LED Dimmers

Everyone in the know will tell you that LEDs will dominate the lighting world, having made their proper breakthrough in recent years. However, there remains the problem of ‘retrofitting’ dimming LEDs, wherein consumers are looking to swap their CFLs and traditional incandescent bulbs to dimmable LEDs. The problem of retrofitting dimming LED lighting It is no wonder today’s consumers are looking to buy LEDs over CFLs, which have off-putting and unseemly designs. And as for traditional incandescents, who would choose to pay so much more in energy bills if they could just make the switch and help the environment in the process? Especially since now LEDs have been designed in many cases to resemble traditional incandescent bulbs. A big problem with the LED ‘revolution’ was the switchover to LED dimmer lights. However, companies such as Varilight and MK Electrics stepped in to make a huge variety of new dimmers for the swathe of LED lights that were being produced.Buy LED Dimmers at Sparks Dimming Retrofit LED Lamps - 9 General Rules 1. Ensure that you are purchasing an LED light that is compatible with your existing LED dimmer. It is a common misconception that every single LED light can be dimmed. It is essential to choose lamps that the manufacturer has described explicitly as  ‘dimmable’ in their literature. 2. Stick to recognised brands. Unfortunately, many manufacturers are all too happy to incorrectly label their lights as ‘dimmable’. This is mainly due to a lack of an industry standard that establishes a precedent for dimmable LED drivers. We would heartily recommend choosing from the most established lighting manufacturers. Setting dimming considerations aside, bigger names are more likely to offer you better warranties, longer lamp lifetimes, and more customer support. In this article, we discuss three Manufacturers who made reliable dimmer compatible LEDs: Varilight, MK Electric, Danlers, and Lutron, though there are many more who do the job well. This article discusses the issue in more detail. Varilight's various ranges of 'V-Pros' are recognized for their silent operation and programmable intelligent functionality, for instance, the ever-popular Varilight JQP252W, which can be purchased here.Buy Varilight LED Dimmers 3. Do read the label. The brightness range of a bulb must be considered carefully if you are replacing an incandescent bulb with an LED, as it may not be worth your while. This is due to the great advancement in the number of lumens produced by LED bulbs, which have achieved halogen-mimicking ‘white light’ type of looks. Some LED bulbs can produce as much as 100 lumens per Watt. So, if you are using a vintage LED lamp that is emulating the old-school low lighting of traditional bulbs, then LED dimmers shouldn't be of any concern to you; you’ll be sticking to a single dim light anyway! 4. Ask Manufacturers about Compatibility Most renowned lighting brands will publish data on their websites concerning compatibility when it comes to switching light types. Dimmer switches have been tested to discover what type of lights they will be compatible with, when looking at loads, lamp performance and so on. These trustworthy manufacturers will give grades, or even a compatibility guide, as a useful reference point which can help considerably when choosing a dimmer for your LED. This can be ultimately confusing when navigating international sites that do not use the same grading standard. If you are in any doubt you should contact the company to ask for their recommendation for a light switch. 5. Don't use a standard dimmer Some lamp manufacturers state that LEDs don't need a specialized dimmer and that a standard dimmer will do the trick: don’t be fooled! The LED technology is advancing, but we are not there yet: even though the likes of Megaman come out with LEDs that can be dimmed with both a trailing-edge and leading-edge dimmers, we cannot yet recommend using a regular dimmer for LED lamps. Standard dimmers tend to be under-loaded in most LED applications, leading to unpleasant flickering and strobing effects, which dramatically reduce the lamps lifetime. Standard dimmers are never even equipped to exploit the full brightness range of an LED bulb like a specialized remote could do. 6. Choose a dimmer designed for LED lighting The most top of the range, sophisticated dimmers will likely deliver the best possible performance you can expect from your LED light. Some, such as Varilight’s LED Dimmer have several dimmer modes that enable you to gracefully dim across the various and diverse driver technologies across the entire market. Another advantage of this dimmer is that it accounts for the difference in maximum brightness between brands. This means you have an easily adjustable minimum brightness setting that will enable you to harness the full brightness potential of your lamp. The adjustable minimum brightness also ensures that a lamp will not experience the flickering, malfunctioning behavior outlined in point 5. 