Dimmers and LED bulbs

[rinso]

When I swap my incandescent light bulbs for LED ones that indicate they are dimmable, I find that they either don't dim very much, or that they flicker. I have even changed the dimmer light switch to ones that also indicate they are compatible with LED bulbs. Is my experience common, or could I be doing something wrong.

 

[whitewhiskers]

check bulb compatibility

The manufacturer of your dimmer may have an LED Compatibility Tool that lists all compatible LED bulbs for a specific dimmer model. I know this is the case for Lutron. If your LED bulbs aren't working correctly, then there's most likely a mismatch.

https://www.lutron.com/en-US/Pages/LEDCompatibilityTool/Compatibility.aspx

 

[DADoES]

 
A given brand of dimmer switch may not be fully compatible with a given type/brand of dimmable LED bulb.

I have dimmables only in the dining room.  They work full-range (photo exposure is kinda wonky between full and dim).  I may have changed the original switch (standard off/on toggle? rotary dimmer?) years before changing to LED bulbs.

 

[givemehotwater]

Unfortunately...

You are not going to experience dimming with the new LED Bulbs that you had with Conventional Incandescent and Halogen.

There is no such thing as Soft Warm Candle-Like Light Anymore. Just a lower volume, of bluish, white light. The color remains the same. This is what happens when you decide to replace light with a Computer Chip and artificial light diodes.

While another member mentioned a workaround, which is to check compatibility and replace them with a different brand.

I decided that the cost savings, which are truly minimal were not worth the look / and lack of sophistication I wanted. It's up to YOU, to decide what you really want.

I will say it all day though. Nothing Dims or Provides Better Light than a Tugsten-Based Incandescent or Halogen Bulb.

If you are going to go the LED Route. I would go with Frosted Bulbs. The filaments on the new bulbs are ugly in my opinion.

 

[circlew]

Neutral connection

Is you dimmer the type that requires a connection to the neutral (white) wire? These type usually work well when used with LED bulbs.

More recent versions of the NEC have required the neutral to be present in switch boxes (in most cases). Prior to this, a neutral wasn't always run to a switch location. If there are only 2 wires in the box (in addition to the bare or green ground), then it is only a switch loop, with no neutral available. This is usually the case when the feed is run directly to the light. If the feed runs through the switch box, then to the light, a neutral should be present.

 

[mattl]

There is no such thing as Soft Warm Candle-Like Light Anymor

Not true anymore.  There are a number of manufacturers that make dimmable LEDs that shift to a warm yellowish color as they dim.  Not cheap, but mimic old bulbs well, I have a few.

 

[petek]

Just ran into this prob on Thurs putting a dimmer in the dining room. THe one in our kitchen works great but the one we tried in the dining room fickered and didn't dim much (nor sure of the bulbs). Anyways took that dimmer back and got the same make as the kitchen one and it works fine. I think they're Lutrons

 

[good-shepherd]

no such thing as Soft Warm Candle-Like Light Anymore.

Welcome to bus station lighting at home.

 

[mattl]

Then don't buy 6500k bulbs...

 

[DADoES]

 
All the LEDs in my house are 6500 except the dining room and a couple lamps.

 

[circlew]

I have found that daylight (5000k or more) bulbs and tubes are great for areas in which you want to be alert. However, they aren't great for a bedroom when you want to sleep. I had a lamp with a daylight bulb in my bedroom, but knocked it down and broke it. I got out an old floor lamp with a 100-200-300 watt incandescent bulb to use, and found I could go to sleep much quicker. I put the daylight bulb in the new lamp, but turn it off and use the other lamp about an hour before I want to be asleep.

 

[mattl]

There are few things I hate more than daylight bulbs in a home  setting - makes it feel like I'm in an office  or hospital. Cringe inducing.

 

I use 3000k when I can find it in the type of bulb I need, if not it's 2700k.

 

[DADoES]

 
It was interesting and gratifying to see toilet paper as white when I switched the bulbs.  It looks like somebody peed all over my kitchen if I switch the LED panel in there off and back on too quickly causing the setting to change.

 

[givemehotwater]

For years...

I bought the slightly more expensive GE Reveal Line. I loved it. It's a mix of Soft White, but it shows more Color. It's hard to describe, but whites are whiter and certain colors like Reds, and Greens Pop a little bit more.

Unfortunately, it seems as though GE sold that Line to some other company, and it's just not the same anymore. I have no idea what the color temperature was, but, I think it was the modified glass, that sorta had a purple tint to it.

When it comes to Lighting... I do think we've gone way backward.

I do not think LED lasts as long as advertised in many cases, and I feel better under the old lighting honestly. While I do not have the resources to prove it, I do believe the old style was better for our eyes. I guess after I am long gone, we will have the answer to that.

