LED lights are becoming more and more popular in homes and businesses around the world. One of the benefits of LED lighting is that they are dimming/”>dimmable. This means that you can adjust the brightness of the light to create the perfect ambiance for your space.
Here’s what you need to know to get started towards choosing the right dimmable LED lights.
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All LED is dimmable and it’s one of the many reasons to use LED and leave more traditional sources of light.
However, be careful as not all LED light fixtures are dimmable, we’ll show you what to look out for below.
Buy quality branded dimmable LED bulbs for a good dimming action. Not all LED bulbs are dimmable so if you connect one that is non dimmable to a dimmer switch it will flash or just turn off.
So what lights should you look for if you want to dim them?
Learning how to dim lights is a great way to save energy and set the mood in your home. If you want to dim your lights then you will need to add a device called a dimmer to your lighting circuit and ensure that all the equipment including the lights themselves are dimmable.
However, if you are stuck and cannot go to such lengths then there are ways to learn how to dim lights without a dimmer.
If you want to dim your LED lights, you’ll need a few things.
A dimmer is a device that is used to lower the brightness of a light.
A dimmer switch is usually installed in place of a standard light switch and can be used to control both incandescent, fluorescent, halogen and LED lights but not universally.
You need a specific style of dimmer switch for LED lights as standard wall dimmers are just not designed to work with the lighter loadings of LED lights.
If you need to purchase a new dimmer switch there are several options to choose from.
The best dimmer switch for LED will state that it is specifically designed to work with them, go for brands such as Lutron and Phillips for good results.
While it is possible to use an incandescent dimmer with LED lights, it is not recommended.
An incandescent dimmer module is designed for higher wattages of loading, typically 250W-400W as standard. If you are using LED lights the combined load of the LEDs is so much smaller that the signal being interupted to reduce the current is too heavy handed and consequently causes problems:
It is best to purchase a special LED dimmer switch that is designed to work with LED lights. This will ensure that you have the best possible experience when dimming your LEDs.
The compatibility between a LED and dimmer needs to work for good results, incompatibility is a common problem with LED Lighting.
Whichever type of LED source you use, you need to make sure it uses a power supply that is dimmable. The specification will say something like, mains dimmable, 1-10V dimmable, phase dimmable, Casambi dimming or DALI.
If classed as dimmable it would then depend on the light fittings compatibility with the dimmer switch.
Now that we’ve answered some of the most common questions about if you can dim LED lights, let’s move on to the steps you need to follow in order to dim your LEDs safely and effectively with our How to Dim Lights: 7 Steps to Successful Dimming
For even more tips on successful dimming, check out How to Dim LED Strip Lights
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