7. Don’t buy your lights without first selecting a Dimmer Don’t buy your lights without first selecting a Dimmer - make sure your LED light is dimmable! See the Integral LED Ciclo LED Outdoor Wall Light 11W, to be purchased here. Like all dimmer switches, those designed specifically for LED lighting have a minimum and maximum load recommendation. Your lighting installation should be designed in a manner that means you don’t exceed the maximum load of dimmers available. Dividing the load across more than one dimmer could provide you with a brilliant solution by giving you great light control levels that can be zoned within a multi-functional space. Until very recently it was problematic to find a dimmer that was capable of controlling upwards of 100W of LED lighting. However, the launch of Varilight’s V-Com series has opened the door for potentially much larger loads - upwards of 600W.Buy LED Wall Lights at Sparks 8. Do read the Instruction Leaflet Don’t rush with your LED dimmer switch as you may be missing out on a lot of fun! LED dimmers come with features solely intended to enhance their performance, but this may require a little bit of programming first. For instance, with Varilight’s V-Pro remote control dimmers, there is are enhanced scene-setting features, unlocked through the innovative ‘LightScene’ handset. Many manufacturers have ‘how to’ videos featured on their website. 9. Dispose of your old lights Responsibly When it comes to old, still-functioning halogen lights, you need to throw them away or recycle them. You can find more information on doing this here. Never throw CFLs into your general waste as they contain dangerous mercury. Further information on this topic (and inspiration for our article): LED lighting information (via the guardian) The best LED dimmers for your LED lights (via sparks blog) Varilight LED dimming and dimmable LED guide (via varilight) Top picture credit: here.

The constant development of the LED lighting technology pushes the dimming industry forward; it is now becoming increasingly common to get not just an LED lamp but a dimmable LED lamp. Whether it is a LED integrated with the fitting or a GU10 LED light bulb, it is becoming more and more obvious that people want to dim their lights, and thus save energy. We can all agree that, once we switched from halogen lamps to LED lamps, the electricity cost has been slashed; how much more will it be even when we use an LED dimmer! Both for creating the right ambiance and for energy saving purposes, LED dimming is becoming quite necessary. It is no wonder therefore that most switches and sockets manufacturers have updated their range to include LED dimmers in their offer, and more and more people opt for a LED dimmer rather than a regular dimmer. LED Dimmers are now Available in all your Favorite Plates and Finishes! When it comes to the style of the dimmer/socket/switch, the customer has specific preferences, especially when he sees the suggestions made by the architect or the interior designer. This is why there are such plates as transparent plates (invisible plate / clear perspex plate), flat white plastic plates, flat metal plates, raised metal plates, and stepped plates, many of which come in different variations. Besides the type of plate, there are many finishes that the switch, socket, or dimmer can come in, such as brass (satin, polished, antique, etc), bronze (polished, matt, antique, etc), chrome (satin, brushed, polished, etc), Verdigris, painted, matt (black or white), and many others. And since the customer already has switches and sockets installed in a particular finish, there's the need for the LED dimmer to be in the same finish as well. Forget about the LED driver that used to be necessary - now the dimmable LED lamps simply need a good quality LED dimmer, and they work very well! There are at least two ways of replacing the existing wall-mounted dimmer with a LED dimmer: Purchase a new LED dimmer, in the plate and finish you require Replace the existing dimmer modules at the back with LED dimmer modules. In both cases, a registered electrician has to be the one who replaces or installs the LED dimmer.Buy LED Dimmers at Sparks The good news, however, is that LED dimmers are now available in all your favorite plates and finishes! You can have LED dimmers in flat plate white plastic, square edge white plastic, invisible plate, screwless flat plate metal, flat plate (chrome, bronze, brass, black, white, and other finishes), raised plate (polished or satin chrome, brass, bronze, white, etc), stepped