Dimmer switches

[pauleras]

Could someone let me know what the difference is between a trailing and leading edge dimmer?also what a resitive load is. many thanksopcornopcorn

 

[fletchflash]

restive loads are where current is used to create heat or light etc

different dimmers types, could be the difference between the ones that click on and the ones that rotate. the ones that rotate on will increase voltage as it rotates. the click on ones will click onto whatever voltage the dimmer is set at

correct me if im wrong!

 

[Sidewinder]

pauleras,

Please give a little more description around your question.

fectflash,

A resistive load is a load where the current and voltage are in phase, that is no capacitive or inductive components.

 

[springcrocus]

Cut and pasted from Wikipaedia..

"An alternative to the leading-edge dimming that is typically used with SCRs is trailing edge dimming, where the falling part of the waveform is cut rather than the rising part. This is most often used in devices that use a switched-mode power supplies that need the front of the waveform complete so that it may cut itself."

See the full article here

 

[Evans Electric]

Thanks Springy , I'd read about that somewhere but couldn't remember what the hell it all meant . ( Don't think I do now TBH ) Much prefer a dirty great coil of resistance wire in series .

 

[springcrocus]

Much prefer a dirty great coil of resistance wire in series .

Deke, I've never been keen on an electric fire buried behind a switch plate myself. ]