How to repair the dimmer at home?

Overview of probable causes of

So, first of all, let's talk about what became the "culprit" of the improper operation of the dimmer.

Most often, the dimmer stops working after the bulb burned in the chandelier or floor lamp. At the moment of burnout, a short circuit may occur, as a result of which one of the most important elements of the circuit in the dimmer - the triac - burns out. If the triac does not work, the entire circuit breaks down.

The second reason that the device can not turn on or vice versa - do not turn off the light is that the light glider works with an energy-saving lamp. We have already talked about the fact that for LED and fluorescent lamps you need to buy special dimmers, just designed for working with "housekeepers."At the same time, it is necessary to choose special dimmable LED lamps, rather than conventional ones. If you do not take into account this requirement, then the fault is for this reason, which is clearly shown in the video example.

Another possible cause of the malfunction is the improperly selected dimmer power, as a result of which it does not work as it should. We have already said more than once that the power of the dimmer should be 30-50% greater than the power of all the bulbs it regulates. If you missed this moment and inserted too powerful light sources in the lamp, it is not strange why the dimmer does not turn off the light or adjust the brightness of the lamps. Well, the last thing to say - perhaps the problem in the wiring on the site: chandelier-switch.

How do I fix a malfunction?

Now we will proceed as follows - we will consider the basic malfunctions of dimmers and at once we will give advice on repair by our own hands.

If the device does not turn on the light, first check the fuse installed under the decorative cover. When voltage drops, it can burn out, protecting the remaining elements of the circuit from failure. Replace the fuse is not difficult, especially since the leading manufacturers of dimmers( Schneider, Legrand) in the kit put in a spare fuse, as shown in the photo below.

When the dimmer does not adjust the brightness of the lighting, it does not turn off and does not turn on after the lamp burns out in the luminaire;Most likely, the triac does not work - it burned out in case of a short circuit. This element of the circuit can be tried on its own, it requires a soldering iron and, accordingly, skills in working with the given tool. You may also need a drill with a thin drill( hereinafter, for what purpose).To be able to solder off the punched triac and solder a new one, you need to remove the aluminum radiator from the board, which is more likely to be fastened with a rivet. You need to carefully drill the rivet, then solder the triac itself and install exactly the same, but the whole. For all these cases, we recommend using a homemade mini drill and a self-made soldering iron.

If you use a dimmer with conventional energy-saving bulbs, we recommend that you change the lamps as soon as possible,you can not use unsuitable housekeepers.

Well, the last - if not only the dimmer does not work, but the conventional keyswitch does not turn on the light, then the problem is in the wiring itself. Perhaps somewhere the wires are shortened, and maybe a problem in the malfunction of the chandelier itself. There is already need to take a multimeter and ring all the sections of the circuit.

Here, in fact, and all the main reasons for the failure of the device. We hope that now you know why the dimmer does not work and the main thing is how to repair the dimmer yourself! Finally, I would like to note that these devices are very sensitive and, in connection with existing problems with voltage drops, they should not be used without stabilizers!

Also read:

• How to connect the voltage regulator
• How to use the multimeter
• How to repair the light switch