{"id":156,"date":"2026-04-29T11:32:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T11:32:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lighting-direct.co.uk\/blog\/?p=156"},"modified":"2026-04-29T11:32:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T11:32:39","slug":"dimmers-how-to-avoid-flickering-or-buzzing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lighting-direct.co.uk\/blog\/dimmers-how-to-avoid-flickering-or-buzzing\/","title":{"rendered":"Dimmers – How to avoid flickering or buzzing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Posted on 4 April 2018<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author: Maxine Clarke<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last updated on 26 July 2024<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dimmers allow you to achieve the exact light level that you desire in a room and consequently alter the mood to whatever you choose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are various types of dimming options available, but the most popular are \u2018phase control\u2019 (or phase-cut) dimmers which by \u2018chopping out\u2019 parts of the voltage and so reduce power to the light bulb or lamp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two types of phase control dimmer available, \u2018trailing-edge\u2019 and \u2018leading-edge\u2019, and they work in different ways which ultimately affects their compatibility with certain lightbulbs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leading-edge dimmers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Leading-edge dimmer switches are cheaper and simpler than trailing-edge, and were used originally to dim incandescent and halogen bulbs or wirewound magnetic transformers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many existing leading-edge dimmer switches have a relatively high minimum load, which often rules out their use with modest LED lighting circuits. However, leading-edge dimmers are by far the most common dimming control in existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trailing-edge Dimmers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Trailing-edge dimmers are more sophisticated than leading-edge dimmers, and usually provide a much smoother dimming control, absent of any buzzing noise, and are ideal for use in most homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A trailing-edge dimmer has a lower minimum load (often 10W or below) than leading-edge dimmers, making it a better choice for dimming modestly sized low-powered lighting circuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Particularly beneficial for incandescent and halogen bulbs is the \u2018soft start\u2019 feature in trailing-edge dimmers, which prevents filament bulbs from dying or exploding of thermal shock when first switched on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LED lights and dimming<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unlike incandescent bulbs, which are all dimmable by default, LED bulbs have a built-in driver in their base. The driver converts AC power to DC power and maintains a constant current to the LED. This is at odds with a phase control dimming system, since the driver attempts to compensate for the sliced-out portions of input voltage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LED fixtures such as downlights usually include the LED driver, either of a \u2018constant current\u2019 or \u2018constant voltage\u2019 type, depending on the LED array design. In either case, the same issue arises: the LED driver or power supply will try to patch up the missing parts of input voltage. In theory, LEDs should be fully dimmable, and normally they are \u2013 provided they are paired with a compatible driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, widespread LED compatibility problems exist, and often supposedly dimmable LED driver designs only work with selective dimming control systems. These problems show up in a number of ways, including flickering, flashing, and dead travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to avoid LED dimmer compatibility issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For an LED lightbulb to work with a phase control dimmer, the electronics of its driver must be compatibly adapted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leading-edge dimmer switches are sometimes called \u2018incandescent dimmers\u2019, because they were originally designed to handle the resistive load of incandescent light. Existing dimmer switches tend to have high minimum loads and may require multiple LED lamps in order to even have a chance of working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For an increased chance of compatibility, trailing-edge dimmer switches tend to work better with the capacitive load of an LED driver. The Varilight V-Pro LED Dimmer 1 x 300W<\/strong><\/a> is from the award-winning V-Pro range. It has an industry-wide reputation for delivering one of the best LED dimming performances available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research & Investment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re installing a dimmable LED circuit from scratch, it\u2019s worth checking out the bulbs that you\u2019re likely to use and then look for a list of tested dimmer switches. Most leading bulb manufacturers test their dimmable lamps with a variety of switches and publish lists of known compatible models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, you can upgrade your existing dimmers and so avoid compatibility headaches. What\u2019s more, such an investment is likely to extend the lifespan of the lamps you buy, giving you an added incentive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember, also, that LED bulbs are more complex than incandescent, so sticking to the same model of bulb is advisable when you find a winning formula. Once you have everything working, the many benefits of LED dimming will become apparent and transform the lighting in your home!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Posted on 4 April 2018 Author: Maxine Clarke Last updated on 26 July 2024 Dimmers allow you to achieve the exact light level that you desire in a room and consequently alter the mood to whatever you choose. There are various types of dimming options available, but the most popular are \u2018phase control\u2019 (or phase-cut) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":157,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lighting-direct.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lighting-direct.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lighting-direct.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lighting-direct.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lighting-direct.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lighting-direct.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":158,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lighting-direct.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156\/revisions\/158"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lighting-direct.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lighting-direct.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lighting-direct.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lighting-direct.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}