Before you start wiring in your home, you will need to choose the right components. In this article, you will be able to see the main types of light switches. The devices that we will consider are quite often used both in an apartment and in a private house.

After reading the article, you will be able to decide which type of switch you choose.

The main types of switches

Today, the types of switches can be quite different. That is why this product is usually classified using the following features:

1. By installation type.
2. According to the method of attaching the wires to the switch.
3. By way of management.

This classification of light switches will help you decide on the device that you need. Now you can consider in more detail information about what kind of light switches are.

Switch installation types

To date, the main types of switches are divided into hidden and external. You can use the first option when there is a hidden wiring. The second type can be used when the wire line is laid in an open way.

Hidden switches are distinguished by their appearance. It is more attractive and interesting to them. Outdoor switches will be much more convenient for you to install and operate.

Way of fastening the wire in the switch

Types of switches are also divided according to the method of fastening the cores. When fastening the cores, the switches are also divided into two types. The connection can be of the following types:

1. Screwless. Here the wires must be fastened with special clamps.
2. Screw. The wires are attached with screws.

In the first case, you will need to use special clamps. A plate will act as a clamp, which is able to securely fix your wires. This method of fastening has a small disadvantage, which includes the fact that over time the fastening may loosen and it will need to be tightened.

The screw connection of the wires in the switch must be used when the conductors in the wire are aluminum. For copper wires it is best to use a screwless connection.

Circuit breaker control method

Types of switches may also differ in the way they are controlled. According to this classification, products can be divided into the following types:

• Keyboards.
• Push-button.
• Rope.
• Swivel.
• Touch.
• Acoustic.
• Remote.

These are the main types of switches that differ in the way they are controlled.

Rocker switches are considered the most common products. They are used to connect luminaires and are at the forefront of the market. They also have a fairly simple control principle. It lies in the fact that when you press a key, you close the circuit, and voltage is supplied to the device.

It has a number of significant advantages, which include:

1. Fairly low price.
2. Ease of use.
3. Ease of product repair.

In addition to these advantages, a number of disadvantages can also be easily identified, which include:

1. They have a low resource of work.
2. You cannot adjust the intensity of the light.
3. They do not have energy saving properties.

Button products have appeared on the product market for a long time. They differ in their price from a conventional switch. Pushbutton switches are able to fit better into the interior of your room. Now on the market there are also a number of models that can have several buttons. That is why you can easily choose this product for almost any interior.

Dimmers are quite popular and modern products. With it, you can easily adjust the brightness of the lighting in your room. It is this feature that makes this product more in demand.

They have a number of advantages, which include:

1. High energy savings.
2. Easy to use.
3. Some products may turn off when there is no person in the room.

The main disadvantage of this device is the high price.

Swivel electrical switches are also considered a common product. Most often they are used to create an interior in retro style. They have a fairly simple design and low price. The main disadvantage of this product is its small functionality.

Rope switches are often used for decorative purposes only. A rope switch is much more convenient than a keyboard switch, as it is much easier to find in the dark. Even if you install this device high, the child will still be able to reach the switch.

Touch switches are considered an innovation in the switch market. They are considered the most convenient in their work. Most touch switches are equipped with additional features that allow you to automatically turn off the lights when you are not in the room. After installing them, you should no longer be afraid of the occurrence short circuit. This is what makes them even safer.

Can work from ordinary cotton. This product has a high popularity, as it does not need to be searched for. If you find yourself in a dark room, then you just need to clap your hands to turn on the light. Many users claim that these models do not work the first time.

I met on the Internet an article on electrical wiring for home master. In it, the author wrote that the usual household switch lighting is brought to zero and the phase of the network. This erroneous statement can mislead an inexperienced person, lead to a short circuit in the wiring.

Any home switch is always mounted in a break in the phase wire according to the following diagram.

For home lighting switches are used in a variety of designs. All of them refer to switching devices with two positions of the working body, which determine the following boundary conditions:

1. opening of the electrical circuit;

2. supply voltage to the lamp.

