So when the light switch is off it breaks the connection of the hot wire so that power cant get to the light fixture. Isolated circuit wired in line with switch actuation in this picture a resistor is wired to the positive lamp terminal from the normally open switch terminal.
How Do I Install A Light Switch With Pictures
How do light switches work. The most common household switches are the single pole switch the three way switch and the double pole switch. As it turns out the inner workings are pretty cool and surprising. When the switch is turned on the hot wire is reconnected thus supplying power to the light fixture. The other is controlled by the switch which directly feeds the power to the lamp. How does a light switch work. A three way switch is used when you want to control a light fixture from two wall locations such as.
However a light switch is installed in line with that hot wire. Single pole light switches. In this article well look inside one of these everyday devices to find out how it controls lamp fixtures. A person intending to do any troubleshooting should be able to identify what theyre dealing with since the wiring is very different for each one. A two way light switch requires a three way cable three wires plus ground four conductors in all to be run in order for the light to be switched from any station. A single pole switch is one that just turns the lights off or on from one wall location.
Most conventional light switches are configured using a classic 2 wire circuit. This means that at any time either switch may be upside down so that its on in the down position or off in the up position. Here a resistor is required to properly power the lamp. The receiver is the part of the setup that does require. The force against this resistance is what create just a spark of energy just enough energy to send one tiny little signal. One is a permanent live feed from your mains power to the switch.
When the switch is on current flows along the black wire through the switch to the light and then returns to ground through the white wire to complete the circuit. Adding in a second light switch. The manufacturers of the light switches create little modules inside of the switch that create some resistance when a user presses the transmitter. This consists of two wires hot and ground. Enter the dimmer switch a handy electrical component that lets you adjust light levels from nearly dark to fully lit by simply turning a knob or sliding a lever. The switch simply opens off or closes on the connection between the two terminals on the switch.
Gallery of How Do Light Switches Work
