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Protection of incandescent lamps. Protection of incandescent lamps from burnouts. Selecting a halogen lamp protection unit

There may be several reasons for the frequent burnout of light bulbs in a chandelier or lamp; it’s good when there is only one. By identifying the main cause, you will not only save on light bulbs, but also save the lamp from damage, and possibly the house from fire too.

Causes of lamp burnouts in order of prevalence

  1. Poor qualitylight bulbs. We bought a new, good light bulb, more expensive, but it also burned out quickly, then we look for the problem further.
  1. Horse racingmains voltage, arising, as a rule, due to poorly pressed contacts in the electrical panel, damage to the cable or individual wire, malfunctions in the operation of the step-down transformer. These breakdowns must be repaired by qualified electrical personnel, otherwise it may result in overvoltage in the network.

Protection method: You can independently protect halogen or incandescent lamps from burning out by connecting them through an electronic protection unit.

Such devices even out small voltage surges and provide a smooth start. Protection blocks are installed one at a time on each switch. They are not suitable for working with fluorescent lamps, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs, also energy-saving), and LED lamps.

  1. Overvoltage. The electrical network should be 220 volts, plus or minus 10%. Exceeding the voltage by just 1% of the nominal reduces the life of the incandescent lamp by 14%.

Several methods of protection:

  • Voltage stabilizer for an apartment or voltage relay. These devices cost money, they need to be installed additionally, so rarely does anyone bother with them.
  • Choose incandescent lamps with a higher operating voltage of 230–240 V.
  • Replace incandescent lamps with modern CFLs. The increased voltage in the CFL network is not dangerous, in addition, with them you can increase the illumination of the room several times, without exceeding the maximum thermal load on the chandelier sockets.
  1. The contact in the cartridge is loose. You should pay attention to this the next time you replace a burnt out light bulb. If the contacts inside the socket turn black, then there is a problem here.

Elimination procedure. Turn off the power supply to the apartment, make sure there is no voltage using the indicator, and carefully use a flat-head screwdriver to pull the central petal in the socket towards you.

Most likely, you will need to bend the petal more than once until you change the cartridge to a better one or buy another chandelier.

  1. Poor wire connection in a lamp, distribution box. Over time, any metal, especially aluminum, shrinks at the joints due to fatigue of the material. The clamp becomes loose and the wire begins to burn. Copper soft wires PVA and the like, twisted from several hairs, creep apart when clamped in the terminal block.

Remedy:

  • Replace the wiring with copper, rigid solid-core cable brand VVG.
  • Solder the ends of the twisted wire or crimp them with lugs;
  • If you have access to the distribution box, then be sure to solder all the twists in it.
  1. The switch is faulty. Poor operation of the switch can be diagnosed by the fact that too often the chandelier bulbs burn out in only one group, controlled by one of the keys.

Elimination procedure: turn off the power supply, open the switch, clean the darkened contacts, tighten the screws securing the wires well.

When changing the switch on a lamp with one lamp, it is advisable to install a dimmer, with which you can get rid of the problem of the light bulb burning out when it is turned on.

Choosing a coaxial (TV) cable Homemade solar battery Self-driving solar panels controlled by mobile phone – Stage 3: making gears

Protection of incandescent lamp when switched on

The proposed simple device (Fig. 1) does not have many disadvantages over similar schemes and ensures smooth ignition of a household incandescent lamp.

Fig.1

By selecting the appropriate capacitances and diodes, you can connect a light bulb of almost any power and any voltage without a step-down transformer. For example, for a 220V network and a 60-watt lamp with the same semiconductor valves, capacitors of 5 μF are needed, respectively.

Kruzhkov.V

Orel

Inrush current limiter when the lamp is turned on

The device, assembled according to the circuit in Fig. 2, delays the supply of full mains voltage to the lamp by approximately 0.2 seconds - the duration of charging the capacitor installed in it.


Fig.2

This is quite enough to effectively limit the inrush current through the cold coil of the lamp. The residual voltage drop across the limiter is about 5 V.

