Talk:Dimmers & Switchbanks

Although not my original edit, the bit about energy efficiency was probably better before you changed it ;-)

You seem to be confusing lighting efficiency with energy efficiency. A dimmer reduces lighting efficiency, i.e. you get less light per watt, but increases energy efficiency, i.e. you reduce the overall energy consumption. That fact that the fall of in light output is not proportional to this is not relevant - especially when that is the result you are seeking to achieve.

--John Rumm 00:14, 9 August 2007 (BST)

I think you may be confusing efficiency with use. Efficiency is output over input, and dimmers heavily reduce it. IOW energy efficiency is useful energy out over total energy in. The article as it stood was wrong.

As explained, they also dont reduce energy consumption, except when the question is viewed overly narrowly. When all the real world options are considered, the dimmed option uses the most energy of all.

I would have to disagree. For the VAST majority of users the choice is ordinary switch or dimmer switch. Rewiring the lights to use a switchbank won't even hit the radar. So for most real world cases a dimmer will use less power than the alternative. If you are building from scratch then by all means add extra lighting options.

--John Rumm 19:25, 9 August 2007 (BST)

So in that case the dimmer will reduce energy _use_ and reduce energy _efficiency_.

Also the conclusion you state isnt as logical as it might first appear, as there is in reality more to it. Either replacing the bulb or using a 2nd light will result in less energy use than running a dimmmed light, so it doesnt even follow that a dimmer would reduce energy _use_.

What I'm sure we can all agree on is that each has its pros and cons, its uses and not, and expain what those are correctly, hopefully without confusing energy efficiency with energy use.

PS switchbanks are not always a no-no for retrofit, the last one I put in was retrofit, the 2 lights the original single switch supplied each had a cable from the switch, so it was simply a case of replacing the switch, cost about £1. NT 22:47, 9 August 2007 (BST)

earlier response...

I attempted to both explain this while also acknowledging dimmer's use reduction in a narrow sense. If unsuccessful, clarification may be of value, but we should not throw out the key points imho. NT 08:01, 9 August 2007 (BST)