Tag: chelmsford

3 Ways Dimmers Can Save You Time and Money

Jun 29, 2020

3 Ways Dimmers Can Save You Time and Money

  • Electrical
dimmer installation by ryan gath electric in chelmsford, ma

Dimmer Installation

Ryan Gath Electric

Home maintenance can add up in costs and it can be difficult to cut down on your utility bills. Emergencies can happen at any time, and appliances simply aren’t built to last forever. The good news is that there are a few tricks every homeowner can use to save money and keep your home in tip-top shape. Most probably don’t think of their home’s lighting as a way to cut down on costs, but a dimmer installation can help you save. Your home’s lighting can not only be energy efficient, but customizable and cozy.

How a Dimmer Installation Can Help Your Home

You might not think it, but the quality of lighting can increase your home’s value and comfort tremendously. Installing dimmers adds a variety of different lighting settings to your home to save money and add ambiance. Like any electrical appliance, however, your lighting is complicated and it can be difficult to get just the right amount of lighting. Dimmers give you that trial and error without having to have a licensed electrician replace and install multiple light fixtures. If you’re considering adding some dimmers to your home, here’s how a few dimmers can help you.

  • You save money. Dimmers are economic in that they consume considerably less energy when you dim the lights. Traditional light switches only give you the option of shutting off a light or turning it on, which means either you use 0% energy or 100%. A dimmer switch gives you full control of how much energy you want to use in a light switch, which can decrease your utility bills, saving $30 a year.
  • Your light bulbs last longer. On top of consuming less energy, a home with dimmers means fewer trips to the hardware store to replace your light bulbs. Generally the less light is used, the longer the bulb lasts. 
  • They provide a variety of lighting. Besides saving money, the best perk of a dimmer is the flexibility. Installing dimmers to your lighting enables you to adjust different light fixtures in your rooms for different effects. Dimmers are also easy to use because they can be programmed to change at certain times or controlled with an app or touch screen. Whether you want to accentuate some art, add ambiance, or sleep a little better at night, dimmers help to make that happen.

What You Need to Know About Dimmers

Dimmers not only improve your home’s quality of lighting, they also come in a variety of switches and can add different effects to each room. While it might be tempting to try and install a dimmer switch on your own, your lighting is complicated, and best left to a licensed electrician to install. If you’re ready to upgrade your home’s lighting, there are a few important factors to consider first.

  • The type of switch. A dimmer is not only flexible for your home’s lighting; it’s also flexible in what type of switch you can use to adjust the lighting. An integrated switch, for example, allows you to create multiple lighting presets for one room which is controlled either by a button in the wall or a wireless controller. There are touch dimmer switches which are controlled with a simple tap of your finger and some can even switch back to a prior light setting. For something less sophisticated, there are manual switches like a slider or a rotary switch, which allow you to manually adjust the lighting.
  • The type of dimmer. You can also decide how complex you want your lighting control setup to be. A single pole dimmer controls the dimming and lighting for all your home’s light fixtures. Three-way or four-way dimmers are used for light fixtures to be controlled by one dimmer switch with additional on and off switches. Multi-location dimmers enable you to use multiple dimmer switches to control multiple dimmers. 
  • What you want in each room. It’s important to remember that a dimmer installation not only save you money but offer a variety of uses for each room. Having dimmers in the bathroom, for example, allows you to turn down the lights first thing in the morning for your light sensitive eyes. Dimmers are especially best for bedrooms as the dimmed light helps prepare your body to wind down for sleep. Kitchens which can be a popular room to hang out can benefit from dimmer lights, as good lighting makes for a good looking kitchen, which saves you money and adds curb appeal. Even outdoor lighting benefit from a dimmer switch, especially when you need a little extra light in the evenings.

Your Home Deserves Better Lighting

Saving money is tough, especially when it’s time to pay the utility bill, but installing dimmers is one helpful trick that benefits homeowners. Dimmers add a nice variety of lighting for decoration and ambiance for comfort and help cut down on utility costs. Upgrading your home’s lighting, however, is best left to a licensed electrician, who not only can help you pick a dimmer that will work best for your home, but ensure your new lighting is installed safely. Call Ryan Gath Electric today and get the best lighting your home deserves.