Initially, the limiter used MLT - 0.5 resistors, a KT940A transistor, a KD105B diode, and a KU208G triac. Subsequently, the circuit used small-sized parts, the types of which are indicated in the diagram, and lower power resistors. This version of the limiter can be mounted on the printed circuit board shown in Fig. 2.

At lamp power EL 1 more than 100 W triac MAS97 must be replaced with a more powerful VT137 or VTA12-600. If such a thyristor is equipped with a heat sink, and instead of a transistor MJE 13001 install MJE 13003, the permissible load power will reach 2 kW. The capacitance of capacitor C1 can be increased to 470 μF.

Shtepenko E.

Severodonetsk

Lugansk region

Two-stage lamp switching

Abruptly turning on an incandescent lamp using a conventional switch is harmful both to the eyes (a sharp jump in light) and to the lamp itself, damaging its filament.


Fig.3

The circuit shown in Figure 3 provides two-stage switching on of the lamp. When turned on S 1, the first 1-2 seconds lamp H.L. 1 burns incandescently, because only one half-wave of the mains voltage current flows through it (through VD 1). At the same time, C1 begins to charge through VD 2 and R 2, and after approximately 1-2 seconds the voltage on it reaches the thyristor opening threshold VS 1, which is what happens. Through the thyristor, the second half-wave of the mains voltage begins to flow to the lamp, and the lamp lights up at full intensity.

Mizin S.

To make the lamp “eternal”

It is known that a lighting lamp most often fails at the moment of ignition. It is at this moment that the resistance of the lamp filament is low (about 10 times less than the red-hot one), and power is dissipated on it, significantly exceeding the rated one. The thread does not hold up and burns out. This happens especially often with lamps up to 500 W.

To extend the life of the lamp, you must first apply a reduced voltage to it and slightly warm up the lamp filament, and after a while bring the voltage to the nominal voltage. For this purpose, a two-stage voltage supply is used, which is connected in series with the mains switch without disturbing the rest of the wiring. In apartments and work areas, the machine can be mounted in the same box as the switch.

The circuit diagram of the machine is shown in Fig. 4.


Fig.4

When setting up the machine, first disconnect the thyristor anode from the parts VS 1. Selecting a resistor R 3 (instead it is convenient to temporarily install a variable resistor with a resistance of 15 kOhm) they achieve a voltage of approximately 200V on the lamp (more precisely, measurements can be carried out with a thermal system device) - a supply voltage slightly lower than the mains voltage, which extends the life of the lamp. Then the resistance of the introduced part of the variable resistor is measured and a constant resistor of the same or the closest value is soldered into the device.

Next, connect the thyristor VS 1 and resistor selection R 1 ensure that the thyristor VS 1 opened earlier VS 2. This is easy to determine by lighting the lamp - at first it should burn “at full intensity”. If the machine operates unstable (the lamp flashes), it means that a very “sensitive” thyristor is installed VS 1 (turns on at low current through the control electrode). In this case, a 1...2 kOhm resistor must be connected between the control electrode and the thyristor cathode or the thyristor must be replaced.

A thyristor can be used in the circuit VS 1 - any series KU201, KU202, VS 2 - KU202K, KU202N. Diodes of the KD105B series. With these parts, the machine is capable of controlling a lamp with a power of up to 60 W. If you replace the diodes with more powerful ones, for example D247, and install them and a thyristor VS 2 for radiators, the machine can be used with lamps with a power of up to 1 kW.

Pershikov V.

Beloretsk

There is a pressing problem in lighting - lamps of various types burn out quickly. Combustion occurs when the lamp filament is cold, its resistance value is low, and a sharp jump in current and power occurs. Light bulb manufacturers promise that the lamp operating time will be no less than 8000 hours. In practice, lamps burn out much faster. In order to somehow increase the operating time of the lamps, lamp protection units were created. Its operating principle is simple: they turn on the lamp and the unit in series with each other, while reducing the current surge when turned on. In the first seconds after switching on, the light brightness and current slowly increase.

If lamps fail quickly, purchase a special device that will ensure their long-term operation. Let's analyze the operation of one circuit of this type - a lamp protection unit called “Granite”.