Lighting control in most cases is performed manually. Home switches are designed to work in home electrical wiring at nominal network parameters and are not designed to cut off currents of excess loads and short circuits.

This protective function is performed by automatic switches of the apartment panel, which are equipped with current releases, cut-off mechanisms and electric arc extinguishing systems.

Any model of a light switch is created for certain technical tasks:

operating current;

network voltage;

Climatic performance;

degree of dust and moisture protection (IP code);

installation method;

fastening of wires;

switching method;

type of management and other purposes.

In the vast majority of designs, the wires are connected to the terminals with a variety of screw clamps. This method has stood the test of time. Now, to facilitate installation, they have become popular, which allow faster installation by inserting the conductor tip into the clamping device.

Ways to switch light

Home switches can be controlled:

by pressing a key;

switching the toggle switch;

pulling or releasing the cord (chain);

moving the slider;

turning on the button;

built-in motion sensor;

touch panel;

the intensity of the incident luminous flux;

remote control.

They are most often wall mounted for outdoor or indoor wiring.

At covert way placement, the switch is hidden in a socket inside the wall, and the wires are connected to the terminals after the housing is fixed. For open wiring, a socket is used. The base is attached to it with screws.

Keyboard designs

Structurally, a light switch controlled by pressing a key (tumbler) consists of contacts permanently fixed in the housing and a movable rocking mechanism, pressed by a spring operating on:

1. compression;

2. stretching.

In the first case, the pressing force on the key is transferred to the ball, which compresses the spring. It slips along the swing axis of the rocker arm, rolls over its shoulder and moves the movable mechanism with contacts in the opposite direction.

In the second method, a frame is fixed on the switch key, pressed against the base by a spring. It swings around the axis and with its movement creates or breaks electrical contact.

In both cases, the movable part, under the action of a spring, switches the switch from one state to another, depending on where the lower or upper part of the key is pressed.

Common types of such switches and internal circuits contact system shown in the picture.

With properly selected electrical parameters and compliance with the operating mode, the switch can operate without fail for many decades. As an example, below is a picture of an old single-lever keyboard model half a century ago, which, despite dustiness, cobwebs and the action of atmospheric moisture (corrosion of screws and washers for attaching copper wires is clearly visible), has retained its performance to this day.

This switch worked in an unheated wooden porch attached to a private house with little to no maintenance. Of course, the quality of its design does not meet modern requirements. But, insulation from the wall with a dielectric socket, a strong plastic case and a design for external mounting that meets the requirements of the old GOST, fully ensured its long-term, reliable operation.

A spring-loaded movable jumper operates inside the case, which switches the stationary contacts connected to the lighting wires. In the up position of the lever, the jumper creates electrical circuit, and at the bottom it opens.

Toggle and pass-through switches

They are a kind of flip type keyboard structures. When a key is manipulated, one of the two lamps connected to them lights up.

But such schemes for household lighting are practically not used. They are used in technical devices. Most often, such models are used from several remote locations. The simplest example of their use is shown in the picture below.

In this scheme, to simplify understanding of the principle of operation, junction boxes for joining cable ends.

According to this principle, it is possible to implement, but you will have to add a two-gang toggle switch.

Pull switches

Another view of old switches outdoor installation for ceiling mounting is shown in the following picture.

Such models were massively installed inside multi-storey panel buildings in the 70s and 80s. They, if properly maintained, continue to work today. A feature of their device is a nylon cord hanging down from the body, which is tied to a rotary lever fastened to a movable contact block. The return of the shoe is provided by the energy of the compression of the spring after the cord is released.

Among such models, there are designs that, by pulling the cord (turning the lever), control two groups of lamps for the chandelier: at the first tension, one block of lamps is turned on, at the second, the other, and then they are switched off in series.

Button devices

They can be found at the base of a table lamp, above which a button with a clip rises.

