Dimmer Switches

Seen a particular control switch installed in one corner of your friend’s home? Wondering what it was? Well, what you may have seen is a dimmer switch, a device that works to control the level of intensity and brightness of the lighting fixtures you’ve installed in your room.

Dimmer switches have been around for quite some time now. In the early days, it was operated manually through the huge dimmer panels. However, with the introduction of more advanced technologies, the construction and operation of dimmer switches has changed significantly to meet the ever growing demands for more convenient and easy to use lighting controls. It is this call basically which triggers manufacturers and designers of lighting fixtures and products to develop what we now know as the modern lamp dimmer switch.

The dimmer switches generally work in simple ways. On the most basic, it controls the level of brightness emitted by the lights by cutting back the power current which runs from the switch to the lights. As a result, the lesser the amount of power that reaches the bulbs, the lower the brightness will be. The opposite happens once the switch is pulled up to its most intense level. Simply put, the level of brightness is generally affected by the strength of current that flows through the lights’ filament.

The intensity of brightness that the lights emit is determined by a number of settings that the dimmer switches provide. Typically, you will notice some numbers highlighted on a dimmer switch, with some lines shown in three levels: high, medium and low. All of these are stressed usually on the dimmer plate. It is for this reason actually that some people call the switches by the name “3-way dimmer switch”.

There are several types of such functional device you call the dimmer. Of the types available, three are most known. That includes the touch dimmer, switch dimmer, and the remote dimmer.

The touch dimmer is one of the safest and modern kinds. It works specifically through induction. All you need to do for it to work is to touch the light according to certain settings. You can touch it to turn the light dimmer or brighter than usual. And, since this is one of the latest, it is typical for the touch dimmers to feature a plate highlighting the same settings and controls.

The switch dimmer then is often crafted in an “in line’ style. It is installed directly into a table lamp or to a floor, and works specifically either by foot or by hand. For some variations, you can find this type featuring a rotating control, which many people call as the dimmer switch knobs.

Lastly, the remote dimmers are the latest among the latest. It comes in a wall plate featuring a touch sensitive switch, which also operates through a remote control. The good thing about this pick is that it controls the brightness of your room more than what the other mentioned types. It can even be trained to memorize the level of lighting by numbers. Of the options available, this type is so far the most employed in today’s highly technological society. With it, you can control the brightness of your home lighting fixtures even from your bed or couch.

Whatever type you may decide to take, choose the right dimmer switches by the total number of watts that the dimmer can hold. Yes, these devices are rated according to wattages. So if you want a lighting switch that is capable of handling the right load, know the wattage if possible. And, don’t forget to consider the sizes of the dimmers available. The key here is to simply go with the product that suits your specific needs best.