How to Use a Dimmer to Use Less Watts

Dim lights to save watts.

The watts of electricity you save when you use a dimmer switch with incandescent light bulbs depends on the type of the switch used as well as the amount by which the light is dimmed. Using a dimmer switch with incandescent light bulbs does save some wattage usage, but some of the energy coursing through the bulb will be lost because it will be converted to heat. Using a fluorescent dimmer switch with CFL light bulbs will save you the most watts. This is because CFL light bulbs use far fewer watts to begin with.

Instructions

1. Install a fluorescent dimmer switch for your light fixture.

2. Use dimmable CFL light bulbs with the lowest acceptable wattage in your light fixture. Not all CFL light bulbs are dimmable, so check the package to make sure that the ones you purchase are. While incandescent light bulbs dim smoothly from 100 percent of their light output to no output, dimmable CFL light bulbs only dim to 10 to 40 percent of original brightness. However, they use far fewer watts to begin with, so the watts saved over time far exceed the watts saved by dimming incandescents.

3. Read the instructions to learn how to operate your dimmer switch after it is installed. Dimmers come in slide, dial, touch pad and light switch-dimmer combination models, but most are simple and intuitive to operate

4. Add the total number of watts that the light fixture will use when it is undimmed. For example, a fixture that uses four 100 watt light bulbs will use 400 watts total when activated.

5. Multiply the watts used when the light fixture is undimmed by 40 percent. This is the number of watts that you will save when the dimmer switch is fully activated. When the switch is only activated halfway, you are saving 20 percent of the watts.

6. Compare your new monthly electric bill after you install a dimmer switch to your old bill to find out how much your kilowatt per hour use went down after you began using your new fluorescent dimmer switch.

References

• Energy Savers: Lighting Dimmer Controls
• Energy Star: Choose A Light Guide