Page 17 - Ultimate Bath & Kitchen Planning Guide

SET THE MOOD — SAVE ENERGY
Lighting Controls
There are many ways to control the light in your home, from a simple switch to a complete home automation system.
The basic wallbox control has made tremendous advances with new technologies. The simple toggle switch has been in use since 1916 and is still in use today, but this old standby is being rapidly replaced with various shapes and styles.
The ability to control the light is crucial to getting the most use out of your space.
Whether you control the light of a single room or the whole home, there are benefits. With dimming control, the levels of light can change from comfortable soft illumination to very bright task mode.
Saving energy is another benefit of using dimming controls, especially if you are still using incandescent lamps.
DIMMING AND THE LED
Dimming an LED light source provides the same benefits of additional energy saving and proper light levels for the use of the space. There are some aspects of LED dimming that you must know, including:
1. Not all screw-in LED bulbs are dimmable; you must use a dimmable bulb in order to dim the bulb. The packaging will be clearly labeled if the bulb inside can dim or not. Still not sure? Look at the bulb itself to see if it has the caution statement “not for use with dimmers” marked directly on it.
2. Check the dimmer’s load requirements. The minimum and maximum load requirements is the range of energy drawn from the LED(s) for the dimmer to operate the LED(s) correctly. Falling below the minimum load can cause flickering,
reduced dimming range, or other unpredictable performance. Exceeding the maximum load can also cause flickering, or cause the dimmer to fail. Load requirements differ between incandescent and LED fixtures.
3. Dimming LEDs also makes them run cooler. When LEDs run cooler, they last even longer. This is because LEDs are made from electronic components. Dimming could double the life of the lamp, or more.
Lutron Electronics
TIP: Do not mix wattages or brands of LED bulbs in fixtures with multiple lamps, such as a chandelier.
ULTIMATE LIGHTING PLANNING GUIDE PAGE 15