LED lights have been popular for some time because they are incredibly energy efficient when compared to regular incandescent bulbs, and they last a whole lot longer. Even though they are slightly more expensive to purchase, some estimates say you can save as much as $300 each year on your energy bill! While there are quite a few obvious positives to choosing LED lights, before you commit to your purchase you may just want to know: can a dimmer switch be used on LED lights?
Dimmer switches can be used on some LED light bulbs, however, you will need to make sure that the bulbs are labeled as dimmable, and the dimmer has been made specifically for LEDs.
If you want to learn how if your current dimmer switch will work for your LED lights, as well as which is the best LED dimmer switch on the market, and how to ensure you purchase all the correct materials so that your LED lights really do dim, we have all the information you need!
Will My Current Dimmer Work with LEDs?
The most important factor when choosing your dimmer switch is that you want to be sure it will work with your LED lights, as not all switches will. You may first want to find out if the dimmer switch you have can work with the energy-saving LED options.
If you already have a dimmer that you successfully used with old-school incandescent light bulbs, unfortunately, it most likely will not work with new and improved LED lights. Of course, to save some money you can always check your user manual to see if it can work with LEDs, but even if it says it will, if your dimmer was not specifically made for LEDs you will probably experience a lot of flickering, as well as a lower allowance for dimming.
What Is the Best Dimmer For LEDs?
There are a lot of dimmer companies that have followed the trend and decided to create LED compatible switches. But not all dimmers are made the same! It’s important to note that the cheaper options often need to be replaced long before the more legitimate brands.
From our extensive research, we have found that users and experts agree: the best possible dimmer switch for your LEDs is the Luton Diva LED+.
How to Ensure a Dimmer Will Work with LED Bulbs
Once you have your dimmer installed and are ready to purchase the LED lights, remember that even the perfect dimmer won’t work if the bulbs aren’t dimmable! Luckily, it’s really easy to see if your LED lights have dimming compatibility as it will say so right on the box.
You also need to be sure that the wattage allowance of your chosen dimmer will be able too to handle the LED bulbs you select. When choosing the right LED bulbs, you will need to do a little math to figure out how many bulbs are going to be used by the dimmer simultaneously, as well as the maximum allotted wattage for the dimmer, and the required wattage of each bulb!
Once again, all this information will be provided by the dimmer brand for each model and on every light bulb you purchase.
Will LED Lights Dim as Well as Standard Bulbs?
The simple answer is no, LED lights will not dim quite as well as incandescent standard light bulbs. However, as technology continues to advance, so will dimmer switches and we can hope that we will be able to completely dim LED light bulbs in the near future.
For now, as we mentioned, the Luton dimmer brand offers the best options. They claim that your new LED lights will dim to almost the same extent as your previous bulbs.
Realistically, you will still get the same dimming effect, they may just not be able to go as low as regular light bulbs before turning off completely. Most users feel that it is a small price to pay for the significant costs they are saving on light bulbs and on their energy bills.
Final Thoughts
So the answer is thankfully yes, a dimmer switch can absolutely be used on LED lights, providing that the dimmer system is LED compatible and that the LEDs have dimming capabilities.
Now you hopefully understand a little more about how to choose the right dimmer and LED bulbs so that once installed, your dimmer will work perfectly and you can change the mood and lighting of your home with a gentle swish of the switch.
We encourage you to remember that if you had a previous dimmer in your house with incandescent lights, you may notice that the new LED dimming options are slightly less impressive. But it might be a small price to pay for having such energy-efficient, long-lasting bulbs that will still dim!
