How to install a touch switch with your own hands

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

Touch switch device

Touch switches are sensors that respond to touch. The device includes:

• A highly sensitive element that responds to the approach of the human body and its touch to the sensor.
• Signal amplifier consisting of semiconductors and microcircuits.
• Switching device in the form of a relay or thyristor. 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 will notice that the LED lights of low power are blinking when the touch device is turned off.

How the device works

After lightly touching the panel, a signal is generated that is converted and causes the relay to turn on.

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

The principle of operation of the device is based on the regulation of the current using a microcircuit, while standard sliding contacts are used for conventional switches. Such a board avoids a short circuit. This increases the life of the lamps and the resource of the switch.

Household models of electronic devices are used in a network with a voltage of 220 V. A sconce is connected to them, the backlight or the main illumination is controlled and regulated.

Convenience of control is considered the main advantage of such switches. They differ from ordinary ones by a special sensor that detects the warmth of the hands. It responds to touch or beep.

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

Connection diagram

It is as easy to install a touch switch as a conventional built-in or surface-mounted mechanical one. 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 installation wires according to the diagram shown in the device passport.
3. Connect the board with sensor contacts.
4. Connect the panel with the button label.

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

For many, Chinese and European touch switches are inconvenient due to the small area of ​​the panel, and to fix the signal, you need to touch the indicated place. If you wish, you can increase the area of ​​indirect contact:

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

Thanks to such a frame, the sensor will be triggered when you touch the front panel.

If you modify the circuit breaker yourself, the manufacturer's warranty will be void.

Touch switch repair

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

• Contact group wear.
• Destruction of the hull.
• Destruction of the terminal and the place of fixing the wires.
• Melting the entire device.

Before troubleshooting, you need to stop the electricity supply by turning off the switch on the main board. This will protect you from electric shock. Before repairing the switch, you need to install one light bulb in the luminaire in order to check the functionality of the circuit.

The procedure consists of the following steps:

1. Remove the top panel.
2. Remove the decorative strip, if any.
3. Check with the indicator if there is voltage on the device.
4. Loosen the clips of the inner fastening.
5. Disconnect the wires from the switch body.
6. Put fuses on bare wires or insulate with special tape.

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

Most often, the device fails due to burning of the contacts. It is enough to simply clean them using a small piece of sandpaper. You also need to check the operability of the fixing screw, since quite often breakdown occurs due to a good clamping of the wires. If the integrity of the panel is broken, this indicates a final breakdown of the switch and the need to replace it.

Assemble the switch carefully, making sure that each wire is correctly connected. After that, the operability of the device is checked.

Touch light switch works by itself

It often happens that touch switches are triggered without being pressed. In this case, you must carefully inspect the device. Perhaps the reason is the closure of the contacts.

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 replace the device with a new one.

When working with touch switches, a number of precautions must be followed:

• The devices should be connected 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 terminals.
• If, during the installation of the switch, a wire with many cores was used, 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.

Selection recommendations

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

1. Number of bulbs. There can be up to three of them.
2. The intensity of the device. Some switches have a dimmer that changes the current supplied to the bulbs.
3. Built-in timer. In walk-through models, you can set the off time. When it fires, the light goes out. This option is ideal for corridors and stairwells.
4. Breaker control method. The buyer is guided by this feature based on his own preferences. There are devices that work from the remote control, touch, sound.

After studying the additional functionality, you should choose a 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. Their installation method is the same as for conventional mechanical devices. The main thing is to observe precautions. Breakdowns most often occur due to contact closure. A person who does not have an electrician diploma can cope with this problem.