Led lamps with dimmer

[Mooncat]

Planning to install a 5 lamp chandelier with dimmable virtual filament lamps. But the dimmer switch I have is rated at 400watt max, 60watt upwards. The 5 lamps are nowhere near that greedy. Are dedicated LED dimmers available, or do I have to use one ordinary incandescent lamp in the mix?

[steviejoiner74]

I had 6 LED downlights installed in my boys room and the wife wanted a dimmer switch. My sparky mate did the work but he had to get a dimmer switch that was compatible with the LED downlights and it cost around 25 quid(ish) if I remember.

[Mooncat]

Used my initiative,(should have done that first) and found this:
https://www.downlights.co.uk/led-dimmer-switch.html
less expensive than using incandescent!

[dave_s]

I've heard good things about the Varilight V-PRO range of dimmers from my sparky friend in case it's of use :)

[Mooncat]

The cat is back! I hope I am still welcome.

I finally got my house, most of my stuff is there as well. I'll be installing the chandelier, or should I say electrolier as it has no candles, in February.

[arco_iris]

DYOR, trailing edge & leading edge dimmers - it's something to do with AC current I can't get my head round.

[Someone-Else]

DYOR, trailing edge & leading edge dimmers - it's something to do with AC current I can't get my head round.

Its not that bad.

A.C. Is alternating current

If you could see it, you would see a sine wave just like the one below



This sine wave is "moving" at 50 times every second.

A dimmer works by switching off the electricity.

A leading edge dimmer switches off just as the sine wave starts to "rise"

A trailing edge dimmer switches off just as the sine wave nearly "ends"

It takes a lot more electronics to make a trailing edge dimmer than it does a leading edge dimmer, so that is why most dimmers are leading edge, just because it costs less, and the fact when they were invented, trailing edge dimmers were not needed.

[wine~o]

The cat is back! I hope I am still welcome.

We all thought you had shuffled off this mortal...

on the house move

[Mooncat]

It is taking longer than I hoped, but I have some lives left, I hope. I am back in Wales until the end of February. I'll post some pix elsewhere.