 

[good-shepherd]

I do believe the old style was better for our eyes.

Better for the eyes and health in general.

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2019/01/joseph-mercola/top-3-dangers-of-led-lights/

"LEDs emit a large amount of aggressive blue light that generates high amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress, and are devoid of near-infrared light that would help counteract some of that damage".

 

[foraloysius]

I only buy 2700K led bulbs, no blueish light here. You bought the wrong bulbs if you don’t want to sit in day light in the evening and you do.

 

[circlew]

It's not just color temperature, but CRI (color rendering index) that must be considered. An LED lamp that has a high CRI is going to be more pleasing.

Sylvania has recently introduced a new line - TruWave Technology Natural Series - that has a CRI of over 90, and comes in various color temperatures. I purchased the replacement tubes for a fluorescent fixture, but haven't installed them yet. I chose the type that doesn't use the fixture's ballast, so have to modify its wiring.

I like the bright white (3500k) or daylight (5000k) for work areas such as a garage, laundry room, or workshop. They're just not too good for where someone wants to relax, such as a living room or bedroom.

 

[combo52]

LED vs incandescent bulbs

When I changed out the incandescent bulbs in our old dining room fixture, it took two tries to get the right bulbs, but they were not expensive and the dimming and light color is much better than the incandescent bulbs we had, the incandescent bulbs use 60 W piece the new bulbs are less than 10 W. I no longer use candles for dinners anymore because the light is so nice Compared to the old incandescent bulbs.

The only place I have incandescent lightbulbs in this entire house is inside my ovens.

John

 

[combo52]

LED lightbulb failures

After we extensively remodeled this house 35 years ago, I had dimmers everywhere, and of course, all incandescent lightbulbs, it seemed like every other or every third day. When I came home, there was a lightbulb out somewhere that had to be replaced. I was always running upstairs to the closet where all the lightbulbs were stored.

I ended up replacing all the dimmers from 35 years ago with LED compatible ones and now I don’t see a lightbulb failure every six months, the better lightbulbs such as the ones in the dining room fixture and the other living areas I’ve not had a failure yet with any of them the only LED bulbs I’ve had fail, or the cheap less than one dollar bulbs That are common replacements and even that’s rare.

When we did all the remodeling here 35 years ago in the summer, we would frequently hit 3000 kW consumption on the three hot summer months per month it’s now been over 10 years since I’ve even hit 1500 kW in the three hot months of the year a major part of the savings is the lightbulbs because I like a lot of light in the house. I don’t walk around in a dark house and even when I’m gone the house looks like someone’s here.

To me, incandescent bulbs are not worth the fire risk, and the damage they do to light sockets and fixtures alone. I know of three people that have had their houses catch fire one was totally destroyed by the heat caused by a lightbulb setting things on fire.

John

 

[givemehotwater]

@combo52

There are a few things to unpack there, which leaves me a little uncertain about your post.

Dimmers are incredible for light bulbs. They significantly extend their lifespan. Take my dining room chandelier, for instance—it's from 2004, and the original bulbs from then are still going strong.

The secret? The dimmer switch provides a gentle start for the electricity, avoiding the sudden burst that often damages filaments. These bulbs endure daily use for hours on end, maintaining their brightness despite the years.

But that's nothing compared to the hanging fixture in my foyer. This hangs almost twenty feet high, and I have been dreading dealing with it for years. However, it is also on a dimmer switch and has those GE Reveal Bulbs from when we repainted in 2005.

Despite my dread, they have defied the odds and continued burning without the need for replacements. The benefits of dimmers on bulbs are simply remarkable. I've got two sets in my house, that have been burning for almost twenty years respectably and they will not go out. I probably have thousands, and thousands of operating hours on both of them.

I also have a lamp which has the same thing going on. The bulbs just keep on going and going. Although. I do not think a dimmer is responsible for that, just luck.

New LED bulbs around my house haven't shown the same longevity as older technologies. In my downstairs bathroom, both GE and Philips bulbs failed within a few weeks of use, providing less than 100 hours of light. I replaced all of them with a new package of old CFLs from the electric company, which are still going strong almost two years later.

Bulbs in ceiling fans, table lamps, and my living room floodlights failed despite their high cost of $8 or $10 each, leaving me frustrated. The promised energy savings never came through. I feel like I paid for expensive plastic, whereas traditional incandescent bulbs would have been more cost-effective in the same run.

Lastly, I want to mention. Manufacturers warn against using bulbs with higher wattage due to the risk of heat damaging the fixture or wiring. It's a risk not worth taking, in my opinion.

Halogen lamps and torchieres posed a potential hazard, primarily when individuals acted irresponsibly by placing objects on top of them.