Button dimmers
Push-button dimmers belong to a fairly large group of lighting
regulators used in electrical installation. Their function is to reduce
the intensity of lighting in order to improve the user's comfort, when
artificial light is only intended to provide basic visibility and its
high intensity is not necessary.
Installation and modular push button dimmers
Dimmers available on the market can be divided into installation
dimmers, i.e. those that are mounted directly in the room, just like
other electrical equipment, and intended for installation in
switchboards. Installation dimmers are usually manufactured as
flush-mounted (rotary, push-button, push-button-rotary, remote control)
and look like ordinary lighting switches, while switchgears are usually
modular devices for mounting on a TH35 rail cooperating with buttons.
Regulator for incandescent, halogen, fluorescent and LED lighting
Modern lighting dimmers are mostly electronic devices, therefore they
enable cooperation not only with traditional incandescent bulbs (this
was also ensured by old dimmers based on a potentiometer), but also with
fluorescent lamps, i.e. energy saving bulbs and light emitting diodes.
Depending on a specific product, the dimmer can support one of the types
of lighting, two or even all available (so-called universal dimmers).
The lighting controller can change the brightness:
- conventional incandescent lamps, now sold as "special". In this
case, the dimmer serves only to change the brightness of the
lighting, not bringing savings,
- energy-saving bulbs, i.e. fluorescent lamps that can only work with
dimmers dedicated to this type of lighting. Again, the economic
benefits are not noticeable
- halogen lamps, but in this case the dimmer operation is economically
justified. Halogen lighting 230 V and powered by a transformer
is characterized by the generation of large amounts of heat, which
in turn significantly shortens the life of light sources. Reducing
the brightness of halogens also means lowering the temperature of
their operation, and therefore a longer life,
- lighting LED . Light-emitting diodes require precise regulation
of the current parameters due to the low tolerance of intensity
changes. The use of dimmers does not increase the long life of the
LEDs, nor does it reduce the low energy costs for LEDs, it only
regulates the lighting intensity.
Installation push button dimmers
Button dimmers Installation is one of the many possible options for
adjusting the brightness of the lighting, which can also be implemented
through the rotary or pressure-rotary function. There are also touch
dimmers on the market, or touch dimmers that allow infrared remote
control , but button dimmers, right next to the rotary ones, are the
largest group of products of this type.
Installation pressure-sensitive dimmers are usually in the form of a
momentary button. Although they can perform their function in various
ways, most often they work in such a way that a single, short press of
them switches on the lighting, longer, with holding down, reduces the
brightness of the light, and another pressing and holding it increases
it. Another short press of the button disconnects the circuit at any
time.
Modular push button dimmers
Another way to regulate the lighting is to build a system consisting of
a modular dimmer installed in the electrical switchboard and many
buttons located at different points in the room. The dimmer controlled
by buttons works in the same way as the installation dimmer - short
presses turn on/off the lighting, while longer presses regulate the
brightness.
Modular dimmers usually provide more functionality than installation
dimmers, they are often manufactured as universal ones, designed to
control many types of lighting, and also programmable , allowing to
adjust the speed of dimming the light.
