2012 ushers in change in the land of light bulbs. Production on some incandescent bulbs has come to an end….Going forward bulb replacements will essentially involve a change to either CFL and/or LED bulbs. CFLs and LEDs are touted as easy, simple and relatively inexpensive screw in replacements – though LEDs have higher initial price points – it is not quite as simple nor inexpensive.
In the 1980’s dimmers became commonly used in homes throughout the United States. If you have bulbs you wish to replace in dimmer set-ups know the following:
(1) be sure that the CFL or LED bulbs you purchase are dimmer-rated. These cost more than their non-dimmable counterparts
(2) in most instances special new CFL and/or LED matched dimmers have to also be installed
While the CFL and LED dimmers will look essentially like the ones you are used to, the technology in them is different. Without the matching of bulbs and dimmers it is likely that your new bulbs will light only at the top spectrum or drop out completely at low settings. In other words the effect of the dimmer will be erased.
Lutron makes CFL and LED dimmers. The line is called the C-L dimmer line.
As discussed in earlier post, LED lights simply offer better light quality and do not contain hazardous mercury. Take a moment and learn about the important differences between CFLs and LEDs. Know what you get into!
