BG Electrical NBS83-01 BRUSHED STEEL 200W TRIPLE DIMMER SWITCH, 2-WAY PUSH ON/OFF, TRAILING EDGE

Product Information

If you already have a smart home, or you’re in the process of setting one up, this smart dimmer switch from Kasa will make an excellent addition. Installation is simplified by detailed interactive instructions in the Kasa app, it works with several smart home ecosystems, and it connects directly to your wireless network so you don’t need to worry about buying and setting up a separate hub. Most incandescent and halogen bulbs are compatible with dimmers, but generally CFL’s (or compact fluorescent lights) or those that are controlled by a transformer generally don’t, unless they are made specifically for use with dimmer switches. Once done, put the 2 screws to one side and pull the faceplate away and turn it to reveal the internals on the rear of the face. The voltage rating of a dimmer switch tells you where you can use it. For example, residential electrical voltage in the United States is 110 - 120VAC. That means you can use any 110 or 120V dimmer switch in your home. Additionally, Sampayo points out that determining how many LED lights you can put on a single dimmer switch is a little complicated. “LEDs have a high current spike when switched on, and this varies among manufacturers. So, the rule is: Don't count the watts directly!” Instead, Sampayo recommends multiplying the total wattage of the LED bulbs by 7, adding a safety margin of 20 percent, and then selecting a switch that meets or exceeds those requirements.

Adding a dimmer switch to the lighting in a room can have a dramatic effect on the overall ambience of a room, allowing you to lower the lighting levels to create a much more relaxed environment. The very first job to do before doing anything else is to isolate the circuit you will be working on by turning off the MCB/RCD in your consumer unit or pulling out the fuse if you have a fuse box. For the purpose of this project we will be swapping and existing 1 gang 1 way switch for a similar 1 gang 1 way dimmer switch. Step 1 – Isolate Circuit A dimmer switch is a type of light switch that allows you to control the amount of electricity that flows to the lights it controls, which, when turned down dims them or when turned up brightens them, manually enabling you to set the light level in a room. Gold’s a great way to inject a bit of oomph into a room, and this brass LED dimmer switch does it perfectly. The brushed brass plate is gold-like in appearance, but it’s not too shiny so there’s no worry that it’ll hog the limelight. It’s all about subtlety. Then come the dimmer knobs with their beautiful knurled edges and sleek front. The knurling serves a practical purpose too – it makes the knobs really tactile and easy to turn. And because we couldn’t decide which colour knob to add (they all look bloomin’ great), we thought we’d let you choose, that way you can make sure it’s absolutely spot on for your interior style.

There are numerous different types of modern dimmer switch, but essentially they can be broken down into 2 main types: In accordance to the Building Regulations and the BS 7671 wiring regulations, if you are simply exchanging an existing standard 1 or 2 gang light switch for a dimmer switch then this is entirely possible to do on a DIY basis, as long as you have the knowledge to do so.

Today, pretty much all light fixtures are compatible with a dimmer switch and can be swapped like-for-like. However, the main issues come with the type of light bulb they will be controlling. To fit a dimmer switch in place of a standard light switch you will need the following tools and materials: The Kasa app works with both Android and iPhone, and it allows you to operate the switch remotely as long as you have internet access, so you technically don’t even need anything but this switch and your phone to get started. It does work with both Alexa and Google Home though, so you can operate the switch with voice commands if you have a compatible smart speaker. Smart home integration also lets you include the switch in daily routines, like turning the lights on or adjusting the illumination level at dusk. Smart home integration can provide you with a lot of options that aren’t available from a traditional dimmer switch. “Smart switches have gained popularity in the era of home automation,” says Brady. “They can be controlled remotely and integrated into smart home systems.” If that sounds interesting, then you may want to consider a smart dimmer. Brady cautions that it's important to pay special attention to compatibility, as smart dimmers are typically designed to work with smart home systems. Traditional dimmers are only designed to work with incandescent lights, although some also work with halogen, while LED dimmers are designed specifically for LED bulbs. “Traditional dimmers, which typically use knobs, usually absorb the energy not sent to the light,” says Sampayo. “For instance, if you dim your light to 30 percent, the remaining 70 percent is wasted by the regular dimmer in the form of heat. Your energy consumption remains at 100 percent.” That works with incandescent lights that exhibit reduced brightness when provided with less energy, but LED bulbs placed in that same situation won’t light at all, or may exhibit unwanted behaviors.However, if it is to be a newly installed switch where all wires and cabling needs to be run from scratch then this is not possible to do as a DIY’er and can only be done by a Part P registered electrician with the knowledge and skill to do the work correctly, test it fully and then issue a minor works certificate. Both of these types of dimmer have their own distinct characteristics, but on the whole, trailing edge dimmers are seen as slightly better as they have a smoother operation and tend to make much less noise.

A leading edge dimmer cuts the front off of the second part of the wave cycle, where as a trailing edge dimmer cuts the second part of a waves cycle. Once correctly positioned, pop each screw through each hole and then screw it up tight, ensuring that it’s level. Step 6 – Test Switch If you have a metal face plate for your switch there should also be a green and yellow earth wire to a small terminal on this. If not then it should be connected to the metal box in the wall called a pattress box. If the pattress box is plastic then it should be screwed into the earth terminal somewhere inside. Fitting a dimmer switch in place of an existing standard light switch is a fairly easy and straight forward job as long as you know what you are doing.

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This high wattage Legrand switch is ideal for 3-way lighting setups. It’s rated to work with loads up to 700W, works with both incandescent and halogen bulbs, and it doesn’t need to be derated when installed in a multi-gang application. That means it’s capable of operating at full capacity regardless of whether it's installed in its own wall box or in a multi-gang box setup. It doesn’t work with either LED or CFL bulbs, so it isn’t the right choice if you don’t plan on using either incandescent or halogen lighting. Wattage refers to the amount of power drawn by the light bulbs, so it has a direct impact on the type and number of bulbs that you can control with a dimmer switch. “To determine the appropriate wattage capacity for a dimmer switch, calculate the total wattage of the bulbs it will control,” says Jason Brady, owner of Above and Beyond Service Company. “For example, if you have five 60-watt bulbs, the total wattage is 300 watts.” You can then select a dimmer switch that’s capable of handling over 300 watts, because it’s important to leave a safety margin.