What type of dimmer

There can be a sudden jump or drop in brightness when adjusting one of these dimmers. Because of this, special dimmer switches are often required to change the brightness of these lights.

That being said, not all LED lights are dimmer-compatible. From the above, it is obvious that dimmer switches are not one-size-fits-all devices. Each lighting source and load requires special consideration when choosing what switches to use. The experts at 4-Star Electric can help you determine exactly what is the safest and most efficient choice for your lighting set-up.

To get started, contact us for a consultation today! Like this, a fixture with three 50 W bulbs has a total wattage of W 3 bulbs x 50 watts. You can use a W dimmer or bigger in this case. You calculate it the same way. Say you have six 50 W lights in a room, but they are split, there are 3 lights per dimmer. With a wide array of control options, styles, and colors, you can choose from hundreds of stand-alone dimmers.

With so many styles of dimmers to choose from, you are very likely to find one that fits your needs. Rotary dimmers are classic, you adjust the lighting level with a rotating knob. Toggle dimmer switch up and down like a normal switch, but the level of light returns automatically to the last level that was set.

Some tap levels have LED lights that indicate the current light level. Determine the number of switches that control the light group. If only one switch controls the light, purchase a single-pole dimmer. If two switches control a single light or a group of lights, you will need a 3-way dimmer. Then look at the bulb type you are going to be using and pick the right type of dimmer. Note that they also have a minimum load requirement of 25w, 40w, w and w respectively.

Trailing edge dimmers are more expensive to produce and purchase. They incorporate many features such as soft start; smooth control, silent running and multi-way dimming that promotes the life of the lamps and fittings. They are commonly used to dim laminated, wire-wound or toroidal transformers, which are certain types of low voltage transformers on the primary circuit. Trailing edge dimmers can also dim incandescent, halogen and LED lamps effectively.

The price of a trailing edge dimmer is higher but it has many desirable attributes over its leading edge counterpart and in certain situations may be more appropriate. They are located on the secondary side of a low voltage or LED lighting scheme. They are rated in VA Volt Amps rather than watts and have already been over rated to deal with the rush of current from the transformers, as Sye Yehya explains.

Oh no. In this instance, it would be able to take 4 x 10W LED light bulbs or less, providing that the minimum wattage is still met. This is a fairly common problem when people remove their old incandescent light bulbs and simply replace them with LED equivalents. Imagine you have two 60W filament light bulbs paired with a leading-edge dimmer that has a minimum load of 25W and a maximum load of W. Now imagine that you decide you want to improve the efficiency of your home and invest in some sexy new LED light bulbs.

These clock in at just 6W apiece and will absolutely eviscerate your lighting bill — result. A low wattage trailing edge dimmer of course! Remember to do this before assessing where your light bulb sits in terms of its wattage. Sometimes, you do all you can and the world still just wants to watch you struggle. This bestows a number of their most laudable benefits, but it also means they require an electronic driver to convert the voltage they receive from the mains.

This is why most manufacturers will normally provide a list of compatible dimmer switches that have been tried, tested and certified for use with their LED light bulbs. This is by far the easiest bit. For the most part, we would recommend our Varilight range of dimmer switches. Ensure that all your light bulbs are of the same type and from the same manufacturer.

This ensures that all the drivers in the circuit are made by the same people and therefore remain mutually compatible throughout. This removes the need for external transformers and minimises the risk of compatibility issues here also. As above, if ALL of your light bulbs are made by Philips but require a third-party transformer to convert their voltage, it also needs to be compatible. Dimming LED light bulbs CAN certainly be tricky, but when done properly the benefits are endless, from the improved efficiency and longevity of the light bulbs to smooth, silent dimming that looks infinitely better than its incandescent equivalent.

If I use dimmable bulbs is there a way to still dim the lights? If the light fixture has a transformer in it, such as a 12V transformer designed for MR16 light bulbs, then this would need to be dimmer compatible too. Does it really have to do with the fixture or the bulbs they are including? I realize that I would have to have a compatible dimmer.