Dimmer was invented to fight after the first incandescent lamps appeared. What he really is? This device, which is able to change the brightness of the glow of the lamp by limiting the supply of electric current, as a consequence, it has a direct effect on the power characteristic. Sometimes dimmers are represented as a variable type of resistance, but it is in this case that most of the power will be dissipated as heat. After that, use automatic transformers, but unfortunately these devices take up a lot of space.
At the moment, the dimmer is a very complex electrical type device, which allows not only to adjust the brightness, but also makes it possible to control the switching off and on. You can smoothly run the bulb and control lighting in the room remotely. Often, they are used in urban apartments and country cottages.
As already mentioned, the dimmer is an element that allows you to adjust the level of light intensity supply. The principle of its operation is reduced to the fact that it will be necessary to turn the handle of the resistor. Then the capacitor will be charged. After the voltage is applied, an electric current begins to flow. At the same time, the capacitor will be discharged. The whole process will be repeated cyclically.
Can I use it?
Many people are asking: can I use dimmers to adjust and control LED lamps? The answer is positive, because for so many reasons such a device:
- will significantly save energy;
- allows you to adjust the brightness of lamps;
- will get rid of noise and interference.
Specialists say that before buying a dimmer it will be necessary to check the bundle in the store.
Kinds
All dimmers can be conditionally divided into classes, because they are all represented in a large variety.
For LED bulbs 220v
At the moment, dimmers are widely used for LED lamps of the following varieties:
- dimmer for LED lamps 220v Legrand - this type of equipment has a high competitive potential and has a high level of quality;
- dimmer for LED lamps 220v with remote control - this option involves controlling the brightness of the light with the remote control. The maximum rated lamp power is -220V
- lED dimmer 220v 200w with remote control - in this case we are talking about a controller that can withstand the power of 200 watts and voltage in 220V;
- dimmer for LED lamps 12 volts - in this case, the dimmer can be used for LED dumpling with a maximum voltage rating of 24 V.
- light off by timer;
- switching on and off lighting at a certain time (presence effect, used for long departures);
- acoustic control (on cotton or voice);
- remote control capability;
- different modes of operation of lamps - flashing, changing the temperature of light, etc.;
- the possibility of embedding in the "smart house" system.
- Modular for installation in a DIN rail. To connect a dimmer of this type is possible with incandescent lamps, halogen lamps with a step-down transformer. For ease of use, they have a remote control button or a key switch. Such devices are convenient, for example, to regulate the illumination of the courtyard and the entrance gates from the house, staircase or the front door.
- Dimmers on the cord. These are mini-devices that allow you to adjust the brightness of the glow of lighting devices that are included in the outlet - table lamps, sconces, floor lamps. Only it is worthwhile to know that they are compatible mainly with incandescent lamps.
- For installation in a back box. Put in the junction box under the switch (in the same box). Compatible with incandescent lamps, LED, halogen lowering and electronic transformer. Controlled by a button that is placed on top of the device or connected to the smart house system.
- Monoblock. In appearance it looks very much like an ordinary switch, put in the same mounting box, you can instead of a switch. They are included in the rupture of the phase circuit (the circuit below). This type has a large species diversity. With which lamps it is possible to connect such a dimmer, it should be indicated on the case, but if it is an electronic circuit, they work with incandescent lamps and some halogen and LED (on which the dimmable or sign sign is written). The following can be managed:
- do not overheat the controller. The maximum permissible temperature of the air in the room is +27 degrees;
- the value of the load connected to the regulator must be at least 40 W. At lower values, there is a significant reduction in the service life of both the lighting devices and the regulator itself;
- the dimmer can only be used in conjunction with the lighting fixtures listed in the technical data sheet.
Dimmer for LED strip
Sometimes there is a need to change the intensity of lighting. Do this with the help of dimmers, which are often called a "dimmer". Most of the devices are mounted instead of a conventional switch - right into the same mounting box, and many look similar. How to connect the dimmer yourself? Simply - into a phase wire in series with the load. The regulator installation diagrams are simple, you can manage it yourself.
Purpose and functions
Dimmers (in English dimmer) in everyday life are used to adjust the brightness of lamps, the temperature of heating appliances (soldering irons, irons, electric stoves, etc.). These devices are also called dimmers or dimmers, although this is only one of the possible applications. Most effectively they work with incandescent lamps, allowing them to extend their service life, since if there is a dimmer in the power supply circuit, the minimum current is applied to the lamp when switched on. And as you know, it is the starting throws that cause them to fail.