plate (with dual finish or single finish in Satin/Polished chrome or brass), and many others. Let us give you some examples of LED dimmers: 1 gang LED dimmer in brushed steel raised plate from BG Electrical 1 Gang trailing edge rotary LED dimmer in an invisible plate with an antique brass knob from Forbes and Lomax 2 gang LED dimmer in a screwless transparent plastic plate from Hamilton Litestat 2 gang LED dimmer in a polished brass Elite stepped plate from Heritage brass 3 gang LED dimmer in a screwless matt black flat plate from Heritage Brass 3 Gang LED dimmer on a flat plate in brushed chrome from BG Nexus 3 Gang LED Dimmer - Trailing Edge Rotary LED Dimmer Invisible Plate with Brass Knob from Forbes and Lomax 4 Gang LED dimmer on a primed white screwless flat plate from Heritage Brass 4 Gang LED dimmer in a screwless polished brass flat plate, Studio range, from M-Marcus The above list is a small selection from the wide range of LED dimmers available on our website. And if you simply wish to change the dimming module to a LED dimmer, why not check out the Varilight JP250P (V-Pro 1 Gang 2 Way Trailing Edge 10W-120W LED Dimmer / 250W Halogen Module Replacement) or the Danlers DPDLED (Rotary and Push LED Dimmer Module 5W - 250W - leading edge - for Dimmable LED Lamps). And if you cannot find the LED dimmer in the finish and plate you already have, you can leave us a comment here or email us at sales @ sparksdirect.co.uk, and we will get back to you.Full range of LED DImmers

If you're not convinced that the LED lights are the future of lighting (at least the near future) then we have more reasons for you to reconsider. Whether exterior or indoor light fittings, LED lights can easily replace both the residential lights and the commercial lights, bringing with them more energy-saving features while maintaining the bright light as needed. There's a shift in the lighting industry from halogen, fluorescent, and incandescent lighting to LED lighting, and the technology is rapidly developing to the extent that you can get a wide range of LED lights to replace your existing lights. There are a great many benefits to both the consumer and the installer when installing LED lights, and in this article, we will touch the aspects of "saving money", "saving the environment", and "excellent lighting". Save Money when Using LED Lights When choosing LED lights you can reduce lighting bills by up to 90%, since LED lights use up to 80-90% less power than traditional lights. For example, you can replace a 50W halogen lamp (which uses a lot of energy - and a lot of money - and gives lots of heat too) with a 7.5W LED lamp, thus reducing the energy bill. LEDs use up to 90% less power than traditional incandescent light sources, and they also offer the potential for a noticeable and significant reduction in energy costs. You also save money when using LED lamps because the LEDs offer a lifetime far in excess of traditional lighting, typically tens of thousands of hours. This means that you don't have to change the light bulb that often, so you don't have to pay again for a light bulb! LED lights save you money and reduce your maintenance costs: the long life of the LEDs results in reduced labour costs associated with luminaire maintenance, such as replacing the light bulbs.Buy Energy Saving LED Lamps Save the environment by Switching to LEDs It is quite important to reduce our carbon footprint, and by switching to LED lights we do just that. You can reduce the energy usage - thus save the environment by reducing the carbon footprint - with LED lights, for they typically use less power of an installation compared with traditional light sources. This means that, by using LED lights, you decrease the overall power consumption and you contribute to lower CO2 emissions. Furthermore, the LED lights are mercury-free: unlike the fluorescent lights, the LEDs are free from this pollutant. And on top of that, there's no UV light or IR, thus increasing the range of applications where the LED lamps can be used. It is good to consider the consequences of using a particular light, and in most cases LED lights are an environment-friendly alternative. Get Excellent Lighting with the LEDs Some fluorescent lights (which tend to be energy-saving) need a "warm-up" time period; the LED lights provide instant full brightness. You get an excellent light with LEDs, and it comes on with no waiting time! And if you want to dim the light, you can simply opt for the dimmable LED light bulbs, which are specially designed for optimal dimming performance. You can also choose the light operating temperature, from warm white to cool white, daylight, and natural light. The LEDs can perform well at low temperatures, increasing the areas within which they can be installed. When it comes to retrofitting, there's an LED light solution for almost any lamp and luminaire, and in some cases it is as simple as changing a light bulb! On our website we have a dedicated section of LED lights (LED light fittings), LED dimmers, and LED drivers, with all the pictures and technical specifications needed.Buy Excellent LED Light Fittings

