How To: Install a Dimmer Switch
Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about How To: Install a Dimmer Switch and hope the blog can help you.
I like mood lighting as much as anyone, particularly first thing in the morning when the full blast of light from a 100 watt bulb makes me scream like a vampire at high noon. Could be that I’m just not a morning person. Regardless, I like to be able to adjust the brightness in a room, and installing a dimmer switch is a pretty easy way to get control over your lighting.
Before You Begin
Before you go around ripping switches out of the wall, there are a couple of things you should know about wiring and dimmer switches:
- Not all dimmer switches are compatible with Compact Fluorescent Lights. If you have CFL bulbs you will need to go with one of the newer varieties, like those from Lutron.
- Check to see if the switch you want to replace is a single pole (one switch) or three-way (can be turned on/off from multiple locations) switch—that too will determine the type of dimmer you need.
- Some dimmer switches use resistors so you’re paying for the electricity even though you’re seeing less light. Newer dimmer switches will actually conserve energy when you’re not lighting the bulb at full capacity.
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How to Install a Dimmer Switch
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