Do not use dimmers with transformer or pulse power sources (TVs, radios, etc.). This is due to the features of the device - at the output the signal does not look like a sinusoid, but only a part of it (the tips are cut with keys). When such power is applied, the equipment fails.
Note! With fluorescent lamps, conventional light controllers can not be used. Such a bundle will either not work at all, or the lamp will flash. To work with these sources there are special devices with a different circuit. In general, conventional dimmers can only be controlled by incandescent or LED light bulbs. When connecting to them, energy-saving "blinking" of light starts, and halogen lamps are simply not regulated. But you can adjust the brightness of light for these types of lamps - there are special dimmers, but they are more expensive.
The very first dimmers were electromechanical and could only adjust the brightness of the glow of incandescent lamps. Modern can provide a number of additional functions:
The simplest dimmers still only adjust the brightness of the lighting, but this function is also very useful.
Device and types
Dimmers make based on different element base. All of them have their own peculiarities and disadvantages. And in order to understand what a dimmer is and how it works, it is necessary to understand what a particular device is made of. So, there may be options:
When choosing a device it is not so important to know what type it is, how important it is to take into account the nature of the load to which it will be connected (incandescent and LED or luminescent and housekeepers).
By type of performance dimmers are:
In private houses and apartments set most often monoblock dimmers. The house can still come in handy modular execution - to change the brightness of the lighting of the adjacent territory with the possibility of controlling it from home. For such cases, there are models that allow you to control the illumination from two places - through dimmers (work by the principle).
Connection diagram for a monoblock dimmer
Most often self-connecting monoblock light controllers. They put them in place of a switch. With a single-phase network, the connection scheme is the same as for a conventional switch - in series with the load - in the phase break. This is a very important nuance. Dimmers put only in the breakage of the phase wire. If you connect the dimmer incorrectly (in the neutral gap), the electronic circuit will go out of order. In order not to be mistaken, before installation it is necessary to determine exactly which wire is the phase and which is the neutral (zero).
If it is a question of installing a dimmer at the place of the switch, you must first disconnect the wires from the circuit breaker terminals (with the power off), turn on the machine and tester, multimeter or indicator (screwdriver with LED) to find the phase wire (when the probe touches the phase on the device there are some indications or the LED lights up, and there should be no potentials for a neutral (zero) wire.
The phase can be identified in some way - put a line on the insulation, paste a piece of electrical tape, colored scotch tape, etc. Then power is turned off again (input switch on the panel) - you can connect the dimmer.
The connection scheme of the light regulator is simple: the detected phase wire is fed to the input of the device, the output goes to the load (in the figure on the junction box, and from there to the lamp).
There are two types of dimmers - in one the input and output contacts are signed. In this case, it is necessary to follow the instructions and submit the phase to the signed input. On other devices, the inputs are not signed. In them, the phase connection is arbitrary.
Consider how to connect a dimmer with a rotary dial. First you need to disassemble it. To do this, remove the disk - it must be pulled by yourself. There is a button under the disc, which is fixed by a clamping nut.
This nut is unscrewed (you can use your fingers) and remove the front panel. Below it is a mounting plate, which we will then screw to the wall. The dimmer is dismantled and ready for installation.
We connect it according to the scheme (see below): we connect the phase wire to one input (if there is a marking of the input, then to it), to the second input we connect the conductor that goes to the lamp / chandelier.
It remains to consolidate. We put the connected regulator into the junction box, fix it with screws.
Then overlay the front panel, fix it with a previously removed nut and, lastly, install the swivel disk. The dimmer is installed. Turn on the power, check the work.
How to connect a dimmer to an LED lamp (LED) or ribbon
There are no fundamental differences in the way of connection. The peculiarity consists only in the fact that the dimmer is placed in front of the controller of LED lamps or ribbons (see diagram). There are no other differences.
All the same: the dimmer is placed in the break of the phase wire, but its output is fed to the controller's input of a lamp or tape.
Installing the Fibaro FGD211 light dimmer with a switch
The peculiarity of this model is that it is compatible with the "smart house" system and is controlled from a computer. There are devices controlled with a regulator installed in a convenient place.