Purpose

The unit is made with an innovative system that provides a smooth increase in lamp light. The device protects the lamp from sudden changes in electric current values ​​when turned on. Such surges cause failure of lamps of all types. Granit lamp protection units provide good protection for lighting equipment from excessive voltage in the home network. By using such a protection unit, the service life of the lighting lamp increases several times.

Lamp protection units can be used for lamps of different operating principles and types, including , and others. To protect low-voltage lighting, connect the unit on the low side of the transformer or power source. In the case of using a power supply unit with electronic filling, purchase a protective unit marked with the letter “T” on the marking.

Technical data

When you choose lamp protection units in a store, you must not forget that there are selection criteria based on operating conditions and lamp data. Devices that protect lighting lamps, like all electrical equipment, are made for certain load values ​​and power supply networks. In our case, the device is designed for power supply with a voltage of 170-260 V. At the consumer load, the voltage should not exceed 230 volts.

The device can be used in almost any temperature conditions, from -20 degrees to +40 degrees. The device can be used for outdoor lighting, as well as for creating indoor lighting inside buildings. An important criterion for purchasing a protective device is the rated power. The lamp protection units under consideration are manufactured for consumers with a power of 150-3000 watts.

Connection method

There is nothing complicated about connecting an innovative protection device. The device is connected to the wire running in front of the lighting equipment switch, namely, at its break. In other words, a sequential lighting circuit with a lamp protection device is obtained. The light switch has its own housing (box). A protection device can also be installed in this housing. The circuit with the circuit board can easily be placed in it, since the dimensions of the block are small.

First you need to disconnect the wire supplying voltage to the switch and connect it to our protection device. Next, you need to cut a short piece of wire and connect one end to the protection device, connect the other end to.

Before connecting a protective device, remember to follow safe operating practices. Be sure to turn off the power supply to the lighting before work.

The optimal solution for installing the lamp protection unit would be to install it on the ceiling, next to the lamp. If there are several light bulbs, then the device is mounted in front of the 1st lamp. It is also convenient to mount the circuit in a box under the switch, if there is space, with a consumer power of up to 300 watts. The power of the protection unit must be calculated based on the sum of the power of consumers consisting of lighting lamps. At the same time, make a reserve of 50%.

To avoid unpleasant moments associated with a malfunction of the lamp due to a short-circuited filament due to a shock or impact, you must follow some rules:
  • Install lamp protection units in easily accessible places, since malfunctions are inevitable, and installation in a hermetically sealed place will significantly aggravate the repair process.
  • When calculating, one should not forget about the power reserve to ensure the reliability of the circuit.
  • The optimal solution would be to install a separate circuit breaker for each lighting line.

Lamp protection units will significantly reduce your energy costs and save your family's budget. If you connect a protection unit to each lighting lamp, you will spend a lot of money, but in the near future your expenses will be recouped by the long-term operation of the lighting without any malfunctions. Changing lamps will become a thing of the past for you.

Incandescent lamp protection units

Protection blocks can be used not only in conjunction with, but also to protect any electrical devices powered by 220 volts. The operating principle of the circuit is simple.

There are no scarce parts in the design. It can be assembled by any radio amateur. The main power elements of the circuit are field-effect transistors. The remaining parts are classic: resistors, diodes, zener diode, etc. Separately, you can focus on field-effect transistors. The load power that we can connect depends on their parameters. The load power will be 75 watts.

If you need to connect an incandescent lamp with a power of 100 or 200 watts, then the field-effect transistors can be replaced with IRF450. It is necessary to select transistors for the load that will be connected.

We etch the board and tin it with liquid tin. First, we install small parts on the board, then transistors, and then the largest ones. The printed circuit board can be adjusted as desired.

Solder the input and output to the device. Let's clean the board from flux residues. Now you need to test the device. We connect the socket with the incandescent lamp. When testing, do not forget about safety; you must not touch the board elements or its tracks, as they are energized. As a result of the test, the device operates normally. The turn-on delay may not be noticeable, as it is about 0.3 seconds.

Now we check the operation of the device with an energy-saving lamp. The device also works fine with this lamp.

Features of choice

To select such a device, you need to take into account the total network load. It is calculated based on the power of the lamps. A small margin is added to the result; it is better to add 25% power. This increases the service life of the device. You need to know that the use of devices such as lamp protection units leads to a voltage drop.

