Help! Can you change a dimmer to a potentiometer?

[TheGoldenBear]

hello. its my first time posting here. but is it possible to change a light dimmer to a potentiometer? i want to attach it to my small electric motor. i am only going to use a 1.5v battery. is it possible? i dont want to buy a new potentiometer because i thought a dimmer and it was the same. thank you in advanced.

 

[TheGoldenBear]

here are some pictures when i opened the dimmer

 

[Knobhead]

The short answer is no. Sorry.

 

[Top Cat]

Hi and welcome

Mains voltage light switch, potentiometer attached to an electric motor with a 1.5 V battery?????

The obvious question is why?

My answer, don't do it. Sounds like you are on a death wish!

 

[TheGoldenBear]

Its doesnt have a light switch. Its just a potentiometer attached to a electric motor and a 1.5v battery. But thanks for your help.

 

[ackbarthestar]

The potentiometer controls the gate voltage to the Thyristor or more likely a triac.
The timing of the gate voltage controls the amount of ac waveform that flows through the input to output.
So when the potentiometer set at maximum output, the waveform is a full ac cycle and at minimum level the ac waveform is chopped down to a pulse. This changes the power output since only a part of the waveform gets through.

note: A Thyristor only allows the positive half cycle through the device and a Triac allows the full ac waveform through.

So don't use the potentiometer on its own otherwise it will have to carry the full current of the load and is likely to burn out. There are devices you could use but these will need to be rated for the load and are likely to generate heat, which is not what you want in the back of your switch plate.

 

[spark 68]

Have a look at this, under DC motor controllers, this more what you are looking for.

DC/AC Motor Speed Controllers; Servo/Bipolar/Unipolar/Stepper Drivers

and

http://www.aaroncake.net/circuits/motorcon.asp

230V dimmers only work on AC due to having triacs as the control element

 

[Top Cat]

Its doesnt have a light switch. Its just a potentiometer attached to a electric motor and a 1.5v battery. But thanks for your help.

Sorry, misread the post!

 

[TheGoldenBear]

Thank you for all your replies.