A dimmer switch handles off on and everything in between. How does a dimmer switch work.
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How does a dimmer switch work diagram. If the switch youre replacing is the only switch controlling the light buy a standard single pole dimmer. Essentially the technology inside the dimmer switch controls the flow of electricity to your lights by turning it on and off many many times per second. In the last section we saw that a dimmer switch rapidly turns a light circuit on and off to reduce the energy flowing to a light switch. The switching cycle is built around the fluctuation of household alternating current ac. A regular light switch takes care of off and on. Through the use of a triode ac switch triac which is a type of relay the light circuit.
With a simple switch we either turn the light on meaning we close the circuit delivering full power. If you are replacing an existing 3 way switch. How dimmer switches work. How dimmer switches work. Todays dimmer switches modern ones meaning since the 90s dim your light very efficiently. Find out what this clever switch does with electrical current.
The two extremes of light output range are of course achievable by a simple switch. A light dimmer is a piece of equipment that lets you adjust the light intensity of a bulb from low to high through the use of a triac that restricts the flow of electricity to decrease the light of a bulb. This includes n type material which. You dont great what do we do now. When replacing an existing 3 way switch take note of how the existing switch is wired before you remove the wiring then refer to your notes to help you wire the new 3 way dimmer switch. The central element in this switching circuit is a triode alternating current switch or triac.
A non contact tester is best. The more power delivered the higher the light output. Check the wiring diagram for the dimmer that you have purchased. Plus its convenient to use one bulb rather than a variety of bulbs with different watts to light a room. What is a triac. This can make a room much more versatile.
A triac is a small semiconductor device similar to a diode or transistor. Lets take a closer look at how a dimmer switch works. Many dimmers need to be loaded a certain way to work properly. The less power delivered the lower the light output. Ac current has varying voltage polarity in an undulating sine wave. The light bulb circuit is switched off many times every second.
Instead of diverting energy from the light bulb into a resistor modern resistors rapidly shut the light circuit off and on to reduce the total amount of energy flowing through the circuit. Many manufacturers are now producing dimmer switches that can be used for either single pole or 3 way switchesfor the single pole application the instruction sheet will have you cap off one of the wires which will not be used. Not a big deal use a voltage tester to check which wire is hot. The new and improved way. But you wont be able to dim the lights from every switch location unless you buy a set of special dimmers with advanced electronics and install one at each switch location. If the light can be switched on and off from two or more switches buy a three way dimmer switch.
By altering the amount of power delivered to a light source a dimmer directly affects the level of light output from that source. Like a transistor a triac is made up of different layers of semiconductor material. How does a dimmer switch work. Do you know which wire is the load hot. Locating dimmer switch wires is important.
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