Which LED Dimmer do I need?

Which dimmer for LED do I need?

Have you installed new LED spots or hung your new pendant light? Then it's time for the next step: an LED Dimmer. Not all dimmers are suitable for every type of lamp. Therefore, it is important that before you start installing an LED dimmer, you know what kind 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 blink/flicker, or they cannot be dimmed at all. Furthermore, traditional/halogen dimmers use a different technique than LED dimmers, which means that using traditional dimmers on LED lamps can cause damage to the LED lighting. So always check carefully which lamps you have in your home to purchase the suitable dimmer.

What types of LED dimmers are there?

Generally, there are three types of dimmers to distinguish from each other: LED dimmers, halogen dimmers, and incandescent dimmers. We also sometimes get the question: Are there dimmers for energy-saving lamps? There are no special energy-saving lamp dimmers. This is because energy-saving lamps are almost never dimmable. If a lamp is dimmable, this will be indicated on the lamp or on the packaging. It is important to always check if LED lamps are dimmable, otherwise you cannot 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 all lamps. For this reason, we always recommend an LED dimmer to our customers.Should your halogen or incandescent bulb break and you wish to replace these bulbs with LED, you 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 wattage the dimmer needs to start working. 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 as low as 2 or even 0 Watts. This means that even a few lamps with a low wattage 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 could then connect 5 LED Lamps with a wattage of 5 Watts to it (5 x 5 Watts = 25 Watts).

View all LED Dimmers

Connected Load of LED Dimmer

LED dimmers start from a low wattage. This is very convenient and also ensures that you can dim your LED lamps significantly. The LED dimmer always indicates the maximum wattage it can handle. In the example on the right, you can see 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. In the example on the right, you can see that this dimmer can dim up to 350 Watts of halogen lamps. The dimmer also always lists the voltage and frequency. In the middle of the dimmer, you can see the adjustment screw/trim screw.This allows a dimmer to be further adjusted to dim the LED lamps flawlessly

Adjustment Options for LED Dimmers

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

How do I install a LED Dimmer?

Step 1

The first step in installing a LED Dimmer is to switch off the power, so you can work safely. The power can be switched on and off using the circuit breakers in the meter box. You can switch off the circuit you are working on or turn off the main power completely. Want to check if the power is off? You can do this with a voltage tester.

Step 2

If there is still an old dimmer in the location where the new one is to be installed, it must be removed first. To do this, the switch material must be removed from the wall. Then, the old dimmer can be unscrewed from the flush-mounted box. The final step in removing the old dimmer is to disconnect the installation wire.

Step 3

For a LED dimmer, the only requirements are a (black) switch wire and a (brown) phase wire. Most dimmers feature a convenient click system, which allows the phase and switch wires to be easily connected. Additionally, you will often see a yellow/green wire with many connection cables; this is the earth wire. The earth wire is not necessary when connecting a LED dimmer. Most dimmers do not have a connection for it.

Step 4

After the LED dimmer is supplied with power, it can be screwed onto the (existing) flush-mounted box. This ensures the LED dimmer is securely and safely attached.

Step 5

As mentioned earlier, a dimmer can have various settings. This can be done using the MIN and MAX knob. If the LED dimmer still needs to be adjusted, it is convenient to do this before placing the cover plate.