How Many Ways Can You Switch A Light?

One of the things electricians master is switching lights.

This is also one thing that confused the hell out of me at college. On a wiring diagram - sure it looks great.

But on site in reality it can be a pain!

On and Off that's all a light needs to do - but how it comes on

How long it comes on for…..

What brightness do you want?

So many options are available these days and the electrician is the one who puts it all together.

Tool box talk for electricians, helping electricians reduce stress, gain back time and earn more money.

The days of people wanting their light to just come on and go off are over!

With all the different functions you can make a like do now - everyone wants to incorporate that technology into their house.

So this podcast is dedicated to explaining all the different ways and what they are used for.

There are over 10 different ways you know?

The traditional light switch, what we learn at college. 1 way, 2 way and intermediate switching.

This is something electricians master over time, you have to draw it out a few times to get the hang of 2 way or intermediate switching, but it has worked well for years.

This type of wired switch is still used today by electricians all over the world and installed daily.

In addition to that, a customer may want their lights on a dimmer!

Now dimming one light on a one way switch is easy for any electrician - however you can get caught out on a 2 way switch.

A light with a 2 way switch cannot have 2 x dimmers - they call this double dimming.

It doesn't work - trust me I have tried.

However there is a new dimmer switch on the market that uses a special dimmer switch - you can do this!

I'm yet to test them out - but the technology is out there.

The common pull cord switch has also been around for years. Its in effect a one way or 2 way switch.

There are plenty of homes with a pull cord in the bedroom, this is so you can switch the light off from laying in bed.

The amount of these pull cords I have taken out over the years because people don't understand why they are even there.

Another random fact I know is what ceiling pendants are so close to the window and not in the centre of the room.

Years ago curtains were so thin you could see a silhouette of the person getting undressed if the light was behind them.

So the ceiling light was installed close to the windows to stop this happening.

Pull cords are still used to this day in bathrooms, as regulations say you can't have a light switch in the room. If there is space, normally electricians put the switch for a bathroom just outside the bathroom along with the fan isolator.

Then came along motion sensors or PIR (passive Infer red) lights.

Brilliant for security outside as they would come on when anyone walked near it.

Along with the photocell that senses if it's day and night to weather you actually need the light on.

This has advanced into so many areas within lighting. Large factories use PIR controlled lighting to save energy.

This is used when the lights are LED of course, if you have a high bay metal halide light on a pir it wouldn't work. Those lights take a while to get going.

Even kitchen draws are using motion sensors to switch an led strip to light up the open draw these days too.

Although in my eyes, if you can't see what's in that draw - you need to have a clear out!

I have even installed a PIR for bathroom lighting. For many reasons -

The kids leave the bathroom light on

Customers want to automate everything

Motion sensors have replaced the push timer switch, in some circumstances places require a timer switch, so that when you push it the lights stay on for a 2-12 mins.

Entrance halls in flats have a lot of these, again it's to save energy on lighting.

People LOVE a remote control! If they can switch their lights on and off from anywhere in their home it's something they want.

An ideal situation is garden lighting. I have installed a lot of garden lights where customers want to be able to switch them on from the car.

Maybe when they return home to light up the driveway.

I know a PIR would have been better - but if a customer wants - a customer gets. Thay are the ones paying.

It doesn't stop there!

When you install a remote receiver in a lighting circuit, these days that is not all they do.

One receiver can work with

A kinetic switch that needs NO batteries - EVER

WiFi remote straight from your phone where you can set up times to come on and off, dusk to dawn setting and more.

Even dim the lights at a certain time.

You can set it up with Alexa or google to be voice activated!

The options are endless, the only thing it hasn't got is a clapper - i am yet to install one of them.

The smart lighting has taken off in a big way, when it first came out it was a bit of a gadget or a toy to play with.

These days it has actual usages.

For example the kinetic switches, you can rewire a lighting circuit with out having to do the switch drops. Thats the messy part!

By installing one small wifi receiver for each room, you will be able to put the switch anywhere you want - then if the customer wanted, have a switch on your phone too.

The only thing that concerns me is that a lightswitch can be there for more then 20 years.

How long until each receiver goes out of date or gets replaced by another smart switch.

Will the app still work and will you be able to get replacements?

Small concerns - It's not going to stop me doing my whole house like it.

The way lights are switched is evolving all the time, I really can see any other methods of how a light can be switched on and off - but mark my words, bet some smart arse will design something one day.

That's why as electricians we need to keep up with the growth of technology.

Some will come and go, others will make the future even better, I will keep buying new things and testing them out on the you tube channel.

If you haven't subscribed already - why not?

Until next time.