Dimmer switch for LED lights: what works and what does not

Does a dimmer switch work with LED lights?

A dimmer switch works with LED lights only when the LED lamp or fitting is made to be dimmed and says dimmable on its pack. With a plain LED lamp, a dimmer usually gives flicker, buzzing or a light that will not go fully off, and it can shorten the lamp’s life.

We make dimmers from 300W to 1000W, priced ₹130 to ₹540. Our printed catalogue does not state LED compatibility for any of them, so pair one with LEDs only after checking the lamp, and ask us about the exact code.

The reason is in the lamp. An old filament bulb simply glowed less when a dimmer cut its supply. An LED lamp has a small driver inside its base that turns mains into the steady current the LEDs need. A plain driver tries to hold that current whatever the dimmer does, and fights it; a dimmable driver is designed to follow the dimmer down.

Where a dimmer goes, and what it can control

Drawn by us, not to scale. Ratings and codes from our printed catalogue.

Which LED lights can be dimmed

Look for the word dimmable on the lamp or fitting. Most low-priced LED bulbs are not; they are built with a simple driver that expects a steady supply.

• LED bulbs Dimmable only if the pack says so.
• Panels and down lights These have a separate driver; the driver must be a dimmable type.
• LED strips Usually run from a low-voltage power supply and dim through a controller made for that supply, not a wall dimmer on the mains side.
• Our LED lights Our catalogue does not mark any of our LED lamps, panels or drivers as dimmable. Treat them as not dimmable unless we confirm a code.

Our LED light price list has every lamp and driver code if you want to ask about a specific one.

What happens with a non-dimmable LED

A dimmer on a non-dimmable LED does not hurt the wiring, but the light behaves badly:

• Flicker at anything but full brightness.
• Buzz from the lamp or the dimmer.
• Glow when off a faint light with the dimmer turned down.
• Short life the lamp’s driver works harder than it was built for.

If you already have these symptoms, our guides to LED flicker and an LED glowing when switched off explain the causes. The usual fix is to swap the dimmer for an ordinary switch or the lamps for dimmable ones. A 1 way switch costs from ₹45 in VIZA (V000, 6A) and works with every LED lamp we make, so if the room does not really need dimming, the switch is the simpler answer.

Watts: what a dimmer rating means with LEDs

A dimmer’s watt rating is the largest load it can control. For old filament lamps that was the number to watch. LED lamps draw far less: five 9W LED lamps add up to 45W, a tenth of a 450W dimmer.

So with LEDs the limit is rarely the watts. It is whether the lamps dim smoothly on that dimmer. Many dimmable LED lamps also name a smallest load the dimmer needs to work steadily, and some say to use only part of the dimmer’s rating with LEDs. Follow the lamp’s own instructions; they win over the dimmer’s number.

Dimming panels and down lights

Panels, down lights and surface lights work differently from a bulb. The LEDs inside run from a driver, a small power unit between the mains and the light. Whether the light dims depends on that driver, not on the panel.

• A panel with a dimmable driver can go on a suitable dimmer.
• A panel with an ordinary driver will flicker or switch off when dimmed.
• Our replacement drivers, 1041 (9W to 15W, ₹180) and 1042 (18W to 22W, ₹200), are not marked dimmable in the catalogue.

If a room of panels must dim, choose the panels and drivers for it from the start. Our LED driver guide explains what a driver does, and panel light vs downlight helps pick the fitting.

Rooms where a dimmer earns its place

Where a dimmer is worth fitting, with dimmable lamps:

• Living room Bright for guests, low for a film.
• Dining A lower light over the table at dinner.
• Bedroom Reading light that can go down before sleep.
• Pooja room A soft glow for the evening aarti; see pooja room lighting.
• Restaurant or hall Many lamps on one dimmer, where the 650W and 1000W Duro fit.

In a kitchen, bathroom or study you want full light every time, so a plain switch is the better buy. Our living room electrical points guide shows where a dimmer sits on the board.