The cylindrical part of the switch from the bottom of the panel is brought out through the technological hole. Prepared Ends electrical wires are inserted into sockets and clamped with screws from the ends of the case.

Floor models for lamps such as sconces work in the same way.

The table lamp button can be made in an enlarged decorative shape, convenient for use, as shown in the photo.

Twilight switches

This design is based on the principle of a photorelay, which reacts to changes in illumination by a special sensor. With a decrease in the luminous flux, such a switch independently turns on the lamp, which will burn until the external lighting increases.

For economical operation of the lamp, twilight switches are supplemented with motion or presence sensors.

Switches with remote control

They allow you to control the lamp from a distance using a small remote control, which is a transmitter that emits commands over the radio. The switch itself is a receiver that, with its own switching contacts, cuts into the power wire of the lamp.

It can be installed directly next to the fixture of the chandelier or instead of the old rocker switch or even inside the apartment panel.

To control energy-saving fluorescent or LED lamps the switch will have to supply phase and zero for the power supply.

Depending on the transmitted command from the remote control, the light is turned on or off. The range of the transmitter depends on the design and materials of the building, and the average radiation power is sufficient to cover a distance of about 20÷25 meters.

To power the key fob, it is enough to use ordinary batteries. Given the economical mode of operation, their life will be quite long.

The use of microprocessor controllers in the control circuit makes it possible to expand the functionality of the lamps, to carry out their smooth start, to regulate the intensity of light, to use a timer and other mechanisms.

The comfort of using electrical appliances depends on the ability to connect them in the place where the need arises - without unnecessary movement, using extension cords or disconnecting one device in order to connect another.

What do we know about how to properly place sockets and switches? Usually, only that the former should be placed at a height of 25-30 cm, and the latter at 85-90 cm. But this is clearly not enough for a device with the most ergonomic energy consumption. Let's find out what the experts have to say about it.

Circuit breaker

Chief Dispatcher for Electricity Consumed in modern apartment, is circuit breaker or just "automatic". On the wiring diagram it is located at the very beginning of the circuit, and is physically located, as a rule, next to the electric meter.

Depending on the current strength for which the machine is designed, the maximum allowable power of all connected electrical appliances is set. For example, if the rated current load of the machine is 20 A, then the power of all connected electrical appliances should not exceed 20A x 220V = 4.4 kW. If you simultaneously turn on devices with a total power of 5 kW, then the machine, after some time, will turn off the power supply. On the one hand, it can be annoying when, simultaneously with a click, the lights suddenly go out and all electrical appliances stop working. On the other hand, it is a guarantee fire safety. Turning off the power supply, the machine just did its job and protected us from major trouble.

To prevent annoying shutdowns and to ensure safety, you need to ensure in your apartment such conditions of energy consumption under which rated current the machine, the power of electrical appliances and the cross section of the wires in the wiring correspond to each other. By the way, the required cross-section of the wires also depends on the material of the wires. Copper strands can be thinner than aluminum because copper has less electrical resistance and better conduct current.

If the circuit breaker turns off the voltage supply when the permissible power consumption is exceeded, this is a fairly common, one might say, regular situation. But besides this, there are also contingencies. For example, short circuit or leakage current RCD controlled. In this case, the machine turns off the voltage supply instantly. If this does not happen, the wiring will begin to melt and there will be a risk of fire.

Hotel circuit and master switch

But what if there are a lot of electrical appliances in the apartment, and all of them are necessary, and the possibility of simultaneous switching on is excluded by the wiring section and the current of the circuit breaker? In this case, it is necessary to arrange that the wiring has several circuits with their own separate machines. Certain groups of electrical appliances must be connected to each circuit. Thus, when all devices are turned on, no matter how powerful they are, the current in the machines and electrical wiring will not exceed critical values. This type of electrical circuit is called a "hotel".

