In a related question----
If I leave the dimmer in the lowest position where the light is (looks)
turned off, is it still drawing power?

D.


"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
t...

"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
The only way I can think to really know is use a clamp on amp meter or
Kill-A -Watt since all bulbs are a bit different and need a minimum
starting voltage. A 100 watt bulb dimmed to 60 watts should put out less
light than a 60 watt will. A Kill-A -Watt meter is good to have around

There was also a thread recently about dimming halogen lights. they burn
out faster IIRC

More that you need to know about dimmers he
http://www.epanorama.net/documents/l...ghtdimmer.html

Good info he
http://www.clarkpublicutilities.com/...ves2001/6-01-4
You are correct that an old rheostat dimmer that uses a resistance coil to
divert some of the energy passing through it does not produce much energy
savings. The dimmers literally detour some of the light energy to a
component in the switch that converts the energy to heat. The lights are
dimmer, but the energy savings is minimal.

When shopping for a new dimmer to replace a rheostat model, make sure to
specify an electronic dimmer. Electronic dimmers use a circuitry called
TRIAC to control voltage to the light bulbs. TRIACs trim the voltage to
the bulb without creating heat, and effectively reduce the energy use
while only losing about one percent of the savings to operate the dimmer
circuit. A good TRIAC dimmer will reduce the light output over a broad
range, and in turn trim the energy use.

However, the ratio of light output to dimmer setting is not equal to an
overall reduction in wattage. In other words, a 100-watt bulb dimmed to
the equivalent light output of a 60-watt bulb actually draws 70 watts
through the electronic dimmer. If you always use the fixture in a dimmed
position, you'd be better off reducing the wattage with new bulbs instead
of using a dimmer.