Dimmers that are installed in the junction box to the switch are also put in the phase wire break, but the process of installing them is slightly different. Everything is also removed switch, find the phase, wire mark. Next, take the dimmer, connect the jumper (a piece of copper wire in the shell) terminals 0 and N. Connect to S1 and Sx sections of wire length of 7-10 cm.
The next step is to connect the regulator to the wiring. The phase wire is set to the connector with the letter L, the zero wire to N. Connect the device to the junction box (wires are bent).
The frame of the switch is screwed into place, then we put on the front cover and keys, program the system and check the work.
If you want to connect a dimmer with the control of the button, there will be two more contacts to which you will have to connect the remote button.
Features of choice and operation
When choosing a dimmer, you need to pay attention not only to what kind of lamps it can work with and what functions it has. It is still necessary to look at the total load it is designed for. Maximum one brightness control can pull 1000 watts of load, but most of the models are designed for 400-700 watts. At the eminent manufacturers, depending on the power, there is a considerable difference in price. In Chinese products, there is no tangible difference in value.
| Naming | Power | Maximum current | Compatibility | Price | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volsten V01-11-D11-S Magenta 9008 | 600 W | 2 A | Incandescent lamps | 546 rub | Russia / China |
| TDM Valdai RL | 600 W | 1 A | Incandescent lamps | 308 rub | Russia / China |
| MAKEL Mimoza | 1000 W / IP 20 | 4 A | Incandescent lamps | 1200 rub | Turkey |
| Lezard World 701-1010-157 | 1000 W / IP20 | 2 A | Incandescent lamps | 770 rub | Turkey / China |
The second point to remember is that dimmers work with minimal load. Those in most cases have a minimum of 40 watts, and some thousands have 100 watts. If the connected lamps have less power, they may flash or will not light up. This happens when LEDs are placed instead of incandescent lamps. In this case, one of the lamps leaves the old (incandescent), which will ensure the required minimum load.
Other features of operation are related to compatibility. As already mentioned, conventional dimmers can not work with fluorescent lights (with energy-saving ones included). Halogen for the changes in the shape of the pulse just do not respond. And if you decide to replace incandescent bulbs with more economical ones, you will most likely have to change the brightness control.
More recently, the only available option to regulate the brightness of lighting devices was the installation of a device called rheostat. At the same time, the power of such rheostats was approximately at the same level as the load. Of course, you could close your eyes to this, however, when the brightness of the lighting diminished, the power consumption did not decrease in any way - the extra power simply dissipated. Therefore, rheostats were used to regulate brightness only where there was a need, for example, in theaters.
However, the situation has radically changed with the advent of semiconductors on the market, known as triac and dinistor. It is on the basis of these that modern dimmers are designed to quickly and conveniently adjust the brightness of lighting.
The standard dimmer is connected like an ordinary switch, i.e. in the power supply circuit of the lighting device. The dimensions of the regulator in question and the fasteners for its installation in the niche also coincide with those of a simple switch. Therefore, any person who has an idea of how to connect traditional lighting switches will be able to handle the dimmer installation. The only important point: the conclusions to the load and phase must be connected strictly according to the scheme given by the manufacturer.
All present dimmers can be divided into 2 large classes: rotary (they are rotary) and push-button (electronic).
Table. Some types of dimmers
| Types of dimmers | Explanations |
|---|---|
| Dimmer for incandescent lamps and for halogen lamps with a voltage level of 220 V | In this case, it is the magnitude of the applied voltage that determines the intensity of the glow of the lamp filament. |
| Dimmer designed for low-voltage halogen lamps powered by a transformer | Responsible for converting the output voltage of the dimmer to the desired value. If the lamps are designed for 12-24 V voltage, then an electronic transformer is needed, which provides soft control of the current source. |
| LED dimmer (dimmer led) and dimmer for fluorescent lamps. | The dimmer task for LEDs is to promptly output the set results and smoothly adjust the power of the light streams. |
| Touch dimmer | The main difference between the sensor device (dimmer viko) is the possibility of adjusting the light flux with the help of a barely noticeable touch to a certain area of the button. Can be equipped with an infrared receiver for remote control. |
| Assumes easy rotation of the pivot. | |
| Pressure dimmer | Assumes multiple keystrokes |
| Single dimmer | You can use both for one lamp and a number of light sources, united in a common group. |
| Group dimmer | To control several light sources at once. |
The most widely used rotary regulators. Control of the intensity of illumination by such devices is carried out by simply turning the knob in the desired direction. Push-button dimmers are more convenient and flexible in terms of brightness control. In addition, electronic dimmers allow parallel connection of buttons and control lighting from several different places. In practice, the number of such places is limited to 3-5. The length of the wire must not exceed 10 m.
