Dimmers Overview

Did you ever want to lower the lights when having a romantic dinner with your loved one but didn’t have the way to do it? So you shut off the lights and used candies to suffice. Wouldn’t it be so convenient to have a dimmer switch so you could put your room in that romantic setting? Or maybe you are watching a movie on your big screen and the light watches out the picture? In these cases a dimmer would do wonders. There are many types and style of dimmer switches around for you to choose from. Before you go to the nearest hardware store to buy one, you need to know about them and how to install one. Learn about them first so you can be a better educated consumer. Here are some things you need to know:

 

·        How Dimmers Work: A dimmer is an electrical device that allows you to adjust the light intensity in a room. It works by electricity going through a resistor (an electric component that resists or slows electrical flow), rapidly shutting off the light circuit on and off to reduce the amount of energy going through the circuit. This situation happens over 120 times a second. The amount of light the dimmer controls depends on how fast it turns on the circuit. What allows the dimmer to do this shutting on or off is known as a triode alternating current switch (triac). Simply speaking, this electrical device controls the voltage that goes in and out the dimmer.

·        Color: What color of dimmer do you want? Are you concerned about the look of it? If so, what is the décor of the room you want the dimmer to be installed? Is it a certain color? Does it match the wallpaper?

·        Style: What type of dimmer are you looking for? Are you looking for a wall switch, or one that connects to a table or floor lamp?

·        Easy to Replace: If you are going to replace the dimmer yourself, you better know the steps required to replace them. Do you know enough about electricity to take the old one out?

·        Easy to Install: Obviously the dimmer comes with a diagram, but do you know how to follow it? Do you know how to ready a diagram? If you don’t you better ask for help or you could cause a short, followed by a fire.