Which dimmer should be used in combination with LED lighting?

To create the ideal atmosphere in your home, it is convenient to be able to dim LED lamps. This requires a special LED dimmer. LED lamps can often not be used in combination with a 'normal' dimmer. When connecting an LED lamp to a 'normal' dimmer, the lamp may start to blink, buzz or vibrate. In fact, the bulb may even break down. This is because the electronics in an LED bulb work differently than a regular traditional halogen or incandescent bulb.

LED bulbs operate on the same voltage as traditional incandescent bulbs, namely 230-240 volts. However, the light source of an LED bulb operates at a much lower voltage. To reduce the voltage, the base of the bulb contains a "driver." The driver is a small circuit board whose function is to transform the voltage. These come in both dimmable and non-dimmable versions, however, the distinction cannot be seen when mounted in a lamp. The construction of this circuit board determines the dimmability of the lamp. Therefore, when buying a lamp, always pay attention to the symbols below:

Dimmable	Not dimmable

What is the best way to dim my Calex lamp?

The question of how best to dim our Calex bulbs often comes up. The proper dimming of an LED lamp can sometimes be more complicated than it seems. For example, after connecting, it appears that the lamp starts to blink. LED dimmers are available in different designs. When switching from traditional lighting to LED lighting, it is important to use a suitable dimmer for LED lighting.

Basically, there are 2 types of LED dimmers. The phase cut dimmer and the phase cut dimmer. Below we briefly explain the technology of these dimmers. There are also several features to consider when buying a dimmer.

Leading edge dimmer

The first type of LED dimmer is a leading edge dimmer. The leading edge dimmer is a somewhat older model of dimmer. It works by shutting off the power supply with short pulses. Actually, the lamp goes on and off very quickly. However, we do not see this and experience this as dimmed light. The problem with the cut-on is that it happens at the beginning of an energy wave causing a sudden turn-on, also called an energy spike. The driver in the lamp may not be able to handle this and therefore will not dim as well. This technique is commonly used with the cheaper DIY dimmers.

Trailing edge dimmer

The second type of LED dimmer is called a trailing edge dimmer. This is the best choice for dimming LED lamps. These dimmers are slightly more expensive and much newer. With this type, not the beginning of an energy wave is cut off, but rather the end of the energy wave. Result: no energy spike. This technique is ideally suited for dimming LED.

Characteristics

With energy efficient LED lighting, wattage plays a role because the wattages are much lower than with traditional lighting sources. It is important, when buying a dimmer, to look carefully at the minimum load. This is listed in the specifications. For example, a dimmer with a minimum load of 5 watts works perfectly with LED lighting.

What dimmer can I use to dim LED?

Calex dimmer

Especially to dim led lamps perfectly, we have designed our own dimmer that communicates very well with our led lamps. The Calex dimmer is a phase cut dimmer and thus works optimally with LED lamps. It is a recessed dimmer with rotary knob which makes it easy to set the lamps. There are 4 different channels that can be set by default so that the lamps are immediately on the right dimming position. Curious? Check out our dimmer here.