Can you use a regular dimmer switch on LED lights?

Can you use a regular dimmer switch on LED lights?

Switching out incandescent light bulbs for LED bulbs is a great way to cut down on your monthly energy bills. Well, the answer depends: Yes, LED lights work on a dimmer when: You have “dimmable” LED light bulbs. You use an LED compatible dimmer.

How do you make LED lights dimmable?

Simply connect the two output wires from the power supply to the dimmer unit, and then the two input wires from the LED strip. The dimmer simply acts like a valve, and the power supply unit will automatically provide the rated current and voltage to depending on the dimmer’s knob position.

Do you need a special dimmer for LEDs?

Yes most LED lamps will require at least a modern triac incandescent dimmer to eliminate flicker and buzzing. Old potentiometer style dimmers will not be optimal for LED. Other LEDs. May require MLV (magnetic low voltage) or ELV (electronic low voltage) dimmers.

How do I lower the brightness of my LED?

Here you can find out what you can do against LED lights that are too bright and dazzling.

1. Use a dimmer. Many light sources are only too bright in certain situations.
2. Use resistors.
3. Use a diffuser foil.

Why are my LED lights dim?

LED bulbs can lose their brightness due to premature aging, bad internal components like a capacitor or LED arrays, or the common cause of loose wiring. Heavy load appliances on the circuit can also cause that LED lights are dim.

Can a standard dimmer be used with an LED light?

Use an LED Dimmer switch A standard dimmer switch cannot be used with an LED light as you will never be able to dim the LED light either completely or not very well. LED lights need their own special electronic dimmer switch to have a fully functioning and dimming light.

What happens if you dim a LED light bulb?

If you install a non – dimming LED bulb in a circuit with a dimming switch, it will likely operate normally if the dimmer is at its 100% or fully on. Dimming the bulb, will likely cause erratic behavior such as flickering or buzzing and ultimately may cause damage to the bulb.

Which is the best type of dimmer switch?

Electronic dimmer switch are ideal as they tend to be more universal and are suitable for all bulb types such as incandescent, halogen and LED lights.

Can a TRIAC dimmer switch work on an LED light?

For a LED driver to work with a TRIAC type dimming switch it needs to be an AC Phase Cut Dimming type LED driver. This means that the LED driver has built in circuitry that can detect the AC being ‘chopped’ and dim the LED light accordingly.