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 i use non dimmable led light bulbs.
The short answer to this question is.
So the first thing you ll want to do is make sure that you invest in dimmable led lights.
Yes you can use dimmable leds without a dimmer switch just like normal light bulbs.
It is that a non dimmable electrical light should never be used with dimmer switches.
Well at best the bulb just won t dim properly.
Check the box or product description first to make sure they re dimmable seen below.
At worst though you might damage the bulb.
Yes you heard it right one should never use normal light bulbs with dimmer switches because if you do so the light will not perform well it may appear fine in the beginning but with time you will start noticing the difference in the intensity of 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 on.
If you must do this keeping the bulb at full power works best.
Matching old and new.
Historically dimmable leds have been much more expensive to manufacture than their non dimmable counterparts.
So what happens if you use non dimmable leds on a dimmer.
As led bulb internal electronics became more advanced dimming became possible and ultimately we are at the point today where dimming is essentially a no cost or low cost adder to most led bulb types.
The bottom line is compatibility.
Dimmed lights mean a reduction in energy consumption and the best part is that you can use dimmable led lamps within a non dimmable circuit.
It should be noted that non dimmable lamps are not designed to work in a dimmable circuit as both lamp and circuit may get damaged.
This is because when led light bulbs were first released it was uncommon for them to be dimmable.
Some led bulbs are designed for use with standard dimmer switches while others are not.
Integral lamps are clearly marked as dimmable or non dimmable on the packaging and on the lamp.
This is handy to know because many retailers are reducing the number of non dimmable led bulbs that they stock.
You can use a dimmable led lamp in a non dimmable circuit.