How to install a do-it-yourself touch switch

It is necessary to connect a touch switch to increase the level of comfort, and to increase the life of the lighting devices. This is a high-tech device designed to control the illumination. If you familiarize yourself with the mechanism, you can install it yourself.

Touch switch device

Touch switches are sensors that respond to touch. In the composition of the device:

• A highly sensitive element that responds to the proximity of the human body and its touch on the sensor.
• Signal amplifier consisting of semiconductors and microcircuits.
• Switching device in the form of a relay or thyristor. The devices on the latter are more reliable, since there is no contact part that burns and oxidizes over time.

They can work in any type of lighting. But sometimes you may notice that low-power LED lamps flash when the touch device is turned off.

How the device works

After a light touch on the panel, a signal is generated that transforms and causes the relay to turn on.

With the help of built-in universal devices of touch type, they equip the smart home system. They are used to control the operation of heating devices, the opening and closing of window shutters and for other purposes.

The principle of operation of the device is based on adjusting the current using a microcircuit, whereas standard sliding contacts are used for conventional switches. Such a board avoids a short circuit. Thanks to what the term of operation of lamps and a resource of the switch increases.

Household models of electronic devices are used in networks with a voltage of 220 V. A sconce is connected to them, they control and regulate the backlight or the main illumination.

The main advantage of such switches is ease of operation. They differ from ordinary ones with a special sensor that records the heat of the hands. It responds to touch or sound.

Since the touch sensor cannot independently reproduce signals sufficient to adjust the lighting directly, amplification devices, for example, transistors or other elements, are installed in the devices.

Wiring diagram

Installing a touch switch is as easy as installing a built-in or mechanical on-board switch. The procedure consists of the following steps:

1. Remove the glass panel. It is convenient to do this with a thin slotted screwdriver.
2. Connect the mounting wires according to the diagram shown in the device passport.
3. Connect the board with touch contacts.
4. Connect panel with button marking.

Some manufacturers have 220V break-through switches. They have the ability to control lighting from multiple locations. One will be the main, and the rest will be auxiliary. The first is equipped with three terminals. They connect the phase, zero and the control conductor. They are labeled as L-phase, N-zero, Com-control wire.

For many, Chinese and European touch switches are inconvenient because of the small area of ​​the panel, and to fix the signal, you must touch the specified location. If you wish, you can increase the area of ​​indirect contact:

1. Take the wire and solder it to the signal supply point from the sensor on the sensor board.
2. Lay the connected wire around the perimeter of the device.

Thanks to this frame, the sensor will be triggered by touching the front panel.

If you upgrade the circuit breaker yourself, the manufacturer’s warranty will be voided.

Touch Switch Repair

The device acts by closing and opening the contacts of the electrical circuit. The circuit breaker may fail due to:

• Wear a contact group.
• Destruction of the hull.
• Destruction of the terminal and the place of fixation of wires.
• Melting the entire appliance.

Before troubleshooting, you must turn off the power supply by turning off the switch on the input shield. This will protect against electric shock. Before repairing the circuit breaker, one lamp must be installed in the lamp in order to check the operation of the circuit.

The procedure consists of the following steps:

1. Remove the top panel.
2. Remove the trim, if any.
3. Check with the indicator whether there is voltage on the device.
4. Loosen internal fastening clips.
5. Disconnect the wires from the switch housing.
6. Put fuses on bare wires or make insulation with a special tape.

The dismantled elements must be examined in detail to identify deformations, traces of poor contacts and other causes of the malfunction.

Most often, the device fails due to burning contacts. It is quite simple to clean them using a small piece of sandpaper. You also need to check the operation of the fixing screw, since quite often a breakdown occurs due to a good wire clamp. If the integrity of the panel is violated, this indicates a final breakdown of the switch and the need to replace it.

Assemble the switch carefully, making sure that each wire can be connected correctly. After that, check the operability of the device.

The touch light switch works by itself

It often happens that touch switches work without being pressed. In this case, you need to carefully inspect the device. Perhaps the reason is the contact closure.

If the touch panel itself is damaged, you need to seek help from specialists. If they do not fix the problem, you will have to change the device to a new one.

When working with touch switches, a number of safety rules must be observed:

• Connect devices to the network so that the phase is switched, and not zero.
• If the power supply is operated using a ground wire, it must be connected to the appropriate contacts.
• If a wire with many cores was used during the installation of the switch, the ends must be crimped and tinned. Otherwise, the contact will be broken and the connection will overheat.

It is important that the load matches the switch settings.

Selection recommendations

To select a suitable circuit breaker model, you need to determine the presence of additional functions in it:

1. The number of bulbs. There can be up to three.
2. The intensity of the device. In some switches, a dimmer is installed, with which the current strength supplied to the bulbs is changed.
3. The presence of a built-in timer. In walk-through models, you can set the shutdown time. When it fires, the light goes out. This option is ideal for a corridor and a landing.
4. The way to control the switch. The buyer is guided by this feature based on their own preferences. There are devices that work from the remote control, touch, sound.

After studying the additional functionality, you should choose the manufacturer. More affordable Chinese models, but buying too cheap options, you can get on a low-quality analogue. Therefore, it is better not to save on such devices and pay once for a device that will last a long time without breakdowns.

Touch switches are modern devices for controlling illumination. The method of their installation does not differ from conventional mechanical devices. The main thing is to observe safety measures. Breakdowns most often occur due to contact closure. A person who does not have a diploma of an electrician can cope with this problem.