What type of dimmers are there

What type of dimmers are there

LED lamps cannot simply be connected to every type of dimmer and dimmers are available in different versions. From built-in wall dimmers to simple cord and floor dimmers. Which type of dimmer fits best with your lighting? We help you in your search for the right dimmer.

Types of dimmers

The most common dimmers can be divided into two types: phase-cutting dimmers and phase-cutting dimmers. Maybe these 2 terms don't tell you anything. Don't worry, we'll explain it below.
  • Phase-cutting dimmers (leading edge): this is a somewhat older and therefore the most famous dimmer. The dimmer is used for halogen and incandescent lamps. These lamps need a minimum wattage to work. Phase-cutting dimmers work by means of a pulse signal and require a minimum load. However, this can result in high voltage peaks that are bad for an LED lamp. LED lights use fewer watts. When you connect LED lights to these dimmers, the LED lights can only dim to low and even start blinking and buzzing. The lifespan of the LED lighting is thereby considerably shortened.
  • Phase-cutting dimmers (trailing edge): this is the newest dimmer. This dimmer gradually transmits more power and is, therefore, better suited for the life of an LED lamp. By dimming your LED lighting with these dimmers, hardly any energy is lost. This dimmer also gets the most out of your LED lamp. Almost all dimmable LED lamps work best on phase-cutting dimmers.
In short: the technology used by the dimmers to dim the light differs: the phase-cutting dimmer does this by allowing the current to pass through several times per second, while the phase-cutting dimmer does this by passing the current several times cut per second.

What type of dimmer

For all dimmers in our webshop, the number of wattages is stated in the specifications. Check the minimum and the maximum number of watts on your dimmable LED lamp and choose a suitable dimmer.

The dimmable LED lamps sell are very modern variants and therefore work better together with phase-cutting dimmers. Dimmers are marked and you can easily recognize them as indicated below on the image of a wall dimmer. The number of volts is shown on the left-hand side of the circle and you can see on the right-hand side what type of dimmer it is.

R stands for resistive (ohmic) loads - Incandescent lamps or 230V halogen
C stands for capacitive loads (phase-cutting) - 12V halogen with electronic transformer
L  stands for inductive loads (phase-cutting) - Dimmable LED lamps
Tip: Always check whether your LED lights are suitable for dimming before you buy a dimmer.

12V lights dim

There are LED lamps that are directly dimmable (230V) and LED lamps that are not immediately dimmable but do have the option of dimming (12V). With this last group, you need a dimmable driver that you place on your power network, between your dimmer and the LED light. This driver converts the 230V of your power network into 12V, suitable for a LED light of 12V. There are 2 types of drivers: AC and DC.
  • AC: This driver uses alternating voltage and therefore does not give exactly 12V, but can be just above or below this. The lamps that you connect to this driver must be able to withstand this.
  • DC: This driver delivers constant current and therefore ensures a constant current of 12V for the connected lights. All LED spots can, therefore, be connected to this driver.

Cover frames for wall dimmers

You have the choice to choose a dimmer including a cover frame, but you can also choose to purchase a separate wall dimmer. That way you can reuse your own cover frame, which is the same as the other cover frames in your home.
Click here for more about LED lights.

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