To implement it, you will need to purchase an additional tens of meters of electrical wiring or cable, the required number of machines (according to the number of circuits) and a master switch that will control all the machines through a relay. In appearance, this is an ordinary key, located somewhere near the front door, and allowing you to turn off the light in the entire apartment with one click.

Hallway and corridor

Several scenarios can be implemented in the hallway and corridor. The following combination is recommended as the main one: the main overhead light, subdued wall lighting with adjustable luminous flux direction (for paintings and other artistic creations) and something local, which allows well, without contrasts, to illuminate a separate object, for example, a full-length mirror . It would also be useful to have a low-power lamp on the table in order to be able not to turn on the overhead light, quietly leaving or arriving early in the morning or at night.

With a long corridor, the “take-off” is very ergonomic - night downlight, which allows you to conveniently visit the toilet or look into the refrigerator if someone is prone to night awakenings due to a sudden increase in appetite. It will be even more convenient if you manage the take-off Motion Sensor, which turns on the light when a person appears and turns off a few minutes after his disappearance. The main advantage of such lighting is comfort for the eyes, unaccustomed to bright light after sleep.

A noteworthy idea is an additional one or more sockets in the hallway for electronic gadgets - NAS, Wi-Fi router, etc. There will also be ethernet cable for TV.

Bedroom

The bedroom differs from other rooms, among other things, in that a person stays in it for the night. And this means that one switch located near the door is clearly not enough. Otherwise, every evening, going to bed, having already undressed, you will have to go to the switch, and then get to bed in the dark from it. And when you wake up, repeat this journey again.

Walk-through switches in the bedroom are a must. They allow you to turn on the light with one device, located, for example, at the door, and turn it off with another, installed near the bed. Of course, their connection should be done by a person who understands how to properly connect the wires so that all the keys of the pass-through switches work in full harmony with each other. That is, if you turned on the switch at the door by pressing the top key, then the light should turn off when you press the bottom key of the switch that is installed by the bed. By the way, walk-through switches function like a swing, without a predetermined position.

When planning the lighting of the bedroom, it is advisable to foresee the possibility of a crib with a baby there. In order not to have to lay additional electrical wiring later, or use an extension cord that gets tangled in the legs, it is better to foresee the lighting of the place where the new family member is supposed to sleep.

Living room

The living room also needs walk-through switches. Especially those that control the lighting of the dining table. It's very comfortable - without getting up, set the optimal illumination in the desired area.

The traditional attribute of the dining table space is beautiful shade above it, creating a romantic family cosiness. You can change its light smoothly using dimmer, which should be at arm's length.

The living room is the location of the Christmas tree, which cannot be considered fully decorated without a garland. And to connect it, you need a socket controlled from a switch.

Kitchen

What especially needs ergonomics is the kitchen with its abundance of appliances, equipment and a large amount of work for the hostess. For convenience, the light control center should be within reach from the zone kitchen set. If you need to change the illumination of a certain place, it will be enough just to reach out and press a key.

The kitchen apron should, on the one hand, have a sufficient number of sockets and switches for all appliances, and on the other hand, not be oversaturated with them. One cannot do without a scrupulous calculation of all possible devices. Sockets for microwave, coffee maker, kettle... What else? Oh yes. A blender, a slow cooker, a bread maker... In order not to forget something, and also in case something new, now unknown, appears, it is advisable to add at least a couple of connection points to the calculated amount.

bathroom

Initially, the concept of placing light switches for bathrooms outside was driven by security considerations. Oxidation of contacts due to high humidity, the possibility of a short circuit and electric shock due to the presence of moisture made the placement of sockets and switches in the bathroom undesirable. However, from the point of view of convenience, it is still better to place them inside - if only so that someone, by mistake or as a joke, does not take it into his head to turn off the light in the bathroom, making the one who washes there completely helpless.

The designs of modern switches and sockets allow you to place them inside the bathroom without any risk, which is recommended to increase comfort. Even more convenient to use motion sensors, controlling the lighting and set to a timing of 4-7 minutes. This is enough to wash your hands or brush your teeth.

