DIMMER Switches

Dimmer switches are simple electronic devices that are used to control the brightness level of lighting. Dimmer switches simply raise or lower the brightness in electric light bulbs.

The industry around the residential applications increasingly demanding – especially with regard to lighting that creates the right mood for every occasion. However, innovative lighting devices not only create a room atmosphere but can also save energy. Dimmer switches are integral parts of the lighting systems. You can automatically set the lights to dim at a certain time with timers or smart controls, or adjust the light level manually.

The dimmer switch is a type of potentiometer that adjusts the amount of light in the illumination by controlling the current passing through the lamps. The dimmer enables the brightness of light sources such as LED, Halogen, CFL to be brought to the level desired by the users.

Dimmer switches operate using the leading-edge phase principle. At the beginning of each sinusoidal half-wave, the dimmer blocks the current to the lamp, it is non-conducting. The TRIAC (the electronic switch in the dimmer) is only connected after the startup of a user-definable delay time , which energizes the connected loads.

In this way, the brightness of the connected lighting medium can be infinitely adjusted. The interference voltages produced by the switching operation are dampened using suitable filtering measures.

Dimmer switches are created with 4 basic designs: integrated, touch, slide and rotary.

Integrated dimmer switches are often controlled with wireless technology, but they can also be operated manually. These types of dimmer switches are commonly used with modern smart home and/or security systems.

Touch screen dimmer switches are also popular. They are often installed on a wall in the home and are both handy and easy to use, plus give a modern look to a room.

Slide dimmers simply allow you to control brightness by simply sliding a switch back and forth or up and down. These dimmers can also come with a button that automatically slides the device back and forth.

Rotary dimmer that can be manually turned to dim lights. Pretty straight forward, the dial itself is also the on/off switch.

Generally, dimmer switches are suitable for use with incandescent and halogen lamps. But some LEDs and fluorescent lamps with special ballasts can also be controlled by the dimmer switch.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Extension Cord Vs Power Strips Vs Spike Guards

Image
Extension Cord An extension cord is used to connect an electrical cord to the outlet if the main cable falls short. T heir job is to extend the reach of a wall receptacle. Extension cords vary in length and type of outlet plug. They can be anywhere in length from two feet to as long as one hundred feet. The longer the extension cord, the bigger the drop in amps. It’s important to use a cord which is a rated enough for the tool or appliance. A under rated cord will experience overload causing overtemperture which is dangerous and this makes it are among the most dangerous electrical devices in our homes. So we should not use it as a permanent electrical connection. Connecting two extension cords together should be avoided as it creates a drop in amperage also too long extension cord can create a tripping hazard. Power Strips A power strip is a device that has an electrical plug, a series of sockets, and a cable. The cable plugs into an outlet in your wall, and then the strip ...
Read more

KIT – KAT TYPE FUSES

Image
Kit – Kat Type Fuses are  a type of Low Voltage (LV) Fuses . Kit Kat Fuse is  a semi-enclosed fuse also considered as rewireable fuse designed mainly for the domestic wiring and small scale usage . The main composition of this fuse is Porcelain base which holds the wires together. Fuse element is located under the carrier that is also made up of porcelain material. The fuse carriers that contain a length of fuse wire , which is wrapped around the terminals, covering the space between carriers and pins, to complete the circuit. It is used in interrupting the circuit in conditions like over-current or short-circuits. They are most commonly used in house wiring, small industries and other small current applications. The fuse is wired in series with the circuit to be protected. During the fault, the circuit current rises in value. Therefore, the heat produced at the fuse causes  temperature of the fuse wire to rise to a value high enough to melt the wire and thu...
Read more

Two Way Switch

Image
A Switch is an electrical device which is used to open or close an electric circuit. There are different types of switches: Toggle Switch, Momentary Switch, Rocker Switch, Digital Switch, etc. All the switches perform simple task of ‘make’ or ‘break’ the circuit. Normal switch has two states - ON/OFF. All the switches we use regularly to turn on or off lights, fans, etc. are two terminal devices.  But there is a special switch called ‘Two Way Switch’. The advantage of a two-way switch is the ability to control a single device from two separate locations. A convenient and apt use for them is for locations like stairways, a long corridor or a very large room.  This is a 2 switch for a single appliance. Two way switch has - State1/State2 (Single Pole Double Throw i.e SPDT Switch) which is the main element of the 2 Way Switching. It is a standard single pole double throw switch with three terminals. The one-way switch has defined ON and OFF states, whereas the two-way swi...
Read more