One of the most common questions our customers ask us when it comes to light fittings is, Can this lamp take LED lights? and the next question immediately follows, Can I dim this LED? Using an LED lamp in a light fitting seems to not be enough - now we need to make sure we dim the LEDs! The LED technology is in continual development and improvement, and there are better and higher output LED lamps in all the available lamp caps (including ES/E27, GU10, MR16, BC, etc) being put out at least once every two months. Many of the LED lamps are dimmable (though they are a bit more expensive than the non-dimmable ones), and here's where problems come in: what dimmer works with this LED lamp? Not every LED dimmer works with every LED lamp, but there are some who are tested and recommended by most LED lighting manufacturers. Part of these are the Varilight V-Pro range (earlier introduced here, with the video for setting up and customizing the LED dimmer), and today we would like to introduce another LED dimmer module: the Hamilton Litestat LEDstat. Intelligent LED Dimmer from Hamilton Litestat Hamilton’s new intelligent LED dimming device monitors and programs itself for the best performance depending on the LED lamp used, making it compatible with a wide variety of branded lamp types. The LEDstat dimmer is available in a wide selection of Hamilton’s range of styles and finishes.The LEDstat from Hamilton Litestat is a 5-100W electronic On/OFF auto-detect intelligent LED dimmer module, a "Universal Grid LED Dimmer" that can easily replace the existing dimmer switch or regular switch.This LED dimmer resolves the compatibility issues between LEDs and dimmers - it is an intelligent LED dimming device that monitors and programs itself for the best performance (depending on the LED light bulb used).LED Dimmers at SparksNote: this LED dimmer is no longer available via Sparks; see our current offering for LED dimmers. It is compatible with a wide variety of LED lamp types, and it has already made its mark while undergoing independent testing. Here is what some of the testers had to say about the LEDstat from Hamilton,"This new dimmer has been developed in response to a common industry problem of operational performance compatibility issues between the LED lamps used and a conventional dimmer. The last thing a contractor needs is to be called back to a recently installed job to resolve these, costing him both time and money! Our research and development process has ensured that LEDstat’s design and performance delivery are second to none. We are confident that this is a truly revolutionary piece of technology – one we are proud to bring to market." (Ian Hamilton, managing director of Hamilton Litestat) "This dimmer is truly the first product we have seen that provides constant results with all branded lamps tested." (Jeremy Turner, FAB Controls Ltd) LEDstat from Hamilton - Resolving compatibility issues between LEDs and dimmers (via, The Electrical Portal) "This new innovation by Hamilton has already made its mark while undergoing independent testing" (via, Connecting Industry) "LEDstat delivers optimum dimming performance when the same brand of LED lamp is used" (via, Lighting News) LED-STAT was nominated for the awards in 2014 (via, Luckins Live) LEDstat from Hamilton makes the finals of the Electrical Industry Awards in 2014! (via, Total Lighting Magazine) Ian Hamilton, LEDstat InterviewWhat is so special about this LED dimmer? Here are some of its smart features: This LED dimmer is "phase adaptive", which means that it thinks before it acts. It comes with an integrated sophisticated microprocessor that analyses the connected LEDs and determines the best dimming curve necessary to achieve maximum performance. No need to set it up to obtain the best performance: the LED dimmer sets itself up! When this LED dimmer is installed and is first powered up, the LEDstat begins its analysis and emits a short series of audible beeps to confirm when the process is complete. Similar size and design to a standard dimmer/switch module, allowing you to easily replace your existing dimmer with the highly performant LEDstat. It can be mounted onto the same wide choice of faceplate designs and finishes, and with the help of a little kit (which needs to be ordered separately, see GRIDKITW), you can safely fit this LED module into most Hamilton, MK, BG, Crabtree, Schneider, DETA, Hager, Wandsworth