Aesthetically pleasing in the bathroom mirror lighting, lamps that illuminate separate areas - niches in the walls, floor space or contour at shoulder level.

Currently used electric toothbrushes, irrigators, hair dryers, etc. require outlets in the bathroom. But they must be protected with waterproof covers to prevent water from entering their nests.

Wardrobe

In the wardrobe, it is desirable to have at least two lighting circuits - one general, illuminating the entire space, the second - local for accent lighting of a particular place, a mirror, for example. And you need to install at least one outlet, even if at present its need is not obvious. It will take some time, and it will be very useful.

Children's

The content and layout of the children's room is very changeable. Children grow up quickly and as they get older their interests and lifestyle change. In the children's room, new electrical appliances are constantly appearing that need to be connected to the network. Therefore, it is recommended to have several lighting and connection circuits in it, but not rigidly tied to any particular place. Flexibility in the location of switches and sockets should be built in from the start. It is desirable to have blocks of the latter on each wall, and at least two circuits of them must be connected to switches.

You need to do it even before the start of repairing an apartment or cottage, and even better - in the process of building an object. Otherwise, problems can arise that make the process more difficult and more costly.

But what if the decoration of the premises is already fully completed? In this case, experts recommend equipping their possessions with a radio bus system, the installation of which, without exaggeration, can be called elementary.

Radio control lighting will help to regulate light and light scenes from a distance, move the blinds apart and close, regulate the temperature in the room, ensure security and even manipulate the engineering systems of the whole building. However, in this article we will not dwell on all the possibilities radio tires and let's talk about only one aspect of its application - lighting control over the radio.

Not so long ago the company Gira developed a project for the installation of a radio bus designed to control the light in a three-room apartment. (See plan with comments.)

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Buyers are usually interested in the degree of safety of the purchased device for health. In this regard, systems built on the radio bus have proven themselves with better side. According to Gira experts, a year of system operation has about the same effect on the body as a few seconds of talking on a mobile phone.

Elements of the radio bus system are divided into radio transmitting and radio receiving (executive). The former send commands, the latter receive them and perform the corresponding action. Signal transmission between the elements of the radio bus system is carried out via a radio channel. Therefore, there is no need for additional wiring. The system is installed quickly and neatly, and in the event of a move, it can be easily dismantled and transported to a new location. The radio bus components can be easily installed in a standard back box.

Thus, a person gets the opportunity control the light contact - using a traditional switch or using a radio remote control. The last option allows you to make your stay in the room as comfortable as possible. From anywhere in the apartment you can turn on or off the light, change the level of illumination (special devices are used for this - dimmers, which we will discuss below), turn on several lamps at the same time or, for example, create light scenes.

The radio bus can compete with automatic control light. However, although the machine allows you to simultaneously turn off all the lights in the apartment (for example, when leaving), it cannot be used to perform more complex lighting manipulations. In addition, de-energizing the apartment, you at the same time turn off the refrigerator, computer and other equipment.

And now a few words about dimmers. Such devices are installed in the break of the supply wires of the lamps and allow you to adjust the level of their brightness. Due to this, it is possible not only to provide a more comfortable “light atmosphere”, but also to achieve significant savings. After all, it is no secret that for any light bulb, the on-off moments are especially destructive (because of them, in fact, the lamps quickly become unusable). The use of dimmers allows you to smoothly increase the power and thereby protect the "light source" from premature failure.

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• It must be taken into account that walls, ceilings, partitions or other structural elements of the building that are in the path of the radio signal reduce the range of the radio system. The magnitude of the range reduction depends on the material of the obstacle and its thickness (see table).

Principle of operation

The radio transmitters used in the system " smart light”, can be installed anywhere - even where sockets are not provided. It is enough just to stick such a device on a surface made of glass or wood.

