With the old switch out of the way, take your new dimmer switch and connect the wires in the same place as the old one; brown live to COM and blue switched live to L1 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. Today, modern dimmer switches are much more efficient and instead of using a resistor, essentially turns the light on and off very rapidly every second. As both UK and US electricity is AC (alternating current) it turns from positive to negative every cycle. The Cloudy Bay in Wall Dimmer Switch for LED Lights is a toggle switch with a small dimming slider, and it functions in both single pole and 3-way installations. The dimming slider is a little on the small side, but it doesn’t get in the way of the switch. It’s fully compatible with all Cloudy Bay LED light fixtures right out of the box, and it also includes a trim dial that allows you to adjust it to work well with other fixtures and dimmable LED bulbs. It comes with everything you need to complete the installation, including screws, wire nuts, and even a decorative wall plate.

Toggle: These look like standard toggle light switches, but you can raise and lower the toggle to dim and brighten your lights instead of flipping on and off in two binary positions like you would with a traditional light switch. In other cases, the toggle itself acts as an on/off switch, and you adjust the illumination level with a very small slider that’s located right next to the toggle. These are best for applications where you won’t need to adjust the illumination level every day. Smart dimmers: Use smart automation technology and wifi to enable you to control a single or set of lights using an app There are numerous different types of modern dimmer switch, but essentially they can be broken down into 2 main types:

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. This is primarily a single pole switch, which means it’s easiest to use in a configuration where it doesn’t share control of the lights with any other switches. It is possible to use in 3-way installations with a mechanical switch, but that takes a little extra work. It requires different wiring from a traditional dimmer switch, so you’ll have to discard your preexisting knowledge and pay close attention to the instructions if you’re familiar with how 3-way wiring is supposed to work. The hidden benefit is that this switch is actually designed for multi-location dimming in up to 10 locations if you use Maestro Companion dimmer switches instead of traditional dimmer or mechanical switches.

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. 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. In this DIY guide we look at how to fit a dimmer switch in place of a standard light switch. Regulations for Fitting Dimmer Switches As we have now looked at what a dimmer switch is and how it works, it’s now time to see how they are fitted. Once correctly positioned, pop each screw through each hole and then screw it up tight, ensuring that it’s level. Step 6 – Test SwitchDimmers aren’t all about setting the mood though, and Sampayo says installing them in your home can save you money, too. “Practically speaking, the human eye can't distinguish between 90 percent and 100 percent light brightness, but your energy bill can,” Sampayo advises. “Being conscious of energy consumption means you could set your lights to never exceed 90 percent, ensuring a 10 percent energy saving without compromising on brightness.” 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 By adding additional Leviton Decora Smart Dimmer Companion switches, you can set up virtual 3-way, 4-way, or even 5-way control over your lights. The primary switch has to be wired to the lights like a traditional dimmer, but the companion switch can be placed anywhere and doesn’t need to be connected to the main switch by physical wires. The connection is achieved wirelessly through your Wi-Fi network, so you do need to have Wi-Fi to use this kit. It works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit, so you can also use it to operate and dim your lights through an app on your phone or voice commands.

The names refer to the way in which they control light levels. As mentioned above, modern dimmer switches work by rapidly cutting the supply of electricity to the light half way through it’s cycle when the current hits zero. 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. The SureSlide from Leviton is a slide dimmer first and a light switch second, which is why it’s our favorite slide dimmer switch. Dimming is provided by a large sliding bar that’s easy to operate. It also includes a toggle switch, so you can set your desired dimming level, turn the lights off, and then return directly to your chosen illumination setting the next time you turn the lights on. It works with a variety of bulb types, including compact fluorescent, LED, and incandescent, and you can also install it in both single-pole and 3-way configurations.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. Adding a dimmer switch to a lighting setup, or replacing an old one with a newer model, can transform the look and feel of a room. “Dimmers are most useful in areas where you want to create ambiances, such as social areas, bedrooms, hallways, and bathrooms,” says Freddy Sampayo, chief technology officer of Schaller Tech. “It's also useful to think about spaces where you'd be annoyed to turn on the light when waking up groggily in the middle of the night.” If the new dimmer switch has a metal faceplate then you will also need to connect the earth to the earth terminal on the faceplate. 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 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. 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. 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. There are no 4-way dimmer switches, but this kit from Leviton is functionally what you’re looking for if your goal is to operate and dim your lights from three or more locations. The reason 4-way dimmers aren’t possible with traditional switches is due to the way that light switch circuits work, and this kit gets around that problem by not using a traditional light switch circuit. Instead, it uses a primary switch, a companion switch, and a plug-in bridge unit that allows them to connect wirelessly. 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.

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. 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. Tap: This type of dimmer uses a tap control to switch the lights on and off, and then another method to adjust the illumination. LED dimmer module has auto-detect function for either leading edge or trailing edge with 5-150W load, 230-240V 50Hz