It must be remembered that if a voltage is applied to a lighting lamp by 10% less than normal, the light flow will decrease by 44%. The protection device reduces the light flux by 70%.

Knowing these features, you need to take lamps with increased power and select a protective device based on it. The operation of the device is very simple. When the light is turned on, the voltage is applied to the lamp, which reaches the nominal value within a few seconds (and not instantly). This method reduces the sharp jump in inrush current, which makes it possible to increase the service life of incandescent lighting lamps.

Another diagram for homemade

The slow lighting start circuit is simple. However, it is necessary to take into account a number of features and standards for electrical devices. Not every scheme will produce good results. Let's analyze the original scheme from the possible options.

The diagram shows how lamps are slowly switched on using the device. It is not necessary to observe the polarity of the wires. More important is to connect the device in a phase break, creating a connection in series with a switch with one key.

Circuit operation
  • At the beginning of the cycle, the field-effect transistor is closed, voltage is supplied to it for stabilization, since it is an integral part of the diode bridge, its diagonal. In this case the lamp does not light up.
  • Capacitance C1 is charged through a resistor and a diode to a level of 9.1 volts. This level will not increase, as it is limited by the zener diode.
  • When the voltage reaches the desired level, the transistor begins to open slowly, which is accompanied by an increase in the current. In this case, the potential difference will decrease, and the filament of the lighting lamp will begin to slowly heat up.
  • The second resistor is necessary in order to discharge the capacitor after turning off the voltage to the incandescent lamp. At this time, there is a small voltage of 0.8 volts at the drain, the current is 1 ampere.

The important point is that if you work according to such a smooth lighting start-up scheme, it operates without flickering. This is necessary to create a comfortable stay in the room. This circuit is used for regular voltage of 220 volts, as well as for low voltage.

Protection installation locations

The dimensions of this device circuit make it possible to embed it anywhere. However, you need to make easy access to the device for possible repair or replacement. Cooling of the device is necessary for its elements; the housing requires holes or slots for air passage. Typically, protection units are located on the ceiling in a distribution box or socket box.

High humidity at the installation site of the protective block is unacceptable. Protection devices increase lamp life, but certain rules and regulations must be observed for the installation of electrical appliances. It is best to contact specialists to install lamp protection units.

Automatic lamp burnout protection

The problem of the durability of incandescent lamps, which sometimes burn out the moment they are turned on, remains relevant. Some options for solving it are described in the proposed materials.

...on a relay and a trinistor

It is known that the resistance of the filament of a lighting lamp in a cold state is significantly less compared to the resistance of a hot filament. For this reason, as soon as the lamp is turned on, the current through the filament significantly exceeds the rated one and it sometimes burns out. This happens most often at moments when the lamp turns on coincides with the maximum half-wave of the mains voltage.

One option to extend the “life” of a lamp is to connect a semiconductor diode in series with it. Then the probability of the moment of switching on coinciding with the maximum of the half-wave is halved - after all, current will now flow through the lamp only in one direction, say, with positive or negative half-cycles.

Since such power supply reduces the luminous output of the lamp, they often use machines that, after preheating the filament, supply full mains voltage to the lamp. The “starting” current in this case is less dangerous compared to the option of applying voltage to a cold thread. This is how the incandescent lamp is turned on in two stages, which can significantly extend its service life.

Such a device can be made using more accessible parts, in particular a relay (Fig. 1) instead of a transistor. It is also a two-terminal device, and therefore can be easily integrated into existing electrical wiring. But unlike the prototype, it does not provide a smooth limitation of the current flowing through the lamp at the moment it is connected to the network, but a stepwise one: first, only one half of the alternating current half-waves flows through the filament, and after some time, both.


rice. 1

Relay K1 is triggered by current flowing through the mains switch SA1, the lighting lamp EL1, the relay winding, the diode VD3 (or the closing group of contacts K1.1).