grid ranges. Soft Start: the soft start of this LED dimmer extends the LED lamp life and comes with a min/max level setting, an auto manual dimmer model, a multiway dimming operation, and in 1-4 gang options. Compatible with multiple kinds of light sources like incandescent lamps, mains halogen, mains dimmable LED lamps, dimmable LV electronic transformers, and dimmable LED lamps. Intelligent LED dimmer module: besides being a "universal grid LED module", this LEDstat dimmer allows you to dim from 5-100W load of LED lights, and can work both with leading edge and with trailing edge LED lamps. When replacing a LED lamp, don't worry about it: LEDstat will automatically determine the best dimming curve necessary to achieve maximum performance to suit the new brand mix. And what's best, you experience smooth dimming yet without any mains noise or acoustic noise when in operation!Buy LED Dimmers at Sparks Did we mention that this LED dimmer sells like "hot bread" in our showroom via the counter? You can also purchase the LEDstat dimmer module from Sparks here; watch the LED start-up guide video via YouTube below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPfxHWiGeko

As an electrical wholesaler, we get asked a lot of questions both via our trade counter in Archway, North London and via email, phone, website, etc. When it comes to lighting, it used to be that people preferred halogen lights; nowadays, however, everyone loves LED lights. As to bathroom lighting, many people have either standalone ceiling light fittings together with some wall lamps, shaver lights, or mirror lights, or they couple the ceiling lights with the bathroom fan. One of the questions we were asked recently is, Can I dim my bathroom lights? We don't have the complete answer to that, but as of today 13 February 2015, there are a few ways of dimming your bathroom lights. Note: due to the constant development and research in the realm of lighting, dimming, LED lighting, and technology, things can change in a year or so; however, up until today, these are the solutions that we can offer for dimming your bathroom lights. How to: Dim the Bathroom Lights First of all, before we even talk about how to dim the bathroom lights, we need to make sure that these lights are dimmable. This means that the light fitting has to allow you to dim - increase or decrease the light intensity - the light bulb and the light bulb also have to be dimmable.Dimmable Lights for Bathroom If the light fitting is dimmable, you can dim your bathroom lights. And when we speak of bathroom lights we speak mainly of the ceiling lights. Here are some solutions to dimming your bathroom lights: 1. Replace your wall switch with a dimmer switch. Because of the Building Regulations and the IP protection in the bathrooms, it is not possible to have a wall switch inside the bathroom; however, the wall light switch outside the bathroom can be replaced with a dimmer switch. Again, you will need to make sure that the bathroom lights are dimmable, and then you can set the bathroom light level as needed via a rotary dimmer switch. For example: you can use the Varilight HQ9W on/off rotary dimmer switch (in plastic white) or the intelligent single switch Varilight IQP401W (which takes up to 400W) with any of the dimmable bathroom ceiling lights. 2. Use a dimming pull cord switch: one of the few switching devices allowed in the bathroom is a pull cord switch. It is easy to turn the lights ON or OFF via the pull cord switch, and if the ventilation fan is also connected via this switch, the fan will be ON as standard. However, if you install the DIMPULL dimming pull cord switch you can not only turn your lights ON or OFF but, with a prolonged pull of the pull cord, you can dim the light level until you obtain the lighting you desire. Note: you cannot use this dimming pull cord switch with any fluorescent fittings (they are not dimmable), and the max. incandescent load is 250W. Also, you need to make sure you install this dimming pull cord switch outside zones 0 and 1; it can be installed only in the safe zone outside of the reach of water. For example: you can use the DIMPULL dimming pull cord switch with the popular bathroom ceiling lights, making sure the lamp used by this fitting is dimmable. If you use downlights, make sure you get dimmable light bulbs with it and, with the pull of a switch, you can dim them! Please note: when it comes to dimming the LED lights, things get a bit tricky. The DIMPULL doesn't work with LED lamps, and the wall dimmer has to be an LED dimmer in order to work with the dimmable LED lamps. Also, please note: it is recommended to use a registered qualified electrician to do the work of replacing switches and light fittings in the bathroom.

