

This factor is not that relevant these days as most people have LEDs in their homes that consume very little power but for those who still use incandescent bulbs, checking the maximum power rating assumes importance.Īfter all, you wouldn’t want the switch that you are buying can’t even support the light, right? Aesthetics You will want that your dimmer outlet is compatible with your home ecosystem, for example, Samsung SmartThings, etc. Therefore, when you purchase a dimmer plug for lamps or other LEDs, you need to factor this in.Īnother compatibility aspect comes into the picture if you already have a smart hub/bridge at home. These smart devices work on a specific protocol, i.e., Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, etc.
PLUG IN DIMMER FOR LED LIGHTS INSTALL
Therefore, I always recommend products that are not too difficult to install for DIY replacement. Even if you are a beginner, you can do it quickly. Ease of InstallationĬhanging traditional plugs with smart light dimmer plugs is mostly a DIY project. Some of these factors may not be pertinent to you, but I am still listing them below. In my experience, considering these factors will help you choose the right product. How I Compiled A List of The Best Plug In Dimmer Switches So without further ado, let’s dive deep into the heart of the matter.

And during this period, I have tested almost all the products out there in the market for my job. Over the last half a decade, I have helped more than 200 clients realize their dream of calling a house their true home. I believe in making spaces beautiful and contemporary with the times. In the end, I will wrap up the article by mentioning about my personal favourite product.īut if you are new here, let me tell you a bit about myself and why I can give your trustworthy advice on these devices. I will also cover the factors that I considered while compiling this list.

However, in this article, I will cover the top light dimmer plugs available in the market. One of them happens to be plug in dimmer switches that help you control the intensity of those lights that need to be plugged into a socket, for example, bedside lamps. And in that article, I briefly mentioned the different types of dimmer switches. It is worth mentioning at this point that all manufacturers state that their LED light bulbs are designed to be compatible with the majority of common household dimmer switches but they cannot 100% guarantee that they work with them all as there are so many makes and models on the market today.Some time ago, I did an article on whether you can put a dimmer switch on any light. As an example – if you have a dimmer switch with a maximum rating of 400W (rule of thumb translates to 40W) you can run five 7.1W dimmable LED light bulbs (see example below for further explanation). A good rule of thumb to apply – one that is used by most manufacturers – is to take the maximum rating of the dimmer switch and divide by 10 (or in other words use 10% of the max. Unfortunately LED loading cannot be calculated the same way as a traditional incandescent or a mains halogen light bulb. How Many Light Bulbs Can Be Used With A Dimmer?Īll dimmer switches have a minimum and maximum rating (Watts). Predominantly used with incandescent or mains halogen light bulbs, leading-edge dimmers are compatible with resistive or inductive loads and can reduce the load by shortening the cycle at the leading edge of the input waveform. This increases the amount of heat dissipated since the resistive period generates heat. Trailing edge dimmers are designed to fade the voltage to zero rather than switch it abruptly off, by applying resistance to create a ramp. How Do Trailing-Edge And Leading Edge Dimmers Work? Trailing-Edge For a more comprehensive rundown of dimming and dimmer switches in general, check out our Dimming for Dummies guide. Trailing edge dimmers are slightly more complicated and more expensive than the ‘leading-edge’ versions but they have many more desirable features such as smooth control, silent running, soft start and multi-way dimming that greatly enhance the life of the LED light bulbs. Manufacturers have designed their LED light bulbs to be compatible with the majority of common ‘trailing edge’ household dimmers. They do this by trimming a section of a waveform, either on the leading edge or trailing edge of the wave. Dimmer Switches work by reducing the power delivered to your light bulb.