This is how the device works. After closing the SA1 contacts, only positive half-waves of current pass through the lamp. In this case, diode VD1 is closed, since contacts K1.1 are still open. Capacitor C1 is gradually charged through the lamp and diode VD2, and as soon as the voltage across it reaches a certain value, relay K1 will operate, contacts K1.1 of which will bypass diode VD3. As a result, the EL1 lamp, which was initially burning at full intensity, will flare up with bright light. The delay in reaching this mode depends mainly on the capacitance of the capacitor and the resistance of the relay winding.

Since the relay coil is connected in series with the lamp, its resistance must be matched to the power of the lamp. If one of the common automotive relays with a winding resistance of 85 Ohms is used, the lamp can be rated from 40 to 100 W. Then, with a 40 W lamp, the voltage on the relay winding will drop approximately 7 V, 60 W - 10 V, 100 W - 16 V.

At any of these voltages, small-sized automotive relays 111.3747, 112.3747, 113.3747, 113.3747-10, 114.3747-10, 114.3747-11, 116.3747-10, 116.3747-11, 117.3747-10, 117.3747-11, designed for a nominal voltage of 12V, will confidently trigger. The relay terminals are marked as follows: 85 and 86 - winding, 30 and 87 - normally open group of contacts.

Among relays for general use, we can recommend for lamps with a power of 40-100 W RES10 passports RS4.524.304, RS4.524.302, RS4.524.308 (the last two are only for lamps 40 and 60 W) and RES9 passports RS4.524.202, RS4.524.203. With capacitor C1 with a capacity of 4000 μF, the relay response delay time reaches 1 s, which provides the necessary preheating of the lamp filament. Moreover, switching the lamp to full power occurs almost imperceptibly to the eye. In general, practice shows that 100 ms is sufficient for reliable lamp protection, so the times sometimes recommended in the literature of 2...4 s and even 5...10 s are clearly excessive. After all, the heating of an incandescent lamp occurs with a very short time constant,

If the power switch must switch not one, but several lamps (for example, chandelier lamps), their circuits should be separated, as shown in Fig. 2. Lamp EL1 remains on as before through the relay winding, and EL2 and EL3 - through diode VD3 and contacts K1.1 of the relay. The power of additional lamps is limited only by the maximum current of the VD3 diode and the permissible current through the contacts. In this option, the greatest preference should be given to an automobile relay, the contacts of which can withstand a current of up to 30 A (though only at a voltage of 12 V).


rice. 2

A non-contact method of switching circuits of lighting lamps is also possible if you use a thyristor (Fig. 3). After closing the contacts of the mains switch SA1, initially only negative half-waves pass through the lamp and diode VD2 and the lamp burns at full intensity. After about a second, capacitor C1 is charged through diode VD1 and resistor R1 to the opening voltage of the trinistor and positive half-waves of the mains voltage begin to pass through the lamp - the lamp flashes at full brightness.


rice. 3

The power of a lamp (or a group of lamps connected in parallel) is limited by the maximum currents of the VD2 diode and the SCR. If the SCR operates without a heat sink, the power of the lamp (or lamps) should not exceed 200 W.

The diodes in the devices considered can be KD105B-KD105G, KD209A-KD209V, D226B, KD226V-KD226D. Instead of the KU202N thyristor, the KU202L or KU201L is suitable.

Literature

1. Vugman S.M., Kiseleva N.P., Litvinov V.S., Tokareva A.N. On the operation of an incandescent lamp in a half-wave rectification circuit. - Lighting Engineering, 1988, No. 4, p. 8-10.

2. Bannikov V. Protection of electric lighting devices. - Radio, 1990, No. 12, p. 53.

3. Bzhevsky L. Dimmer with time delay. - Radio, 1989, No. 10, p. 76.

4. Nechaev I. Adjusting the brightness of the lamp. - Radio, 1992, No. 1, p. 22, 23.

...on a triac

Taking advantage of the property of a triac to pass both half-cycles of the mains voltage, you can assemble a relatively simple machine according to the above diagram, capable of limiting the initial surge of current through the cold filament of a lighting lamp. The machine is designed to work with lighting devices with a total power of up to 1500 W.

