Articles Related to: Dimmer Switch
Nowadays you can pick from kitchen track lighting systems, recessed spots, wall lights, lights under, over and inside cabinets, retractable kitchen pendant lights and also control selected lighting elements with
dimmer switches. The problem still is choice; only this time it's not lack of choice that's the issue, but almost having too much.
Any decent modern kitchen design guide will very much take into account the multipurpose nature of today's kitchens to produce a lighting solution that both ...
... nasty trend that is unfortunately still with us in some kitchens to this day). Nowadays you can pick from kitchen track lighting systems, recessed spots, wall lights, lights under, over and inside cabinets, retractable kitchen pendant lights and also control selected lighting elements with
Dimmer Switches. The problem still is choice; only this time it's not lack of choice that's the issue, but almost having too much.
Any decent modern kitchen design guide will very much take into account the ...
This very low power consumption means you also need to consider transformers (for low-voltage 12v LED lights) and
dimmer switches. Regular dimmer units and 12 volt light transformers require a minimum load and unless you are driving a lot of 12v LED spot lights there won't be sufficient load ...
... to the special reflective coating used on MR16 halogen lamps that reflects more heat and light and helps keep the lamp body cool.
This very low power consumption means you also need to consider transformers (for low-voltage 12v LED lights) and
Dimmer Switches. Regular dimmer units and 12 volt light transformers require a minimum load and unless you are driving a lot of 12v LED spot lights there won't be sufficient load and you will need to replace existing transformers and dimmers with special 12v constant voltage LED drivers (as LED transformers are termed) and LED
Dimmer Switches if dimmability is an issue. ...
So how do you combine all these elements to produce a successful home lighting design?
With a bit of common sense really. Put main ambient lights on their own circuit, preferably controlled by a
dimmer switch. Task lighting should go where the task is likely to be performed, so under cabinet strip lights that shine onto the worktops make sense in the kitchen, and a reading lamp behind where you might want to sit to read for example. It should also be separately switchable so you can eliminate it when ...
... little to none in the way of decorative lights. By contrast the lounge will look and feel best if the accent (excuse the pun) is on accent and decorative lighting.
So how do you combine all these elements to produce a successful home lighting design?
With a bit of common sense really. Put main ambient lights on their own circuit, preferably controlled by a
Dimmer Switch. Task lighting should go where the task is likely to be performed, so under cabinet strip lights that shine onto the worktops make sense in the kitchen, and a reading lamp behind where you might want to sit to read for example. It should also be separately ...
You could in principle also share a single driver across different areas if the layout of your house permits - have a single master switch to control power to the driver then feed the driver outputs via individual lighting switches to the lights. In practice LED drivers aren't all that expensive and it's much better to buy as many as makes the wiring easier.
Using LED lighting with a
dimmer switch can be an issue for the reason that they are so low wattage. Conventional
dimmer switches invariably require quite large loads (high wattages) otherwise they buzz, hum and generally don't work. Clearly the tiny wattages associated with low energy LED lamps are nowhere ...
... have a single master switch to control power to the driver then feed the driver outputs via individual lighting switches to the lights. In practice LED drivers aren't all that expensive and it's much better to buy as many as makes the wiring easier.
Using LED lighting with a
Dimmer Switch can be an issue for the reason that they are so low wattage. Conventional
Dimmer Switches invariably require quite large loads (high wattages) otherwise they buzz, hum and generally don't work. Clearly the tiny wattages associated with low energy LED lamps are nowhere near enough to drive these ...
But the best bit is that although these halogen bulbs cost (at present) nearly 50% more than the equivalent GSL fitting, they last two to three times as long (quite a lot longer that that in fact if used in conjunction with a soft-start
dimmer switch) and consume up to a third less electricity. While these savings are clearly not even close to what most LED home lighting is capable of delivering, they are still significant since the primary cost of providing domestic lighting is the energy used to run it and the replacement ...
... is that bit sharper.
But the best bit is that although these halogen bulbs cost (at present) nearly 50% more than the equivalent GSL fitting, they last two to three times as long (quite a lot longer that that in fact if used in conjunction with a soft-start
Dimmer Switch) and consume up to a third less electricity. While these savings are clearly not even close to what most LED home lighting is capable of delivering, they are still significant since the primary cost of providing domestic lighting is the energy used to run it and the replacement costs of the bulbs.
The key to home lighting efficiency is a) reduce the operating cost (i.e. use less power) and b) reduce the ...
