LED lights create mood. In kitchens, around home theater systems, in hallways, and in other household hot-spots, LEDs are an easy way to add warmth and glow while maximizing space.
There are a few things you should know about dimmable LED bulbs though before installing dimmable lights in your home.
How Do Dimmable LED Lights Work?
Dimmable LED lights through one of two methods – analog or Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). Analog works by increasing or decreasing the current. It is a fairly straightforward way of dimming.
Years ago, incandescent lights were the most popular kind of bulb. Incandescent dictates brightness according to brightness. LED lights, by comparison, use a cycle of on-and-off. By the millisecond, LEDs are constantly turning on-and-off. Using a PWM method, it works by an adjustment on the frequency of on-and-off.
What Causes Dimmable LED Lights to Flicker?
One of the most common complaints around LED light bulbs that dim is flickering. This is not because of the bulb.
Flickering comes from the dimmer switch which has a minimum compatible load. If it’s designed for older bulbs with a higher wattage, the minimum load is high. A low-energy LED bulb might not meet the minimum load requirement. This is where you run into flickering issues. The solution is changing the mode on the dimmer switch or resetting it.
How to Install Dimmable LED Lights
How to install dimmable LED lights requires a compatible dimmer switch. If your dimmer switch previously matched with a halogen or incandescent bulb, chances are it isn’t LED-compatible. Avoid the issues that accompany an incompatible dimmer switch by purchasing a new one.
Before buying a dimmer switch, ensure you know how many bulbs it will be powering. It is recommended that the total wattage of all bulbs isn’t above 80 percent of the transformer’s wattage.
Other than these two things to watch for, installing dimmable LED lights is relatively easy and straightforward.
Why Dimmable LED Lights Are Better for Homes Everywhere
If you haven’t already made the switch to LED lights, doing so cuts down on energy use relating to lights by 90 percent. You not only save money here but LED bulbs last up to 20 times longer compared to older-style incandescent bulbs. No more buzzing. No more constant bulb replacements.
Dimmable LED lights give you more control over the vibe in a given room. Turn down the brightness, when you want a more romantic, intimate, or relaxing atmosphere. In areas where you’re focused on creating mood – such as living spaces, accent lighting, and in bedrooms – dimmable LED lights work. Add them to your home today with Living.ca.
Photo by Hutomo Abrianto on Unsplash