Softer light without a dimmer

Often what people want from a dimmer is a softer light in the evening. That can be had without dimming at all:

• Two circuits A bright main light and a softer second light on separate switches. Costs one more switch, from ₹45 in VIZA.
• Warm white A warm white lamp feels softer than cool white at the same watts; see warm white vs cool white.
• Night lamp A 0.5W LED night lamp (1061, ₹40) or a modular night lamp on the board, such as the VIZA V406 LED Dura night lamp (₹275).
• Foot lights Low lights for stairs and passages; our foot light guide covers them.

These work with any LED lamp, so nothing has to be checked for dimming. Our switch board LED lights page lists the night lamps and dome lights that sit in a modular plate.

Dimmer switch price list

Our dimmers, with printed MRPs and box quantities. The HSN code printed for all of them is 85333910.

• VIYONA 135 mini 300W dimmer: ₹130, box of 10
• VIYONA 136 medium 300W dimmer: ₹158, box of 10
• VIZA V271 450W Tiny dimmer with LED: ₹240, box of 15
• VIZA V272 450W Duro dimmer: ₹330, box of 10
• VIZA V273 650W Duro dimmer: ₹395, box of 10
• VIZA V274 1000W Duro dimmer: ₹540, box of 10
• VIZA black V1271 450W Tiny dimmer with LED: ₹264, box of 15
• VIZA black V1272 650W Duro dimmer: ₹371, box of 10
• VIZA black V1273 1000W Duro dimmer: ₹540, box of 10
• KEMPS K211/K611 Tiny 450W dimmer: ₹275 white, ₹305 G.Grey, box of 10
• KEMPS K212/K612 Duro 650W dimmer: ₹425 white, ₹465 G.Grey, box of 10

VIYONA dimmers suit conventional boards; VIZA and KEMPS dimmers clip into their modular plates. Regulators are priced alongside in our fan regulator price list.

Tiny or Duro: which dimmer

Our modular dimmers come in two designs. The Tiny is the compact 450W dimmer, printed “with LED” in VIZA; that does not mean it is rated for LED lamps, so ask us before pairing it with them. The Duro comes in 450W, 650W and 1000W in VIZA, and 650W in KEMPS.

For a home, the dimmer is normally on a few lamps in one room, so a 450W Tiny or Duro is plenty on watts. The 650W and 1000W Duro suit a long run of lamps on one dimmer, such as a hall or a restaurant. Our dimmer range page describes the two designs in more detail.

How a dimmer is connected

A dimmer replaces the 1 way switch for the light or group of lights it controls. It goes in the phase, between the MCB and the lamp, and the neutral runs straight to the lamp, just as with a switch.

• Switch off the MCB and prove the board dead.
• Move the two wires from the old switch to the dimmer’s terminals, as marked on the module.
• Fit only dimmable lamps on that circuit, all of the same type, rather than a mix of LED and old filament lamps.
• Switch on and test from low to full, watching for flicker at the low end.

A light switched from two places, on a 2 way (staircase) circuit, is not a simple dimmer swap; ask your electrician. Our switch board wiring diagram shows a dimmer in a full board.

Dimmer or fan regulator: not interchangeable

A dimmer and a fan regulator look alike on a board and cost about the same, which is why they get mixed up. They are made for different loads:

• Dimmer for lamps: 300W to 1000W, HSN 85333910.
• Fan regulator for a ceiling fan motor: 4 or 5 step, HSN 84149030.

Our fan regulator types guide explains why, and our 4 step fan regulator page lists the right part for a fan.

Where we supply

Our dimmers are built at Marol, Andheri East and reach buyers through dealers and distributors across Maharashtra and in many states. Elsewhere in the country, see where we supply in Maharashtra and how we supply the rest of India. Orders through our office are delivered across India, in full boxes. Full boxes only.

From our catalogue: VIYONA electronic dimmers and regulators and our fan regulator and dimmer range.