More and more of our customers are preferring the LED lights to the halogen or fluorescent lights, and most of those looking for LED lights want to dim them. Using an LED light bulb is energy saving enough, and dimming it will make it even more energy saving. The LED lights and LED light bulbs are being constantly developed and improved, with more and more "dimmable LED lights" available on the market from reputable manufacturers. However, there seems to be a problem when it comes to dimming the LED lights: who does LED dimmers that would work across the different existing LED lights that can be dimmed? Some of the Best Manufacturers of LED Dimmers are... There are at least three main manufacturers we distribute that can offer effective LED light dimmers: Varilight came out with their V-Pro Eclique range of LED dimmers, offering one or more touch LED dimmers on a flat plate for remote dimming the LED lights. They come with a tactile touch button with a blue LED glow surrounding it, and they pride of dimming mains voltage, ESL's, GU10, and almost all low voltage applications, as well as most good quality dimmable LEDs.Buy Varilight LED Dimmers The V-Pro Eclique 1G - 4G (both the master and the slave units) are flying off the shelf since many people prefer to have a high-quality LED dimmer that allows you to dim the lights both from one location or from multiple locations. The question is: will this work with ALL the dimmable LED ights out there? MK Electric also has a wide range of new LED dimmers for a wide variety of LED lamps, assuring us they offer a reliable dimming solution and allowing us to create an ambiance for comfortable surroundings. You can have either a standalone regular 1 Gang or 2 Gang rotary dimmers or as a MK grid dimmer, both compatible with tungsten filament lamps, low voltage halogen lamps, and dimmable LED lamps. With a load of 4W - 70W (300W/240VA), these MK LED dimmers can take maximum 10 lamps per circuit and have an intelligent load protection that will prevent lamp wattage exceeding the rating of the dimmer. Danlers offers a few LED dimmers and LED dimmer units such as DPDLED. They are compatible with many dimmable LED lamps and LED light fittings and are ideal to retrofit onto many existing wall plates (or they can be fitted onto original equipment manufacturers' own plates). Taking a load of max. 250W, the LED dimmer with rotary dimming control and push ON/OFF switching can be used in both 1-way and 2-way switching circuits, and the adjustable spindle on the back of the product allows you to specify the minimum dim level (to help eliminate lamp instability). LED Dimmers - We're Almost There! Looking at the technical specifications of all these LED dimmers we can all agree that we are almost there when it comes to LED dimming. There are many dimmable LED lights and LED light bulbs, and there are quite a few LED dimmers made by reputable manufacturers. However, when someone asks us, What LED dimmer should I buy? - we don't have an exact answer YET. The most recommended thing to do at the moment is to check with the LED light manufacturer's specifications and see which LED dimmers and brands they recommend. Some LED lights don't work with some LED dimmers, while some LED dimmers work only with some LED lights. Always read the specifications. Always check with the LED lighting manufacturer.Latest LED Dimmers at Sparks We are almost there. We're almost at the point of no return, where ALL the dimmable LED lights will work with ALL the LED dimmers. Until then....read the specifications! Question: what do you guys think? Which work with what? What's the situation with the LED dimmers and the dimmable LED Lights? What is your experience? Leave us a comment below.