How to make a lamp dimmable

In old homes, your lighting options may be relegated to floor lamps only if you've got limited wiring or no ceiling outlets. There are easy ways make these old lamps smart, though. It's now possible to make them dimmable and easy to control without needing to hire an electrician or doing any rewiring whatsoever.

Índice Show

Can You Make Any Lamp Dimmable?
4 Types of Light Dimmers You Can Use to Dim Any Lamp
How to Install a Dimmer Socket on a Table Lamp or Floor Lamp
What Types of Light bulbs Can Be Used with a Dimmable Lamp Socket?
Where Can I Purchase a Dimmable Lamp Socket?
More Home Lighting Ideas:
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Can any lamp be made dimmable?
How do you make a regular light dimmable?
What can you put over a lamp to dim?
What makes a light fixture dimmable?

In the past, floor lamps basically had two options - On or Off. You also only had one choice for brightness or color. When reading, watching TV, or entertaining it was tough to find just the right light to meet all your needs. It was always a compromise. But LED bulbs and smart controls are changing everything.

Virtually every major lighting manufacturer makes LED bulbs that are dimmable. Some can even change color, and others can be controlled from your smart phone or tablet. I'm a big fan of keeping it simple, but adaptable. Here's what I'd do:

Purchasing 1600 lumen dimmable LED bulbs. They use less than 20 watts at full brightness, but are the equivalent lumens of the old-school, energy-wasting 100 watt bulbs.
Get a dimmer control switch and use it. By dimming the lights, you get the best of both worlds -- very bright light for the rare instance need it, and dimmer light (which means less energy usage) for the majority of the time.
You can buy cheap dimmer switches that connect to each lamp, but then you have to run around to each lamp and adjust them, one-by-one. Instead, get a simple remote control plug in dimmer outlet. (Lutron sells the Caseta Wireless system for around $60 and can connect with an app on your smart phone.)
Add a couple of simple commands and have your lights turn on automatically when you come up the driveway. You can even program it to link to your door locks and enter an If This, Then That command and tell your lamps that IF your smart door lock detects someone trying to break-in, THEN turn on the lights! Not a bad security feature to help ease the mind of the paranoid homeowner.

To set up the plug in dimmer outlet simply do as the name states: plug it in to any outlet. Then plug up to two floor lamps into the controller. Caseta Wireless pairs with a Pico wireless remote switch which has four buttons: On / Off and + / - for making the light brighter or dimmer.

The remote can be placed anywhere with no wiring, but I suggest getting the optional Pico wall mount adapter. It simply screws into the wall and then you snap the remote into place. It will look like a conventional light switch and prevent house guests from freaking out trying to figure out all your smart lamps and save you some time looking for the remote in the couch cushions.

Up the cozy factor in any room by adding an inexpensive dimmer switch socket to any table lamp or floor lamp – no electrical skills needed!

The right kind of light can change the way any room in your home feels.

Did you know you can have the option to make any room feel cozy one night with the soft glow of a dimmed lamp to another night of needing the same lamp brightly lit to read, do hobbies or play games?

In my house, I like every wall switch to have a dimmer switch wired to an outlet. Any lamp that gets plugged into these outlets becomes controlled by a wall switch. Dimmable by turning or sliding a dial on the wall switch.

Wall dimmer switches are common in the dining rooms of most homes so a chandelier over the table can be dimmed when entertaining.

But what about lamps not near an outlet that has been wired to do this?

Did you know even an existing lamp you own can become dimmable without the need of an electrician or connected to a wall switch? All that is needed is a small tweak to the fixture’s socket.

I added a dimmable light socket to this floor lamp.

I also added the same style lamp socket dimmer to the table lamp I recently makeover.

Having the option to dim both these lamps in my living room, allows me to up the cozy factor.

Dimmed lamp light is the best light for watching TV, to enjoy candle glow and for sitting by a fire in the fireplace while snuggled under a comfy throw.

Think how nice it would be to dim any lamp or light bulb when you don’t need it to be bright all the time.

Dimmers on lamps = instant room ambiance!

Can You Make Any Lamp Dimmable?

There is a variety of lamp socket dimmer products sold at home improvement stores. Most of these dimmer sockets will work with any standard incandescent bulbs up to 150 watts. For LED bulbs – you may need specialized dimmers.

4 Types of Light Dimmers You Can Use to Dim Any Lamp

Making a lamp dimmable is an easy process.

Option 1 – Replacement Dimmer Socket – no electrical knowledge needed. Simple change-out of the lamp socket to a dimmable lamp socket with a turn knob. This is my go-to. See how-to video below.

Option 2 – Screw in Dimmer Socket – These are the fastest and easiest dimmer sockets to add to a lamp. No tools needed.

The downfall is most of these are made of plastic and are wide which may interfere with the lampshade harp.

They also add about 1 and 1/4 inch to the height of the bulb. If using a shade that is connected to the bulb, the shade may become too high from the lamp base and not look in proportion.

Option 3 – Corded Plug-In Dimmer Switch. These are easy to plug-in, but you will have a separate switch and cord hanging from the lamp. Too many cords to deal with.

Option 4 – Wired in the Wall Dimmer that is connected to a ceiling mounted fixture and controlled by a light switch.

These can also be wired to an outlet so that a lamp with a dial control that is plugged in the outlet can be dimmed. Electrical knowledge is needed.

Adding any of these dimming option to a room will add “instant cozy” to any space with the turn of a knob.

How to Install a Dimmer Socket on a Table Lamp or Floor Lamp

Always remember to unplug your lamp before changing out the socket.

To view the above video, select the arrow in the center.

No Dimmers in a Room? When you don’t have a dimmer on a lamp and want to add the cozy dimmed light feeling to a space, use one or more 15 watt lightbulbs to simulate candlelight. Works like magic when you don’t have a dimmer switch or lightbulb socket on your light fixtures and lamps.

What Types of Light bulbs Can Be Used with a Dimmable Lamp Socket?

There are a few different types of light bulbs that can be used with a dimmable lamp socket. These include LED bulbs, CFL bulbs, and incandescent bulbs. Each type of bulb has its own benefits and drawbacks, so it’s important to choose the right one for your style and needs. LED bulbs are the most energy-efficient option, and they also last the longest. However, they can be more expensive than other types of bulbs.

Where Can I Purchase a Dimmable Lamp Socket?

You can buy dimmable lamp sockets at most home improvement stores and online on Amazon.

Below are a few different styles to choose. They range from nickel, brass, antique brass, plastic and vintage.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Do you have dimmer lamp sockets on your lights, fixtures and lamps?

More Home Lighting Ideas:

Can any lamp be made dimmable?

Nearly all fixtures with standard sockets can be dimmed using incandescent or halogen bulbs. Many people use standard dimmers and controls to adjust the brightness of chandelier lighting to set the mood in the dining room.

How do you make a regular light dimmable?

Buy a dimmer that corresponds with the number of switches. A single-pole dimmer allows you to dim the lights with one switch (usually a dimming knob). A 3-way dimmer allows you to turn the light on and off with one switch while dimming the light with the other switch or dimming knob.

What can you put over a lamp to dim?

WhiteDims are the perfect solution to dim/soften overhead indoor ceiling lights or outdoor lights without making the room to dark. If the lights are still too bright simply add another layer of White Dims.

What makes a light fixture dimmable?

What makes a light fixture dimmable is the dimmer controlling it and the light bulb. So it is the light bulb that determines whether you can dim or not (and not the fixture).