Can You Put Led Lights On A Dimmer Switch

Then place the leads of a voltage tester between each screw terminal and the metal box.

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. 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. If the tester lights the box is grounded. 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.

Here s how we d describe some of those symptoms. 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. Some dimmers are universal and will work for both single pole and three way circuits but read the packaging to be sure. The bottom line is compatibility.

You will need a three way dimmer and a three way switch. Test it again for a ground. With a three way dimmer you can control a light with two switches. It s a common misconception that any led dimmer can be paired with any dimmable led light bulb.

With a standard single pole dimmer a single switch controls the light. Contrary to popular belief it is possible to put a dimmer switch on led lights without the help of a professional. 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.

A common issue with led dimmability is sudden turn on or turn off when you try to adjust light levels with your dimmer switch. 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. When purchasing your new dimmer switch you ll need to know whether the lighting circuit is a single pole lights controlled from one location or a three way lights controlled from two locations.

If only one switch controls the light purchase a single pole dimmer. Or your led lamps may simply flicker or flash when paired with certain dimmer switches. Or you may have dead areas as you slide your dimmer switch. 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.

This lets you dim from one location and turn the lights on and off from another. For example a 600 watt incandescent dimmer can support up to eight 75 watt bulbs.