By Ryan Gath Electric

8 Kitchen and Bathroom Lighting Upgrades

Jun 15, 2020

8 Kitchen and Bathroom Lighting Upgrades

  • Electrical
kitchen lighting by ryan gath electric

8 Kitchen and Bathroom Lighting Upgrades

One of the biggest concerns that you should have as a homeowner is finding the right additions to add more appeal to your residence. For most homeowners, making upgrades in both their bathroom and kitchen is important due to the amount of use these areas get. Lighting is one of the main issues that should be addressed when trying to make these areas more functional. Without proper lighting upgrades, you will experience issues like an overall decline in the room’s atmosphere or the inability to function in either rooms due to a lack of visibility. Below are some of the lighting upgrades you need to consider for your home’s bathroom and kitchen.

1. Track Lighting

If you are looking to increase both the appeal and visibility in the bathroom or kitchen of your home, then track lighting is a great option. Track lighting is both easy to install and will provide a higher degree of illumination. The addition of track lighting will allow you to point the lamps in any direction that you want, which only increases the level of customization you can take advantage of.

2. Self and Cabinet Lighting

One of the most poorly lit areas in a bathroom or kitchen is around the cabinets. Trying to find spices or even towels without the proper amount of lighting can be nearly impossible. Installing under cabinet lighting is the best way to solve this problem while adding an ambiance to the kitchen and bathroom areas in your home.

3. Chandeliers are a Great Addition

Creating an environment in your bathroom or kitchen that is luxurious and classy is easy when finding the right chandelier. In smaller bathrooms and kitchens, having a chandelier is essential due to the space that it can save you. If you have no room for floor lamps in these areas, a chandelier is a great option due to the amount of light it can produce and the appeal it is able to add. When choosing a chandelier, you will need to contemplate just how grandiose you want it to be. There are a variety of different chandeliers on the market, which means you can achieve the customized look you need with ease.

4. Recessed Lighting

Are you looking for lighting fixtures that can help to make your bathroom or kitchen appear bigger? Recessed lighting is a great option when trying to accomplish this task. Adding recessed lighting will result in what is called wall washing. This term is used to describe a lighting fixture that offers increased illumination to the walls in a particular room. Most homeowners who have sloped ceilings will benefit the most from the installation of recessed lighting and the subsequent wall washing effect it will produce.

5. Dimmer Switch

If you are looking for more control of the lighting that you have in your bathroom and kitchen, then a dimmer switch is a great option. Not only with the installation of this switch allow you to adjust the brightness of a room, it will also allow you to save energy in the process. Generally, bulbs will last 25% longer when used in conjunction with a dimmer switch.

6. Change Light Bulbs

When trying to improve the ambiance and illumination that you have in the bathroom or kitchen in your home, you may want to change out the existing light bulbs. You need to make sure that the bulbs you are using are the right wattage. Using a higher wattage than recommended can lead to the bulbs burning out quicker.

7. Bathroom Mirror Lighting

One of the most used methods of illuminating a bathroom is via a mirror with lights built into it. Not only will these mirrors help you to navigate your way to the bathroom during the night time hours, they can offer a level of appeal that is unrivaled. When trying to get the right backlit bathroom mirror, you will have to take some measurements to ensure you get the proper fit. Due to the complexity involved in installing these mirrors, you will need to hire a professional with plenty of experience to help out.

8. Accent Lighting

In some instances, the reason for installing additional lighting in the bathroom and kitchen of a home is to highlight some of the structural features it has. Using accent lighting will allow you to draw attention to the best features in your home, while creating ambiance in the process. If you are unsure what type of structural elements you need to highlight with accent lighting, then having a professional familiar with home illumination give you guidance is vital.

Investing in new bathroom lighting will not only add more appeal to your home, it can also increase the value. Choosing energy efficient lighting can also help you to save money on utility bills over time. Call Ryan Gath Electric today to schedule your service! 

By Ryan Gath Electric