As you'll see, dimmable LEDs are not all created equal. That lends a lot of credence to manufacturer claims of wide dimmer compatibility - but it's only the start of the story.

Interestingly enough, each and every LED that we tested dimmed with all three dimmers, even the one rated only for incandescent use. As such, your mileage may vary - especially if you're using an older model, or something more high end. Though we aimed for a good representation of what's out there, there are obviously more than three kinds of dimmer switches on the market. We chose an LED-compatible model from Lutron, a similar Leviton switch, and a cheap, $5 triac rotary dial intended for incandescents only. We started with a simple rig using a few common dimmer switches. These rapid-fire swings in voltage create electromagnetic resistance in the bulb, which can cause things to vibrate and buzz. Modern dimmers (the kinds you'll find on the shelf at Lowe's or Home Depot) won't actually raise and lower the voltage for smooth dimming, but will instead flash the power up and down at unnoticeably high speeds to create the illusion of dimming. The most common issue, though, lies with the dimmer itself, and that's where we decided to start. There are lots of things that can cause a light bulb to buzz or flicker when it dims, including things beyond the bulb's control like voltage irregularities, overloaded circuits, and outside interference. In the interest of making your next trip to the lighting aisle a little less exasperating, we put today's LEDs to the test. We've heard plenty of complaints from readers, and also experienced first hand the annoyance of spending money on upgraded lighting, only to discover that these fancy new bulbs can buzz, flicker, and dim erratically. Sure, plenty of today's LEDs are designed with dimmability in mind, but that doesn't guarantee satisfactory performance. If this does not work without problems, sometimes the entire LED technology is demonized as not mature.Living in a home filled with dimmer switches can make the lighting aisle seem more intimidating than it ought to be. However, this is primarily due to the fact that many people simply assume that LED’s can be dimmed just as easily as the old light sources. However, LED technology is much more complex and brings in some challenges.ĭimming of LED lights is one of the most common difficulties when converting to LED lighting.

In the meantime, LED lighting technology has established itself and offers many advantages over the old light sources. These lamps could be easily operated with a dimmer. Old incandescent bulbs and halogen bulbs had an advantage in addition to all their disadvantages.

Which dimmer for led lights