If necessary, the device can be just as easily peeled off and moved to a new location. Such ease of dismantling, I think, will be appreciated by lovers of intra-apartment changes. After all, if today the bed is next to the outlet (so it’s enough to reach out to turn off the floor lamp or sconce before going to bed), then tomorrow, perhaps, they will be separated by a considerable distance. And then, to turn off the light, you have to jump out of bed.

Radio adapters are usually used to control portable devices. They are installed between the mains plug and the plug of the electrical appliance. A radio adapter with a switch can not only turn devices on and off, but also participate in light scenes. A radio adapter with a dimmer switch allows you to turn on desk lamp and floor lamps, changing their brightness. The adjusted brightness of the luminaire is stored by the adapter and then used as the initial one.

You can program the "smart light" so that it turns off after a person leaves a particular room.

Reaction to presence

In any house there are places where lighting is needed only for a short time: in corridors or, for example, in utility rooms. With the help of a radio bus system, automatic lighting control can be carried out quickly and easily using battery-powered motion sensors. Sensors register the appearance or movement of people and transmit radio commands to executive devices that turn on the light. The space remains illuminated only for as long as the movement is registered. This saves electricity, reduces costs and increases the comfort of living.

Greetings, dear readers of the site! In this article, I want to continue the topic centralized lighting control touched upon by me in a previous post.

We will talk about building a scheme using, which allows you to turn off the light in the whole house at once when you leave a house or apartment with one click on the switch button!

For a detailed explanation of the circuit for centralized lighting control on impulse relays and the principle of its operation, see the video at the bottom of this article.

Here I will briefly recall. Pulse relays have a winding and power contacts (or a group of contacts). Zero and phase are usually connected to the winding. In our diagram, the phase wire is connected through normally open spring-loaded pushbutton switches, which, when pressed, supply power to the pulse relay winding. Zero connected to terminal A2, phase through switches to terminal A1.

Each time the switch is pressed, the relay changes the state of its contacts from one state to another, for example, with turned off on the included etc. To terminal 1 contacts, a phase wire is connected from the lighting group, to the terminal 2 - phase wire from the load. When the contacts are closed, the phase is supplied to the lamp (or several lamps, a chandelier, backlight, etc.) and it turns on; when opened, the lamp goes out.

Consider the circuit using the example of iTLc impulse relays Schneider Electric. When using relays from other manufacturers, it is necessary to clarify the purpose and marking of contacts in the instructions for them.

Typically, impulse relays are designed to control loads up to 16A. If managed groups use powerful lamps, or a group of lamps, then a separate circuit breaker must be used to protect each group, or an additional contactor must be used to switch the power circuit of the load.

The number of lamps connected to one relay can be any. The main thing is that their total current does not exceed the maximum allowable for this type of relay.

In our example, each lighting group is protected by a separate circuit breaker.

Under the protection of one, there may be several impulse relays, each of which controls its own group of luminaires. The main thing is that the total through the circuit breaker does not exceed 16A.

The number of pushbutton switches connected to one impulse relay can be any. Sometimes, however, there is a limitation on the length of the wire used. Those. The luminaire can be controlled from a large number of places! It's great!

We can turn on and off the lights separately on the first, second floors and in the garage. In our example, on the first and second floors, the luminaires are controlled from three places. In the garage of two - at the entrance to the garage from the house and at the exit from the garage to the street.

When leaving the house, there is no need to individually turn off the lights in the entire house and garage. Just press the switch OFF installed near the front door , and the lights in the whole house will go out.

When you get home, you can press the switch ON and the lights will turn on all over the house at once.

Unlike, the impulse relay circuit allows you to control the lighting in each of the groups, regardless of whether the light was turned on or off centrally by the switches at the front door to the house.

For example, leaving the house in the evening, and turning off the switch OFF the light throughout the house, the tenants who stayed at home can, if necessary, turn the lights on and off in the house, as in normal mode.

For more details on the operation of the circuit, see the video Impulse relays - centralized lighting control

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