other nations in the world. We install many  lighting fixtures in our homes and use them to their full advantage. Lighting  accounts for an average of 20% of a household’s total costs. Unfortunately  electricity usage is costly and has a negative impact on our environment. The processes  used to create electricity emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which  contributes to pollution. There are simple ways to reduce household lighting  usage though. One easy fix for energy conservation is to install a dimmer  switch into your home.

You may not realize the  benefits of a dimmer switch. Dimming the lights enhances the mood of a room and provides better viewing  light for movie-watching, but did you know dimmer switches save energy? A  dimmer switch actually interrupts the current flowing to your lights, and helps  to conserve electricity.

A dimmer switch works by  preventing current from flowing to the light bulb filament. The filament is the  metal wire inside of light bulbs. When the filament is heated by electrical  current, light is emitted. When a dimmer switched is used, the current is  interrupted, the amount of power flowing to the filament is decreased and less  light is produced. As more lights in a household are connected to a dimmer  switch, the energy saved increases. Furthermore, the lower the lights are  dimmed, more energy is conserved.

According to Lutron, a  leading dimmer switch provider, if every household in the U.S. installed  a dimmer switch, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced in an amount  equivalent to the energy used by 370,000 cars. Dimmer switches are relatively  easy to install as well, often taking less than 15 minutes. Halogen and  incandescent lights are both compatible with dimmer switches. So, the addition  of a dimmer switch into a house is energy efficient and convenient.

Chapman Electric is a  supplier of electrical industry supplies, tools and equipment. The company  offers dimmer switches along with a variety of other products such as Quazite  vaults, Klein tools and underground utility supplies . View the complete Chapman Electric product catalog online.