Control

Dimmer Switch

It chops the mains waveform instead of just switching it — which is why the lamp has to match the dimmer.

Photorealistic rotary dimmer switch
Real part — tap a marker

Dimmer Switch

It chops the mains waveform instead of just switching it — which is why the lamp has to match the dimmer.

Terminals
  • L — live in
  • Load — dimmed live out to the lamps
  • Earth — functional earth or plate earth as the design requires
  • Faceplate — one-gang or two-gang
  • Rotary knob or slider — the control you turn
  • Rear module — the electronics and the heat sink behind the plate
  • Fixing screws
  • Minimum-load adjustment on some designs
Cutaway of a dimmer switch showing the TRIAC on its heat sink, suppression choke, potentiometer and timing network
Cutaway — tap a marker
⚡ Meet it in a circuit
⚠ Safety note

Match the dimmer to the load. Leading-edge dimmers suit most incandescent and halogen lamps; trailing-edge suits electronic transformers and most LED lamps. A mismatched dimmer buzzes, flickers, will not dim to zero, and can destroy an LED driver. Total load must sit between the dimmer’s minimum and maximum.

More components
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Now wire it for real.

Set Dimmer Switch into a live circuit, inject a fault, and watch the protection respond — all in your browser.

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