The power limiter, which provides two-stage switching on of the lamp, works like this. When the contacts of the mains switch SA1 are closed, the current in the negative half-cycles of the voltage flows through the lamp EL1, inductor L1, diode VD1, limiting resistor R1 and the triac control electrode circuit. The triac opens for these half-cycles, and the lamp burns at full intensity.

At the same time, during these half-cycles, capacitor C1 is charged through resistor R2. After 1...2 s, when the lamp filament has already warmed up, capacitor C1 will charge to a voltage at which the triac will open during the positive half-cycles of the mains voltage - the brightness of the lamp will increase to normal.

To reduce the level of radio interference in the network that occurs during operation of the triac, a filter is installed from inductor L1 and capacitor C2. If interference is not limiting, it is not necessary to install the specified filter parts.

The KU208G triac in the device will completely replace the KU208V. Resistors - MLT-0.5, capacitor C1 - K50-16, C2 - K73-16, K73-17 or another for a rated voltage of at least 400 V. In place of the diode VD1, in addition to that indicated in the diagram, you can install D226A, KD109B, KD221V or another with a reverse voltage of at least 300 V. The choke is wound on a piece of rod with a diameter of 8 or 10 mm and a length of 60...70 mm from ferrite 600NN or 400NN, its winding (turn to turn in one row) contains 50... 60 turns of wire PEV-2 1.0.

Setting up the device comes down to selecting resistor R2 depending on the opening threshold of the triac used. To do this, a load with which the machine will operate is connected to the device, and instead of resistor R2, a variable resistor with a resistance of more than 300 Ohms is temporarily soldered. By moving the resistor slider and applying voltage with switch SA1, select the resistor resistance such that lamp EL1 lights up at full intensity 1...2 s after switching on. Then a constant resistor of the same (or possibly similar) resistance is soldered in place of R2.

Since the machine is made in the form of a two-terminal network, its parts can be placed in the body of a lamp or chandelier without laying additional wires. If the total power of the chandelier lamps exceeds 300 W, the triac is installed on a radiator with a cooling surface of at least 100 cm2.

See other articles section.

Incandescent lamps are still popular due to their low price. They are widely used in auxiliary rooms where frequent light switching is required. Devices are constantly evolving, and recently a halogen lamp has been frequently used. To increase their service life and reduce energy consumption, smooth switching of incandescent lamps is used. To do this, the applied voltage must increase smoothly over a short period of time.

Smooth switching on of an incandescent lamp

A cold coil has 10 times lower electrical resistance compared to a heated coil. As a result, when a 100 W light bulb is lit, the current reaches 8 A. High brightness of the filament is not always needed. Therefore, there was a need to create soft start devices.

Operating principle

To ensure a uniform increase in the applied voltage, it is enough for the phase angle to increase in just a few seconds. The current surge is smoothed out, and the coils gradually heat up. The figure below shows one of the simplest protective circuits.

Scheme of a device for protecting against burnout of halogen and incandescent lamps on a thyristor

When turned on, the negative half-wave is supplied to the lamp through a diode (VD2), the power supply is only half the voltage. During the positive half-cycle, the capacitor (C1) is charged. When the voltage across it rises to the opening value of the thyristor (VS1), the lamp is fully supplied with mains voltage, and the start-up ends with full glow.

Diagram of a lamp burnout protection device using a triac

The circuit in the figure above operates on a triac that allows current to pass in both directions. When the lamp is turned on, negative current passes through the diode (VD1) and resistor (R1) to the control electrode of the triac. It opens and skips one half of the half-cycles. Within a few seconds, the capacitor (C1) is charged, after which the positive half-cycles open, and the lamp is fully supplied with mains voltage.

The device on the KR1182PM1 microcircuit allows you to start the lamp with a smooth increase in voltage from 5 V to 220 V.

Device diagram: starting incandescent or halogen lamps with phase control

The microcircuit (DA1) consists of two thyristors. The decoupling between the power part and the control circuit is made by a triac (VS1). The voltage in the control circuit does not exceed 12 V. The signal is supplied to its control electrode from pin 1 of the phase regulator (DA1) through a resistor (R1). The circuit starts when the contacts (SA1) open. In this case, the capacitor (C3) begins to charge. The microcircuit starts working from it, increasing the current passing to the control electrode of the triac. It begins to gradually open, increasing the voltage on the incandescent lamp (EL1). The time delay for its ignition is determined by the value of the capacitance of the capacitor (C3). It should not be made too large, since with frequent switching the circuit will not have time to prepare for a new start.

