Dimmers

Would you like to use dimmers in the house, apartment or at work? Would you like to know what to look out for when buying a dimmer? Can dimmers really save electricity? Find out here which dimmer is the right one for your application.

When we dim our living room lights in the evening, something magical happens. The brightness decreases, the colors become softer and the atmosphere in the room becomes cozier. This change has a tremendous effect on our well-being and mood. Dimming is not only easy on the eyes, it also has a positive effect on our bodies. After a busy day, we can relax and let the stress gradually fall off our shoulders. In addition, we can save electricity by dimming light bulbs and LED lamps. In this way, we contribute to reducing CO2 emissions and protecting the environment.

What should you consider before buying a dimmer?

There are a few things to consider when buying a dimmer. We have summarized the most important points for you:

What kind of dimmer do you need?
Should the dimmer be universal or suitable for a specific light source?
What power supply is required?
How should the dimmer be operated?
What load should the dimmer be rated for? (the information can be found on the device)
Which additional functions are required? (interfaces)
Does the price play a decisive role?
and some more

Source: eibabo®, Berker 85422100 universal touch dimmer, 2-gang Image: Berker 85422100 universal touch dimmer, 2-fold

Types of dimmers and their uses

Dimmers are thyristor controllers or triac controllers for controlling the brightness of incandescent lamps, lights or transformers for low-voltage halogen lamps. When selecting a suitable dimmer, the type of light source, the power supply and the electrical voltage must be taken into account. There are different dimmers, which are suitable for different applications. The best known are universal dimmers, trailing edge dimmers and leading edge dimmers. All reduce the voltage to dim the light. But there are differences in how they work.

TIP:

Most lamps are marked with a label that provides information about their dimmability.

You will find the symbol of a light bulb or a halogen spotlight on many light sources, followed by the information 'RL' or 'RC'. What do these two abbreviations mean and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

Trailing edge dimming (RL):

Trailing edge dimming is the most commonly used method of dimming lamps. Here, the current of the illuminant is interrupted at regular intervals, so that the light repeatedly goes out briefly and then comes on again. The interruption in the current flow causes the light to flicker slightly. This flickering is barely perceptible to the human eye.

Advantages:

Less heat loss
No impairment of the mains voltage
Easy to implement

Disadvantages:

Flickering of the light, which can be annoying for some people
Limited dimmability, otherwise the light flickers too much

Leading edge dimming (RC):

With phase angle dimming, the current flow is interrupted at the beginning and end of each switching period. As a result, there is no direct regulation of the current flow and there is no flickering of the light. Leading edge dimming is therefore particularly suitable for sensitive applications where uniform light is important. This is the case, for example, in hospitals or galleries.

Advantages:

No flickering of the light because the current flow is not interrupted
More even light image than with RL dimming

Disadvantages:

Higher losses due to heat development
Impairment of the mains voltage with strong dimming

Dimming LEDs

A dimmable LED lamp is always marked as 'dimmable'. You can usually find the information on the packaging or in the product description. If you cannot find any indication of dimmability, the LED cannot be dimmed.

You can use both RC technology and RL technology to dim LEDs. Please judge for yourself which one is the right one for you. Alternatively, you can use dimmers with pulse width modulation. This is the most commonly used variant for dimming LEDs. With pulse width modulation, the current flow is periodically interrupted for a specific interval. As a result, the longer the OFF interval, the less bright the LED will shine.

What options are there for operating dimmers?

There are several ways you can adjust the brightness on your dimmer. Most models have a dial. Other models have buttons or a touch field. The brightness is changed here, for example, by pressing the UP and DOWN buttons. With a remote touch dimmer, a short touch switches the dimmer on and off, a longer touch impulse causes a change in brightness. There is also the option of controlling with a control voltage. Almost every switch manufacturer has such models in their switch range.

Tips for using dimmers

Dimmers are often used in living rooms to adapt the lighting to the situation at hand. For example, you can set the mood at a dinner party with dimmed lights or turn the lights down completely for a romantic evening for two. Dimmers are also very popular in bedrooms, as they slowly ease the transition to sleep. Dimmers can also be useful in wellness areas such as bathrooms or saunas. For example, when entering the sauna, the light can be dimmed down to promote relaxation. Dimmers can also be used in the aquarium. This allows the lighting to simulate natural daylight. This is for the well-being of the fish. Dimmers at the workplace significantly reduce direct glare and disruptive reflections on the screen. This can help you concentrate better and work without interruption.

Dimming in the KNX building management

The KNX building management is a complex system that enables the automation and control of light, heating and air conditioning in a house or apartment. A central function in the KNX building management is the integration of dimmers, which enable the brightness to be regulated. Dimming actuators are usually used for this in conjunction with pushbutton sensors or multiple operating devices. These replace conventional dimmers. For more information, we recommend our 'Dimming actuators' catalogue.

What do the letters 'R - L - C' on a dimmer mean?

The letter 'R' on a dimmer means it is suitable for the resistive loads of incandescent lamps, halogen lamps and the like. The 'L', on the other hand, stands for inductive loads from low-voltage lamps with a conventional transformer. And 'C' means capacitive loads from low-voltage lamps with electronic transformers.