Which LED dimmer do I need?

Which LED dimmer do I need?

Have you installed new LED spots or hung your new pendant light? Then it is time for the next step: an LED dimmer. Not all dimmers are suitable for every type of lamp. Therefore, before you start installing an LED dimmer, it is important to know what type of lamp you have. First of all, it is important to know that you need an LED dimmer for LED lamps. You cannot use a traditional/incandescent dimmer to dim LED lamps. With traditional dimmers, LED lamps cannot be dimmed very far, they will start to flicker, or they cannot be dimmed at all. Furthermore, traditional/halogen dimmers use a different technology than LED dimmers; consequently, using traditional dimmers with LED lamps can damage the LED lighting. Therefore, always check carefully which lamps you have in your home to purchase the appropriate dimmer.

What types of LED dimmers are available?

Generally, three types of dimmers can be distinguished: LED dimmers, halogen dimmers, and incandescent dimmers. We are also occasionally asked: Are there dimmers for energy-saving bulbs? There are no special energy-saving bulb dimmers. This is because energy-saving bulbs are almost never dimmable. If a bulb is dimmable, this is stated on the bulb or on the packaging. It is important to always check whether LED lamps are dimmable, otherwise you will not be able to use an LED dimmer. The dimmability of LED lamps is always stated on our website and on the packaging. If lamps are not dimmable, you cannot dim them with an LED dimmer.

LED Dimmers

The majority of LED dimmers are universal; this means you can connect them to almost any lamp. For this reason, we always recommend an LED dimmer to our customers.If your halogen or incandescent bulb breaks and you want to replace these lights with LED, you might already have the right dimmer at home. The biggest difference between LED dimmers and traditional dimmers is the minimum wattage the dimmer can handle. The minimum wattage is the power the dimmer needs to function. If you are below this wattage, the dimmer will not work and you will not be able to dim your LED lamps. Many traditional dimmers have a minimum wattage of 50 Watts, while an LED lamp often uses only 4 Watts. LED dimmers have a much lower minimum wattage, often starting at 2 or even 0 Watts. This means that even a few low-wattage lamps can be connected. It is important that you connect the correct wattage to the dimmer. By adding up the wattages of the lamps you want to connect to the dimmer, you will know if it is suitable.For example, do you have an LED dimmer with a minimum wattage of 2 Watts and a maximum wattage of 100 Watts? You can then connect, for example, 5 LED lamps with a wattage of 5 Watts to this (5 x 5 Watts = 25 Watts).

View all LED dimmers

Connected Load LED Dimmer

LED dimmers start from a low wattage. This is very convenient and also ensures that you can dim your LED lamps to a very low level. The maximum wattage that the dimmer can handle is always indicated on the LED dimmer. The example on the right shows that this dimmer has a minimum wattage of 2 Watts and a maximum wattage of 200 Watts. LED dimmers sometimes also indicate the halogen/general wattage. This is the wattage of halogen lamps that the LED dimmer can dim. This wattage is often higher than the wattage for LED lamps. The example on the right shows that this dimmer can dim up to 350 Watts of halogen lamps. The voltage and frequency are also always stated on the dimmer. The adjustment screw/trim screw can be seen in the middle of the dimmer.This allows a dimmer to be adjusted additionally in order to dim the LED lamps flawlessly

LED Dimmer Adjustment Options

To dim an LED lamp in a pleasant way, it is important that the LED dimmer has good adjustment options. An LED dimmer must at least have a MIN adjustment. This is often a rotary knob on the dimmer that you can adjust with a screwdriver. The MIN button allows the minimum level of an LED lamp to be stabilized. This allows you to dim the LED lamp even further. It can also happen that LED lamps start to flicker when they are at maximum intensity. For this reason, some dimmers have a MAX button. With this button you can adjust the LED lighting in the highest setting.

How do I install an LED Dimmer?

Step 1

The first step in installing an LED dimmer is to turn off the power supply, ensuring you can work safely. The power can be turned on and off using the switches in the fuse box. You can switch off the specific circuit you are working on or shut off the main power entirely. Would you like to check if the power is off? You can do this using a voltage tester.

Step 2

If an old dimmer is still installed in the location where the new one needs to go, it must be removed first. To do this, remove the wall plate and mechanism from the wall. Next, unscrew the old dimmer from the flush-mounted box. The final step in removing the old dimmer is disconnecting the electrical wiring.

Step 3

For an LED dimmer, the only requirements are a (black) switch wire and a (brown) phase wire. Most dimmers feature a convenient click system, allowing the phase and switch wires to be connected easily. Furthermore, many connection cables also include a yellow/green wire; this is the earth wire. The earth wire is not required when connecting an LED dimmer. Most dimmers do not have a connection point for this either.

Step 4

Once the LED dimmer is powered, it can be screwed onto the (current) flush-mounted box. This ensures the LED dimmer is securely and safely installed.

Step 5

As mentioned earlier, a dimmer can have various settings. This can be adjusted using the MIN and MAX buttons. If the LED dimmer still needs to be configured, it is recommended to do this before attaching the cover plate.Once you have properly adjusted the dimmer, you can mount the rotary knob. Don't have a rotary knob yet? No problem! At our store, you will find a wide range of switching materials.