The average home has 24 or so light switches (I've got 20 in my house), yet only 60% of homes use dimmers on one or more switches. The great thing about dimmers is that they are a simple way to lower energy costs (by 10% or more) and extend the life of your light bulbs (up to 30 times!) They are also a wonderful way to add value to your home and flexibilty to your lighting plan. Here are the 4 types of dimmers to look at:

  1. Integrated dimming systems - the most sophisticated and expensive type of dimmer system, allowing you to control zones in your home or your entire home lighting. Many of these systems end up being custom installations, but this Lutron Maestro dimmer is a good starter version.
  2. Touch dimmers - sophisticated dimmers for light switches that allow you to set the lighting level of a fixture with the simple touch of a finger. This Lightolier touch dimmer is a good example.
  3. Slide dimmers - just as effective as touch dimmers, these dimmers use are dependable and cost-effective. They use a simple slide mechanism to set the lighting level. Some designs incorporate a slide dimmer with an on-off or pre-set toggle switch.
  4. Rotary dimmers - an older style dimmer not seen too much that uses a round rotary switch to control the lighting output.

View all dimmers at LampsPlus.com.