Can You Put Led Lights On A Dimmer Switch

Led light bulbs can be used in light fixtures controlled by dimmer switches but you may well find that traditional dimmers may not work or may work inadequately with some led bulbs.

Can you put led lights on a dimmer switch.

A common issue with led dimmability is sudden turn on or turn off when you try to adjust light levels with your dimmer switch. With a standard single pole dimmer a single switch controls the light. 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 dimming the bulb will likely cause erratic behavior such as flickering or buzzing and ultimately may cause damage to the bulb. Contrary to popular belief it is possible to put a dimmer switch on led lights without the help of a professional.

If testing reveals your box isn t grounded you can still install the dimmer but you must use a plastic cover plate and make sure no bare metal parts are exposed. Or you may have dead areas as you slide your dimmer switch. Then place the leads of a voltage tester between each screw terminal and the metal box. It s a common misconception that any led dimmer can be paired with any dimmable led light bulb.

Or your led lamps may simply flicker or flash when paired with certain dimmer switches. How to know if your bulbs and dimmer are compatible. This means that the led driver has built in circuitry that can detect the ac being chopped and dim the led light accordingly. Here s how we d describe some of those symptoms.

For example a 600 watt incandescent dimmer can support up to eight 75 watt bulbs. If only one switch controls the light purchase a single pole dimmer. Led and fluorescent dimming works a little differently. If you have a leading edge dimmer that doesn t work with led bulbs you ll want to contact a professional about installing a trailing edge dimmer.

With a three way dimmer you can control a light with two switches. Some dimmers are universal and will work for both single pole and three way circuits but read the packaging to be sure. If you try to use a dimmer switch with a standard non dimmable led driver then the lights will go off or may start to flicker. The cost for installing a trailing edge dimmer usually ranges from 60 to 200 depending on the contractor you hire and ease of the installation.

Test it again for a ground. The bottom line is compatibility. You will need a three way dimmer and a three way switch. This lets you dim from one location and turn the lights on and off from another.

However you need to familiarize yourself with ways to safely install a dimmer switch to ensure that it adheres to the national electrical code requirements. Turn the power back on.