Modern homes require flexibility. The same space will host dinners, calculus study groups, Friday night poker and afternoon board games. Adding a dimmer to your room will make transitioning between different activities as simple as turning the lights on. It can also change the mood from intimate to scholastic but how can you determine if your dimmer switches are compatible with your bulbs? This guide will provide you with all the information you need to get the right product for your home. 

HOW TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR DIMMER SWITCH IS COMPATIBLE WITH YOUR BULBS 

1. CHECK WHAT TYPE OF BULB IT IS 

Check if the light bulb you have purchased is dimmable. Dimmable lights work fine on non-dimmable circuit but non-dimmable lights will not work on dimmable circuits. You can get this information on the product or on product listing pages. 

2. LOOK AT THE SYMBOL ON THE SWITCH 

There are symbols on the dimmer switch which indicate which what type of dimmer switch it is and which type of bulb it is compatible with. 

If there is an R on the dimmer switch, then it is compatible with incandescent bulbs and 230V halogen bulbs. 

If you see a C on the dimmer switch, then it means that it is compatible with incandescent bulbs, 230V halogen bulbs, LED bulbs and energy saving bulbs. 

If there is a L on the dimmer switch, then it is compatible with incandescent bulbs, 230 V halogen bulbs and some types of LED bulbs but this needs to be mentioned on the dimmer switch. 

3. CALCULATE THE TOTAL LOAD 

When choosing dimmer switches, it is important to calculate the total load to make sure that the switch can support the all the light bulbs you will be using. To do this, you need to divide the minimum and maximum load of the dimmer by 10. For instance, if the dimmer is rated at 200W-600W, the minimum load will be 20W and the maximum load will be 60 W.\ 

Taking this into account, if you have a total of 5 bulbs of 5 watts each, the total voltage would be 25 watts which is more than the dimmer’s minimum load. In this case, the dimmer will support 12 LED light bulbs. By calculating the total load before choosing a dimmer switch, you can ensure that all your light bulbs will work properly and provide adequate lighting. 

When it comes to dimmer switches, there are many things that you need to think about. You need to choose the right type of bulb and dimmer and then calculate the total load. Keeping these factors in mind, it can be difficult to know which is dimmer switch is best for your home. 

Smarttouchswitches offers a wide variety of dimming options including multi-channel dimmers, RGB lighting control switches and touch switches that can control turntable lights while dimming them at the same time. They can be operated by touch, smart app or by voice to create the desired ambience.