Can You Use Dimmer Switch on Led Lights
Switching out incandescent low-cal bulbs for LED bulbs is a neat style to cut down on your monthly energy bills. But if you use dimmers in your home, you lot're probable wondering: Do LED lights work on a dimmer?
Well, the answer depends: Yes, LED lights work on a dimmer when:
- You have "dimmable" LED lite bulbs
- You utilise an LED compatible dimmer
Not certain where to start when it comes to identifying the equipment yous already have? Don't worry. We'll walk you through some like shooting fish in a barrel-to-follow steps that will ensure you go the dimming effect you want with the energy-efficient bulbs you need.
Demand a Sarasota electrician to install LED lights with a dimmer that'southward uniform? Just contact us. We're here to assistance.
Step 1: Make sure you have "dimmable" LED lights
Not all LED lights are designed with dimming capabilities. Then the first thing you'll want to do is make sure that y'all invest in "dimmable" LED lights.
Cheque the box or product description beginning to brand sure they're "dimmable" (seen below).
And then what happens if yous apply not-dimmable LEDs on a dimmer? Well, at best the bulb only won't dim properly. At worst, though, you lot might impairment the bulb.
You see, dimmable LEDs have special circuitry inside that allows them to respond to varying current levels or "pulsing" current waves to produce a dimming issue. But not-dimmable LEDs are only designed to be either fully powered ON or OFF, which means the circuitry inside won't be able to handle depression or pulsing electric current levels and volition eventually become damaged.
Pace 2: Observe out if y'all have an LED uniform dimmer
The bad news? It's impossible to tell whether your dimmer works with LED bulbs just by looking at information technology. You'd take to contact the installer or manufacturer to get an accurate respond.
But, if you already have a dimmer installed in your home that originally was using incandescent bulbs, yous most likely accept a "leading border" dimmer that isn't compatible with LED lights (unless your home was built in the last five years or was renovated recently).
Yous see, the 2 virtually common household dimmers include:
- Leading border dimmers- these dimmers were designed to work with incandescent bulbs and most likely won't work well with LED light bulbs. They're the "traditional" and virtually common dimmer found in homes.
- Trailing border dimmers- these are designed specifically to work with LED lights. These dimmers are newer and less mutual than leading border dimmers.
The departure betwixt these two dimmers all comes down to their wattage range. You meet, incandescent bulbs are high-wattage (i.e. they use a lot of free energy) and leading border dimmers are designed to work with loftier-wattage loads. The downside is that LED bulbs are extremely depression-wattage (they use upward very little energy), which means leading edge dimmers can't read or control their circuitry very well.
Abaft border dimmers, on the other mitt, have a much lower wattage range and can read and control LED bulbs easily and effectively.
Don't accept an LED compatible dimmer? Hither'south what to do…
If you have a leading edge dimmer that doesn't work with LED bulbs, yous'll want to contact a professional near installing a trailing edge dimmer.
The cost for installing a trailing edge dimmer usually ranges from $60 to $200 depending on the contractor you lot hire and ease of the installation.
While some homeowners are handy plenty to install a new dimmer switch themselves, we suggest letting an electrician handle the job. This ensures that:
- You're installing a dimmer switch that's truly LED compatible
- The job is washed correctly and safely
Need help from a Sarasota electrician?
We can help. Simply contact united states and we'll ship out an electrician who can inspect your current dimmer setup, brand professional person suggestions and install the correct equipment.
Check out all of the lighting equipment we can help you lot install or check out some of our past lighting installation projects.
- five Tips For A More Energy Efficient Home
- Comparing Dwelling house Lighting Options: Incandescents vs CFLs vs LEDs
- Posted in:
- Tips
Source: https://energytoday.biz/blog/can-you-put-led-lights-on-a-dimmer
0 Response to "Can You Use Dimmer Switch on Led Lights"
Post a Comment