How To Make A Light Bulb Less Bright

We are all aware of the benefits of light bulbs, and how they provide dazzling light for us to see things properly although they may also be bothersome and can create disruption when they emit a continual bright light in our eyes. There are a few tips and tricks for dimming the lights to alleviate the most prevalent issue that we all experience on a daily basis. If you follow this article, the we are sure that you will be able to learn how to make a light bulb less bright and from then on, it’s as easy as a pie! So let us have a look at each of them.

Tips on How To Make A Light Bulb Less Bright

Decrease The Voltage

As the light source gets enough voltage, a new light bulb is supposed to shine bright therefore in order to reduce the brightness of the light bulb, you can decrease the voltage from the power source and hence it will provide less voltage to your bulb and produce less light.

Using Plastic or Glass Holders

There are many light bulb holders which work like a full cover of the light bulb. If you do not want to reduce the significant amount of light then in that case, a plastic or glass holder can be used as it will not reduce the light totally however, a minimum amount of light intensity can be reduced because of the upper layer coming in front of the light bulb.

Consider Using Heat-Resistant Glass Paint To Paint Your Light Bulb

On your journey to learning how to make a light bulb less bright, the third thing that you can do is paint! Here, you can paint your light bulb and it will create an upper layer and hence provide less bright light.

If you have decided on painting your light bulb and you want to ensure that your paint will withstand the heat generated by the bulb once it is turned on then regular acrylic or oil-based paint should not be used on light bulbs because the heat produced on the light glass can cause the bulb to burst. In that case, the best option would be to buy heat-resistant glass paint.

Now the first step in painting your light bulb is rubbing alcohol to clean the light bulbs. Soak a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and rub your light bulb with it to get a clean, dust-free surface for painting so that the paint adheres effectively, or use soap and water and air-dry for 1-2 minutes. After you are done with the cleaning process, the next step is to position the bulb in such a way that you can simply paint the entire bulb with a little brush. Allow an hour for air-dry paint to dry after you’ve finished painting your bulb.

Avoid touching the bulb until it is completely dry. Check to see whether you like the effect after the first layer is complete. Some glass paints may require extra coats to achieve the desired appearance. Allow each layer to dry completely before proceeding to the next.

Use A Dimmer

Many light sources emit too much bright light, thus using a dimmer to decrease the light if necessary is recommended.  You can even buy third-party dimmers from your local hardware store that you can mod and then apply them to your light bulb to make them less bright.

However, please do keep in mind that these might damage your light bulb or even completely render them useless. So I would suggest only going this route if you know what you are doing.

Use A Diffuser Foil

There are diffuser foils that cause light to be scattered. Depending on the installation situation, a foil can be placed in front of the light bulb to make it appear less bright. The usage of a diffuser in front of a bulb can only be treated as a temporary solution and should only be done at your own risk.

It should only be done in extreme circumstances and with bulbs that have a low wattage of only a few watts. Heat could build up if this isn’t done properly and in the worst-case scenario, the bulb may even catch fire.

Covering The Light Bulb

Because most light bulbs do not have the ability to increase or decrease their light intensity, an opaque adhesive tape can be utilized to fix the problem. Tissue adhesive tape, for example, can be used, but you should also be aware of the fact that tape residues may form when the tape is removed from the bulb. Even though this is a really straightforward method, this is an old and guaranteed method to make a light bulb less bright.

Darken Indicator Bulbs

It’s common to not want to entirely deactivate or mask the too-bright bulbs. In that scenario, a translucent adhesive foil can be used to hide the bulb, which can then be painted with dark ink or dipping varnish. So, nothing dazzles any longer, but the bulb’s light intensity is still noticeable.

Frequently Asked Question

Can you Dim any Light

Of course, you can definitely dim most if not all lights with fixtures that has standard sockets attached to them. You can do that by installing a dimmer and controller to them. However, I would suggest you do these things with the help of a professional since this might damage your light bulb. Also, working with electricity and electronic components is always risky.

What Happens If you Dim a Non-Dimmable Bulb?

Most of the time, at best, the thing that can happen is that the bulb won’t dim properly. This is because the bulb isn’t made to work like this and hence, if you want to change the property of how it works, the thing won’t work perfectly. On the other hand, the worst thing that can happen is that your bulb might break down because of the change in voltage and hence, I would suggest working carefully when you want to do aftermarket mod like this.

However, if you follow our guide on how to make a light bulb less bright, then you might be able to find other ways to get what you want.

Conclusion

Too bright light bulbs provide an unsettling glow that is frequently dazzling. It not only comes in direct with our eyes but also becomes annoying when we prefer dimmer lights. You can either choose to dim your light bulbs permanently or temporarily, depending on your need. By this time, you now know how to reduce the brightness of too bright lights.

You may also use these tricks to make these obnoxious device lamps darker or even turn them off when they come into direct contact with your eyes. Hopefully, now, you can use any of these tricks on how to make a light bulb less bright. If you have any questions regarding this, then I would suggest writing your opinion in the comment section below.

I would also suggest reading our previous articles that can help you give a detailed information on everything related to light. We hope to see your again soon.

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