Can i dim halogen lights

However in the long run, LED and fluorescent bulbs provide significant energy savings. Bulbs are available that range from completely white to yellowish to a bluish light. Light color is measured in Kelvin K. Lower numbers glow more yellow, while higher numbers glow more white or bluish. To get the best of both worlds, use an incandescent bulb, which is easy to deploy with a dimmer, and to save energy, consumers should consider getting ENERGY STAR qualified light bulbs.

When comparing, consumers should focus on the lumens, which is a measure of the visible light emitted by the light bulb, in order to choose the right light bulb. Dimmers have varying features including different types of photocells, motion sensors, and timers.

When investing in dimmers, people should keep in mind that advanced dimming circuitry is available with high efficacy light bulbs. While inexpensive dimmers are adequate for incandescent and halogen bulbs, consumers may want to invest in dimmers that are capable of handling mixed load sources including LEDs and CFLs on the same circuit. Keep in mind that a dimming switch is different from a three-way light switch. The dimmer is designed to allow the user many gradations of illumination, while the three-way switch lights at only three different levels.

To use a three-way switch, buy a bulb specifically for three-way technology. Three-way bulbs are more expensive than regular CFL bulbs. People looking for bulbs and dimmers should keep in mind that incandescent and halogen bulbs are easier to use because any dimmer switch is compatible.

The initial costs for incandescent and halogen bulbs are lower, but with regular light bulbs the energy savings is not as good as fluorescent and LED light bulbs. Consumers who choose to use fluorescent and LED light bulbs need to be very sure that the light bulb specifically states on the package or advertising that it is compatible with dimmers or three-way switches. Without taking the time to make this critical distinction, voltage problems may occur, as well as a voiding of the light bulb or dimmer warranty.

Additionally, fluorescent and LED bulbs can cost as much as three times more, and the dimmer will cost more as well. Finding light bulbs and dimmer switches is not difficult as they are sold at lighting stores and home improvement stores. Sites like us make it easy to find the right bulb and dimmer switches. I think they are GU4 fittings. What are the best options? Will new wiring be required or can I just change the light bulb GU4 plug? Note they are the dimmable type. An LED bulb with comparable output to a watt incandescent uses less than 8 watts — a huge power-saving improvement!

They are much more expensive than incandescent and florescent bulbs, but can last decades. In other words, your cost-per-year is much lower with a long-lasting LED bulb. Most LED bulbs can be dimmed. Simply check the packaging to verify its dimming capability. Some LED bulbs turn off at the lowest dimming setting; this seems to be less of an issue as LED technology improves through time.

Fluorescent lights work with a constant electrical current flowing through ionized gas in a bulb. This is why they take a few minutes to turn on and brighten. For the same reason, most florescent lights, bulbs, and strips cannot be dimmed. There are special florescent lights that can be dimmed. According to EnergyStar. They require special florescent dimmers. This assumption is based on the idea that leading-edge dimmers have been around much longer and are therefore more ubiquitous than the newer trailing edge variant.

The best way to avoid confusion here is to check which dimmers are compatible with a certain type of light bulb. Most manufacturers rigorously test their products for compatibility with a range of dimmer switches and the results are normally readily available on their respective websites.

Dimming traditional incandescent light bulbs is relatively straightforward. Any leading edge dimmer carries with it a minimum and maximum load. As long as the light bulb or light bulbs paired with the dimmer sit within these tolerances, everything will work just fine. The most common modules available generally limit their loads to W, W, W and W at the top end and 25W, 40W, W and W at the bottom respectively.

The mistake that many people make is assuming that trailing edge dimmers work in the same way as their leading-edge equivalents. This is a mistake — they are more expensive, infinitely more complex and absolutely brilliant when used properly.

They use a complicated, albeit sophisticated electronic system that yields a whole slew of benefits from silent operation to smoother control. One of the biggest problems people experience when installing trailing edge dimmer systems is working out just how many LED light bulbs it will support.

The main root of this problem is the massive disparity between incandescent and LED wattages. So, imagine we have a W trailing edge dimmer. Oh no. In this instance, it would be able to take 4 x 10W LED light bulbs or less, providing that the minimum wattage is still met. This is a fairly common problem when people remove their old incandescent light bulbs and simply replace them with LED equivalents.

Imagine you have two 60W filament light bulbs paired with a leading-edge dimmer that has a minimum load of 25W and a maximum load of W.

Now imagine that you decide you want to improve the efficiency of your home and invest in some sexy new LED light bulbs. These clock in at just 6W apiece and will absolutely eviscerate your lighting bill — result. A low wattage trailing edge dimmer of course!

Remember to do this before assessing where your light bulb sits in terms of its wattage. Sometimes, you do all you can and the world still just wants to watch you struggle. This bestows a number of their most laudable benefits, but it also means they require an electronic driver to convert the voltage they receive from the mains. This is why most manufacturers will normally provide a list of compatible dimmer switches that have been tried, tested and certified for use with their LED light bulbs.

This is by far the easiest bit. For the most part, we would recommend our Varilight range of dimmer switches. Ensure that all your light bulbs are of the same type and from the same manufacturer. This ensures that all the drivers in the circuit are made by the same people and therefore remain mutually compatible throughout. This removes the need for external transformers and minimises the risk of compatibility issues here also.