Do You Need Special Light Bulbs For Dimmer Switches

Any fluorescent light bulb including the new curly bulbs.

Do you need special light bulbs for dimmer switches.

It is that a non dimmable electrical light should never be used with dimmer switches. 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 are using what most of us think of as a normal light bulb what is called an incandescent bulb you do not need special bulbs. If you d like your led to be dimmable you need to do one of two things.

For full range high efficiency dimming you would need. The specific dimmer compatibility information will always be with the bulbs rather than with the dimmer. For example if your fixture has 10 60 watt bulbs you ll need a dimmer with a 600 watt max but if your fixture only has five 60 watt bulbs then a 300 watt max switch will work. Some led bulbs are designed for use with standard.

If you already have light bulbs and are looking for a dimmer switch find the product page for the bulbs and check the pdf for a list of compatible dimmers to choose from. Additionally check the load rating if you have a fixture with several bulbs you ll need to make sure the dimmer can handle that load. If you are buying compact fluorescent light bulbs cfls you would need to select a bulb labled as dimmable even dimmable cfls are not capable of full range dimming fully bright to very dim. 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.

However new energy efficient light bulbs can be a bit testy when being placed on dimmers. Posted by sales team on aug 19 2016 while most led bulbs are now dimmable not all of them are and not all of them dim in the same manner since leds consume such a low wattage many types of dimmers do not function with led in the same way that they do with high wattage load incandescents. If anything you should be looking for the most inexpensive available dimmers since you won t need any more. Do i need a special dimmer switch for led light bulbs.

In fact running a light bulb at a lower voltage can actually increase its lifespan. The bottom line is compatibility. Leds have advanced in convenience and popularity to such a degree that most led bulbs and led fixture s are now dimmable. Being dimmable is one thing but knowing what dimming switch works with your particular led is the most important part of the discussion.

This is because bulbs will only burn out if you go over their voltage not if you stay under it.