Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the benefits of dimming my lights?
2. How does a dimmer work?
3. Does a dimmer save energy?
4. How much money can I save by using a dimmer?
5. Are there other green benefits of dimming?
6. What is a lighting system?
7. Why buy a lighting control system?
8. My smoke detector is chirping, what should I do?
9. How can I save on my electric bill?
1. What are the benefits of dimming my lights?
ANSWER: A dimmer gives you much more flexibility to adjust the lights in a room for a specific activity or create ambience, rather than simply having the lights turned on or off.
Install a dimmer in your kitchen, for example, and you can brighten lights at breakfast or when preparing meals, and lower them to catch up with your family over an evening snack. In the bathroom, a dimmer means you don't have to begin your morning routine in full bright light, but rather in a soft glow to help you ease into your day. Dim the lights in your dining room and you can create the perfect atmosphere for entertaining friends.
^ BACK TO TOP2. How does a dimmer work?
ANSWER: Incandescent and halogen bulbs have a thick metal wire in them, called a filament. (That's the wire you can see through the bulb's glass.) When you turn on a light switch, electrical current passes through the filament, and the filament heats up. When the filament gets hot, it produces light.
A dimmer works by interrupting the current flowing into the filament (the current is interrupted too fast for our eyes to see). When less current flows into the filament, the filament doesn't get as hot, and it produces less light.
^ BACK TO TOP3. Does a dimmer save energy?
ANSWER: Yes, a dimmer does save energy. When the dimmer interrupts the electrical current flowing through it, essentially no power is being consumed.
^ BACK TO TOP4. How much money can I save by using a dimmer?
ANSWER: The amount you save depends on how many bulbs you use with the dimmer, the amount of time you dim the lights, and by what percentage you dim them. For example, dimming four 75W bulbs by 33% for 3 hours a day saves 26% electricity, translating into $48 in savings over 5 years.
^ BACK TO TOP5. Are there other green benefits of dimming?
ANSWER: Yes, dimmers can also help reduce CO2 emissions. In fact, if every household in the U.S. installed one Lutron dimmer, we would reduce CO2 emissions equivalent to that from 370,000 cars. Dimmed bulbs also last up to 10 years, reducing landfill waste.
^ BACK TO TOP6. What is a lighting system?
ANSWER: The most common form of lighting control today is a single switch or dimmer controlling a light or group of lights (a zone of light). While this historic standard certainly works, it is cumbersome relative to the ease of a lighting control system, especially in larger homes. Think of the time and effort expended turning the lights on in the morning, off when you go to work, back on in the evening, and finally off again at bedtime. When you think of the quantity of the dimmers and switches that you need to walk around turning on and off throughout the day, the convenience of a lighting control system quickly becomes apparent.
^ BACK TO TOP7. Why buy a lighting control system?
ANSWER: A lighting control system simplifies your lifestyle, with one touch to turn off lights in your home when going to bed or setting all of the lights to different levels for a dinner party, setting just the right mood.
^ BACK TO TOP8. My smoke detector is chirping, what should I do?
ANSWER: It may need a new battery. Replace the battery on all smoke detectors and see if this makes the chirping stop. If chirping persists call One Way Electric.
^ BACK TO TOP9. How can I save on my electric bill?
ANSWER: Reducing the amount of phantom loads in your home and switching them off when an appliance/device is not in use is key to saving electricity. A phantom load is a load that still draws electricity when it is “off”, a good example is a DVD player in the standby mode. The DVD player will draw as much power in 24 hours in the off/standby mode as it will using it watching a movie for an hour and a half.
Installing a dimmer is another way to reduce electricity. Dimming a light 10% saves 10% in energy costs and doubles the lamp life saving money on electric bills, lamp replacement, and in some cases a service call to have someone come and change out lamps in high ceilings.
Install timers on electric water heaters and install an insulation blanket on your water heater tank.
Install occupancy sensors in utility and mechanical room so that lights will turn off after the sensor does not sense a person after 15 minutes.
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