Wiring a light switch diagram 1. But if youre replacing a three way switch with a three way dimmer label the common wire itll be labeled on the old switch when you remove the old switch so you can connect it to the common terminal on the dimmer.
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How does a dimmer switch work diagram. How to wire a switch. A 3 way dimmer switch is very similar to a regular 3 way toggle switch except for the electronic unit which performs the actual dimming function. Some dimmer switches are set on a 3 way switch. Pre wire dimmer switches most 3 way dimmers come with pre wired leads that are color coded and explained below. A regular light switch takes care of off and on. The circuit is turned on for most of the cycle so it supplies more energy per second to the light bulb.
Headlight dimmers work in a different way. Overlamping a dimmer switch is the most common reason a dimmer switch fails. It doesnt matter if you reverse the two switch wires to a single pole dimmer. Find out what this clever switch does with electrical current. This current closes the switch turning on the normal headlights. A triac is a small semiconductor device similar to a diode or transistor.
The dimmer switches also must work with led lights. With a few tools and your handy wiring diagram you can add a custom lighting solution to any room in your house. Wiring diagrams fully explained light switch wiring diagrams. By altering the amount of power delivered to a light source a dimmer directly affects the level of light output from that source. You can put your lights on a dimmer switch in no time. A dimmer switch handles off on and everything in between.
This turn on value is based on the position of the dimmer switchs knob or sliderif the dimmer is turned to a brighter setting it will switch on very quickly after cutting off. This means that the lights can be turned on and off from the dimmer switch as well as another light switch. When the normal lights are turned on the dimmer sends a small current to an electric switch called a relay. Last updated on june 5 2019. Lets take a closer look at how a dimmer switch works. If a dimmer is equipped for 500 watts and is given the task of turning on seven lights at 100 watts each it will work overtime and reach burnout relatively early in its suggested life span.
The led light bulbs must be dimmable and work with your switches. A dimmer cant control too many lights or it will surpass its maximum wattage. 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. More about wiring switches and dimmer switches. The central element in this switching circuit is a triode alternating current switch or triac. Lets begin by examining how a typical dimmer works.
The dimmer switch actually controls two separate circuits. Like a transistor a triac is made up of different layers of semiconductor material.
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