Dimming with LEDs

Which LED dimmer do I need and what should I look out for while buying? On the outside, a LED dimmer looks like a normal dimmer. However, the inside and the technology are completely different and tailored for use with LEDs. There are several types of LED dimmers. To get a good dimming result, the LED lamp and the LED dimmer need to work well together. Below are the most important things to consider when buying a LED dimmer.

Are the LED lamps dimmable? What type of dimmable driver?

The first thing to check is whether your LED lamps are dimmable or not. If the LED lamps are not dimmable, you will not be able to dim them. Not even with a special LED dimmer. Dimmability also depends to a large extent on the dimmable driver in the lamp. If an LED lamp is dimmable, you will often find the logo on the packaging. If dimmability is not specified, you can assume that the lamp is not dimmable.

The driver is a small component that ensures that the LED lamp is dimmable. The quality of the driver determines how well a lamp can be dimmed. If the driver is of low quality, the LED lamp cannot be dimmed as much as a lamp with a high quality dimmable driver. The driver also determines whether this is done with leading or trailing edge.

What dimming technology do I need? Leading edge or trailing edge?

As described above, there are lamps that can be operated with either leading edge (RL) or trailing edge (RC) phase control. Without going into too much technical details, this essentially means that there are two different dimming techniques. If a lamp works with a leading edge dimmer, it will not dim well with a trailing edge dimmer and vice versa. Experience shows that over 90% of LED lamps on the market work best with a trailing edge dimmer.

Therefore, always choose the same dimming technology for the LED lamp and LED driver. You don’t know which dimming technology your dimmable LED lamp or driver uses? Then choose a universal LED dimmer such as ECO-DIM.01 or ECO-DIM.03, which can be used with both RL and RC LED lamps.

How much LED wattage can I connect?

Once the dimming technology has been chosen, it is advisable to check how much power can be connected to the dimmer. This is often indicated on the dimmer itself. If in doubt, ask the manufacturer whether it is the LED wattage or the halogen wattage, as these can be different. The LED wattage is often less than the halogen wattage you can connect to the same dimmer. EcoDim always indicates the LED wattage on their dimmers. For example 0-150W LED power. The halogen wattage you can connect to the same dimmer is higher, e.g. 0-300W.

LED power tip 1: It is recommended to avoid connecting different loads to the LED dimmer (e.g. halogen and LED mixed). You will get the best dimming result if all lamps connected to a dimmer have the same wattage and type.

LED power tip 2: Add up the connected LED wattages to know how much power you need from the dimmer. Always add a small margin for the PowerFactor (additional consumption). Most EcoDim dimmers already have a very high LED power of 0-150 W. Do you need even more power? Then choose the ECO-DIM.03 0-500 W for a large number of LED lamps or large wattages.

What controls are available on the dimmer?

Adjustment options are important to achieve the optimum dimmability of a particular device. As mentioned above, the dimming driver is also very important for dimmability. If the LED dimmer has adjustment options for the lower and upper limits of dimmability, you can always achieve the best possible result for the dimmability of the LED lamp. This depends on the dimmable driver in the lamp base or externally connected. EcoDim LED dimmers always indicates a MIN setting and in most cases there is an automatic MAX setting. You can then use a screwdriver to set the minimum light level and manually adjust the light output and light stability. If you reduce the value too much, the light will start to flash. You will then know that you need to increase the value until the light is stable again. This way you always get the best dimming performance from each LED lamp.

Can the dimmer be used in a two-way circuit?

If you want to switch a group of lamps from two sides, you can do this with a switch circuit. Your dimmer must be suitable for this. Almost all EcoDim built-in dimmers (with the exception of the ECO-DIM.05 duo LED dimmer) are suitable for two-way switching. On the EcoDim dimmers, the switch wires are marked with the sine symbol (a wave with an arrow through it). These are the connection points for the two black jumper wires.

Does the dimmer match my switch range?

If you already have a switch range or prefer a particular brand, the dimmer should fit into the existing switch range. EcoDim has developed a range of attachments that are supplied with the dimmers as standard. This means that the built-in dimmers are suitable for all well-known A-brand switch ranges.

Should I consider a ‘smart home’ now or in the future?

Are there rooms that should be controlled by a smart home app now or in the future? Perhaps you would like to use a Philips Hue, HOMEY, FIBARO, Trust, AduroSmart or other smart home app now or in the future? This will allow you to control your lighting by voice (with Google Home or Amazon Alexa) or by phone. EcoDim has taken into account that the intelligent dimmers can also be operated manually as usual. With intelligent control, you can dim and switch your lights from the comfort of your armchair or when you are out and about. If you want to control certain rooms ‘intelligently’ now or in the future, you can now choose an intelligent dimmer; EcoDIM offers models with ZigBee, Zwave or WLAN technology. All dimmers can be used conventionally, but are prepared for future use in the Smathome.

Images: EcoDim