Also on the market is a group of devices that allow you to control the brightness of the light remotely using the remote. However, such dimmers cost an order of magnitude more expensive than those considered above.
The most popular, as already noted, use dimmers rotary type. We will consider them in the presented manual.
Video - Simple LED lamp and dimmer
Features of the dimmer and its connection diagram
Rotary dimmers of different manufacturers have the same device - only their quality differs. Also, certain differences may be present in the internal equipment of the regulators: some of them include additional elements that positively influence the stability of the dimmer and improve the smoothness of brightness control.
Dimmers work according to the following principle. In order for the lamp to turn on, a current must pass through the dimmer's triac. To do this, a certain voltage must arise between the electrodes of said semiconductor. It appears as follows.
When a positive half-wave occurs, the capacitor is charged by means of a potentiometer. The rate of charge of the capacitor depends directly on the characteristics of the potentiometer. The key function of the potentiometer is the phase angle change. When the voltage across the capacitor rises to a value sufficient to open the dimmer semiconductors, the triac opens. At this stage, its resistance decreases, which allows the lighting device to burn until the end of the half-wave. A negative half-wave behaves similarly to a positive one. dinistor and triac are symmetrical, so the direction of the current for them is not of fundamental importance.
As a result, the voltage applied to the load is the "echoes" of the half-waves following one another at a frequency of about 100 Hz. It is because of this, when you turn on the light fixture to a minimum brightness, flicker may appear.
Options constructive elements regulator may vary among different manufacturing companies, however, the operation of the devices from this practically does not change. The properties of resistors and capacitors only affect the characteristics of the ignition points, as well as the stability of the lighting device. Thus, the smallest brightness of light is provided with the minimum value of the resistance of the resistor, and the highest, respectively, at the maximum.
In a practical scheme, it is allowed to include any triac, taking into account the load power. However, the permissible voltage of the devices must not be less than 400V; The value of instantaneous voltage in domestic power networks can "jump" up to 350V.
Video - How to choose a dimmer
Connecting and operating a dimmer: what should everyone know?
Before buying a dimmer and installing it instead of a conventional switch, familiarize yourself with important facts about the device in question.
Many users are mistaken, believing that installing a dimmer will significantly reduce the cost of lighting. In reality, with a minimum lamp brightness, the savings are unlikely to exceed 10-15%. The remaining "extra" energy dimmer will simply dissipate.
Connection and operation of dimmers must be carried out in compliance with the following rules:
These regulators are designed to work with certain types of load. Thus, most models of dimmers can be used only to adjust the brightness of the glow of halogen lamps and incandescent bulbs. Use them in combination with fluorescent lamps, LED lamps and most energy-saving lighting devices can not be used. this will lead to their very fast breakdown.
If you need to connect a dimmer to LED lamps, buy a specially designed regulator model.
Beforehand, be sure to ask the store employee if the dimmer purchased is designed to work in conjunction with the lighting sources of your home. Also make sure that the power of the regulator corresponds to the total power of the fixtures installed in your house.
Instructions for installing a dimmer instead of a conventional switch
Replacing the traditional switch with a rotary knob will not cause any difficulties, because they are established by a similar principle. You only need to carefully study the technology and adhere to the established sequence.
First step. Turn off the supply of electricity and additionally make sure of its absence using a special indicator screwdriver.
The second step.Remove the button of the installed switch.
The third step.We unscrew the screws securing the decorative frame of the switch, and remove it.
The fourth step.Unscrew the fixing screws and remove the switch mechanism from the mounting box. Dimmer we can install in the same box.
Fifth step.We unscrew the electric wires from the switch.
The sixth step.We see two free wires.
One of them (the supply phase) is connected to the switch, the second - to the chandelier. Carefully study the circuit shown in the instructions to the dimmer or on the cover of its housing.
