More on Dimmers for your Home Lighting Design

As we mentioned in my last post, there are various types of dimmers. Today, we will discuss more about each type and their respective uses.

Integrated and Programmable Dimmer Switches
Integrated and programmable dimmers allow you to create and save preset lighting settings within a room. Some of these systems offer hand held remote controls, so you can go from a bright room to a romantic scene at the touch of a single button without leaving the comfort of your loved one’s arms.

Touch Dimmers
A touch dimmer adjusts the lighting as you push a button on the wall receptacle. Some touch dimmers will allow an instant recall of the last setting before the lights were dimmed. Some of these dimmers also have indicator lights so you can more easily repeat levels of lighting form one event to another.

Slide Dimmers
The slide dimmer allows you to slide a knob up or down to adjust the lighting. This, less sophisticated dimmer, is easy to install and still allows a full range of lighting adjustment.

Rotary Dial Dimmers
Perhaps the dimmer most people remember from their childhood is the rotary dial dimmer. Rotary dial dimmers have provided lighting adjustments in many homes throughout the years and today they are still as reliable as they were then. Most rotary dimmers also operate as a push button on and off switch. The only downside to this type of dimmer is the difficulty you will have in maintaining a constant level of light, as the level will change every time someone touches the dial. Next posting we will finish the subject of dimmers.

I cannot stress enough to always be sure to have a licensed electrician install any new dimmers. For more information on dimmers, or for recommendations on local electricians, you may contact your local Lighting One showroom. Use the locator listed at http://www.lighting-one.com/ to locate your closest showroom.

As a reminder, you may access previous Lighting One Design Tips postings on lighting, color, design, and other tips by viewing our blog at http://www.iluciolighting.blogspot.com/.
Feel free to leave any comments you may have.

Item shown is 4500-CB and is available exclusively at a Lighting One showroom.

Dimmer Controls in your Home Lighting Design

Dimmer switches allow you to create different moods in a room. With some of today’s more sophisticated dimmers you can control lighting for your entire home using various home automation systems that control the lights through radio frequency and computer technology. These sophisticated systems create and save pre-selected, timed settings. Now you can turn on lights before you get home from work.

These sophisticated systems are expensive and may be outside the budget of many of you, however there are many more options available for the average customer. Dimmers do more than just dim the lights. They also save money by turning down the intensity of the light, to conserves energy and extend the life of the bulb.

As you dim the lights the voltage is lowered which lowers the number of watts consumed. (Volts times Amps = Watts) The lower the wattage the more energy you save. Tests have also shown that dimming lights also increases regular incandescent bulb life.

You need to know that during normal operation, solid-state dimmers generate heat. A solid-state dimmer is roughly 98% efficient. That means 2% of the power dissipates as heat, causing the dimmer to feel warm to the touch. The brighter the light, the higher the load (watts) on the dimmer, so the warmer it will feel. This is perfectly normal and safe.

The most common types of dimmer switches are: an integrated dimming system, touch dimmers, slide dimmers, and dial dimmers. We will talk about each of these in upcoming posts.

I cannot stress enough to always be sure to have a licensed electrician install any new dimmers. For more information on dimmers, or for recommendations on local electricians, you may contact your local Lighting One showroom. Use the locator listed at http://www.lighting-one.com/ to locate your closest showroom.

As a reminder, you may access previous Lighting One Design Tips postings on lighting, color, design, and other tips by viewing our blog at http://www.iluciolighting.blogspot.com/.

Feel free to leave any comments you may have.

Item shown is 2321-BZ and is available exclusively at a Lighting One showroom.

More on Switches for your Home Lighting Design

Our last post discussed the standard switches. Today, let's talk about Pilot Switches.

A pilot switch has a toggle that glows when the fixture is on. These switches are used when the switch is located away from the light fixture. You could use pilot switches outside a doorway at the top of stairwell leading to a basement. When the pilot switch is glowing, you know the light is on, without having to go down in the basement to see.

Next posting we will discuss dimmer switches. Remember to always be sure to have a licensed electrician install any new switches. For more information on switches, or for recommendations on local electricians, you may contact your local Lighting One showroom. Use the locator listed at http://www.lighting-one.com/ to locate your closest showroom.

You may access previous postings on lighting, color, design, and other tips by veiwing our blog at http://www.iluciolighting.blogspot.com/. Feel free to leave any comments you may have.

Item shown is L7059-TH and is available only at a Lighting One showroom.

Guide to Switches in your Home Lighting Design

The standard light switch is the key to controlling the layering of lighting. Besides the classic two-way toggle switch, your local lighting showroom may carry three-way and four-way switches, pilot switches, motion sensors, timers, as well as a wide range of dimmer switches.

Today we will discuss the Standard Switches.

The classic single-pole switch controls a light or an outlet from a single location. Three-way switches operate in pairs to control lights or receptacles from two locations, allowing the you to turn on the lights from the opposite sides of a room or opposite ends of a hallway. Four-way switches are used only in combination with three-way switches to control lights and receptacles from more than two locations. When you need to control a fixture from three or more different switches, you will need to install one or more four-way switches between a pair of three way switches. Just remember, the first and the last switch must be three-way switches.

As I mentioned, there are many different type of switches. We will discuss more over the coming weeks. Please always be sure to have a licensed electrician install any new switches. For more information on switches, or for recommendations on local electricians, you may contact your local Lighting One showroom. Use the locator listed at http://www.lighting-one.com/ to locate your closest showroom.

Item shown is 2404-EB and is available only at a Lighting One showroom.

Diffusion in Your Home Lighting Design

Diffusion is where the light is softened to remove some of the glare. A white opal type diffuser will cause a light loss through the glass of approximately 30%. If the lens is more frosted or crackled, the amount of light lost is closer to 10%. Stained glass, although very decorative has a very high diffusion factor. In some cases, much of the light will not pass through the glass at all.

Keep this in mind when planning your lighting design. You need to determine the uses of the room that you will place your fixture or lamp. If you absolutely love that tiffany lamp and the colors complement your room, by all means go ahead and use it (I love tiffany myself)! However, if you plan to use the space for reading, make certain the bulb is facing where your book would be placed (such as in a torchiere) or have additional lighting in that area.

Image shown is 5905-TR, available at Lighting One showrooms.

Posted with permission from Lighting One http://www.lighting-one.com/

Color Rendition & Your Home Lighting

Two things determine how we perceive the color of an object in the home. The first thing is the surface color of the object itself. The second is the color of the light that shines on it.
Imagine if you will, a rich cobalt blue vase. If you illuminate it with a blue light, the color of the vase will be intensified. However, if that same vase is illuminated by a red light, the vase will appear dull and “grayish” in color. The vase absorbs the red light and since there are no blue rays for the vase to reflect back, it has this grayish appearance.

Now imagine how lighting affects the colors of your home furnishings and wall colors. It’s important to consider the lighting you currently have when you change your home furnishings or decorating materials. If possible, you should try to see the new furnishings under the same lighting you currently have in your home. Conversely, when you are creating a lighting plan for your home, try to select the right lighting for the furnishings and decorative items you have in each room.

Everything in the lighting industry references incandescent lighting as being 100% color rendering. Fluorescent lighting on the other hand has a unique way of changing the color of objects. It is for this reason that we do not recommended you mix incandescent with fluorescent lights in areas where the two will be used simultaneously. For example, if you have a kitchen ceiling light that is incandescent, and you use fluorescent lights under the cabinet, you will see significant color differences. It is always best to keep the types of light the same when they can be used simultaneously in the same room.

Item shown in the picture is Lighting One item #0411-RD.

Posted with permission from Lighting One http://www.lighting-one.com/