When you manually close the contacts (SA1), the capacitor begins to discharge into the resistor (R2) and the lamp turns off smoothly. Its switching time changes from 1 to 10 seconds with a corresponding change in capacitance (C3) from 47 μF to 470 μF. The lamp extinguishing time is determined by the resistance value (R2).

The circuit is protected from interference by a resistor (R4) and a capacitor (C4). The printed circuit board with all the parts is placed on the rear terminals of the switch and installed together with it in the box.

The lamp starts when the switch is turned off. A glow discharge lamp (HL1) is installed for illumination and voltage indication.

Soft start devices (UPVL)

There are many models available, they differ in functions, price and quality. UPVL, which can be purchased at the store, is connected in series to a 220 V lamp. The circuit and appearance are shown in the figure below. If the supply voltage of the lamps is 12 V or 24 V, the device is connected in front of the step-down transformer in series with the primary winding.

Scheme of operation of UPVL for smooth switching on of 220 V lamps

The device must match the connected load with a small margin. To do this, the number of lamps and their total power are calculated.

Due to its small dimensions, the UPVL is placed under a chandelier hood, in a socket box or in a junction box.

Device “Granite”

A special feature of the device is that it additionally protects the lamps from power surges in the home network. The characteristics of “Granite” are as follows:

  • rated voltage – 175-265 V;
  • temperature range – from -20 0 C to +40 0 C;
  • rated power – from 150 to 3000 W.

The device is also connected in series with the lamp and switch. The device is placed together with the switch in the installation box, if its power allows. It is also installed under the chandelier cover. If the wires are connected to it directly, the protective device is installed in the distribution panel, after the circuit breaker.

Dimmers or dimmers

It is advisable to use devices that create smooth switching of lamps and also provide regulation of their brightness. Dimmer models have the following capabilities:

  • setting lamp operating programs;
  • smooth on and off;
  • control using remote control, clap, voice.

When purchasing, you should immediately decide on your choice so as not to pay extra money for unnecessary functions.

Before installation, you need to select methods and locations for controlling the lamps. To do this, you need to make the appropriate electrical wiring.

Connection diagrams

Schemes can be of varying complexity. During any work, the voltage from the required area is first turned off.

The simplest connection diagram is shown in the figure below (a). A dimmer can be installed instead of a regular switch.

Diagram for connecting a dimmer to a lamp power supply

The device is connected to the open phase wire (L), not the neutral wire (N). There is a lamp between the neutral wire and the dimmer. The connection with it is serial.

Figure (b) shows a circuit with a switch. The connection remains the same, but a regular switch is added to it. It can be installed near the door in the gap between the phase and the dimmer. The dimmer is located near the bed with the ability to control the lighting without getting up from it. When leaving the room, the light turns off, and when returning, the lamp starts up with the previously adjusted brightness.

To control a chandelier or lamp, you can use 2 dimmers located in different places in the room (Fig. a). They are connected to each other through a junction box.

Incandescent lamp control circuit: a – with two dimmers; b – with two pass-through switches and a dimmer

This connection allows you to independently adjust the brightness from two places, but you will need more wires.

Pass-through switches are needed to turn on the light from different sides of the room (Fig. b). The dimmer must be turned on, otherwise the lamps will not respond to the switches.

Dimmer Features:

  1. Energy savings using a dimmer are achieved small - no more than 15%. The rest is consumed by the regulator.
  2. The devices are sensitive to increases in ambient temperature. They do not need to be used if it rises above 27 0 C.
  3. The load must be at least 40 W, otherwise the life of the regulator will be reduced.
  4. Dimmers are used only for those types of devices that are specified in the data sheets.

Inclusion. Video

This video will tell you how incandescent lamps turn on smoothly.

Soft start-up and shutdown devices for incandescent and halogen lamps can significantly increase their service life. It is advisable to use dimmers, which also allow you to adjust the brightness of the light.