We have been using light switches for a long time and this is the reason why the mechanism of switches is changing and developing day by day. Today we are having a variety of switches that are making our life easier and faster. To aware you of all these switches we have curated a list of them which contains almost all the details about different switches and their usage.
1. Toggle Light Switch
Toggle switches are the first things that come to your mind when talking about electric light switches. These are the most common types of switches that most people prefer in their homes and in every room. They are easy to install and even easier to figure out how these switches work. Well, it is no rocket science and you surely have been playing with these switches since childhood, so you know that toggle up means lights on and toggle down means light off.
There are other types of switches for different purposes, however, for simple lighting, toggle switches work best. If you want to make it stylish and class it up, then we suggest you choose a copper light switch for the toggle. Copper switches will provide a rustic look and it is the best choice for metal because, after silver, it is the highest conductor of electricity. It is affordable and the power cut or fuse damage will be reduced.
Another feature of these toggle switches is they are smart switches due to the advancement of technology. These days, you can find toggle switches that are smartphone compatible. You can connect your smartphone with the switch, and then you can switch on the lights without getting up. You can even set the timer, and the lights will turn on automatically. If this is too complicated for you then you can simply go for standard switches.
2. Proximity Light Switch
These light switches are very energy efficient. They have an auto mode, which has a sensor attached to it. So, when a person walks into the room, the light and fans turn on automatically, and as soon as the person walks out of the room, the lights and fans turn off. So, it is okay if you forget to turn off the lights or fans while exiting the room.
This makes things much easier because not only it saves energy, but it also saves from the struggle of searching for the light switch in the dark. Unknowingly, you will end up saving money every month because of the reduced electricity bill.
Admittedly, these switches are a bit expensive due to the inbuilt automatic sensor. And you might not like the idea of entering your bedroom with a full flash of light, so, you can put these light switches in selective rooms such as the living room or your study, where you might need more light for working and reading purposes.
3. Push Light Switch
These are another popular type of light switches that people choose to have in their homes. People usually prefer these switches in the area where they can be used for multi-purposes. For instance, in the kitchen, people prefer to turn on the chimney along with an induction cooker, or in bathrooms where people prefer light and exhaust fans to turn on together. For these instances, people use push light switches because they can handle the pressure of two electrical appliances.
There are some varieties of models available for these switches. For instance, there are some models where you press the button and it will stay recessed until you press it back, like the standard fan stitches at your home. While in some models, you press the button once and it automatically comes back to the original position, like the switches for the doorbell.
You can again opt for a copper light switch because as mentioned earlier that it is the highest conductor of electricity, then it will be beneficial for multipurpose.
To make it a bit interesting, the new and modern models for these switches have LEDs installed inside of them which turns on when the light is turned on. This can also come in handy as you can easily find out the damage situation of the switch. If the LED does not turn on, then it can mean the switch is damaged, if the LED turns on but the light doesn’t, then it’s time to change the bulb.
4. Selector Light Switch
Selector light switches are very common when you want to have different modes in electrical fixtures and other appliances. Usually, these switches are used in fans, because they allow you to control the speed of your fan.
Coming to light fixtures, these selectors help in switching different modes, most commonly used when the fixtures have colour modes. While rotating the selector, you can change the colour of the lights.
These lights too come in a variety of models. Some models have switches that rotate, while some models have multiple small-sized pressed buttons with different modes. It totally depends on your choice and the interior of your house as to which model to go for.
5. Dimmer Light Switch
You may notice that sometimes you wish for simmer light or lights for a particular mood. Well, dimmer light switches are just for you. With the help of these switches, you can adjust the brightness of the lights depending on your mood. For the younger generation, these light switches are becoming very popular, especially for the hopeless romantic ones. These lights can be adjusted for every occasion, dimmer for date night, full brightness for reading, least bright for movie nights, soothing light for relaxation, and many more.
These light switches can be a bit expensive, however, the more expensive, the more durable the switches are. They also come along with some accessories such as a rotation switch to control the brightness (just like the volume control on the speaker). They also come with remote control from which you can manage different modes of lights and also select particular lights to turn on or off.
Along with that, artificial intelligence has also entered the lighting world. So you can connect the lights and switches to your smartphones. These switches are even compatible with Alexa and Google Home, so you can turn the light on or off, or set modes or adjust the brightness with a simple voice command without getting up.
