Which LED dimmer switch do you consider most reliable?

Other Devices & Integrations Lighting & Load Control
1

Hey everyone,

It is time to upgrade my z-wave system a little and I am looking to get a bunch of dimmer switches for my LED light bulbs.
So which one would you recommend? The most important criteria for me is reliability.
Before I found this forum I got the CT30 thermostat and I wish I would have had done some research here before.

So which LED dimmer do you use and recommend to work best with my Vera Light?

Looking forward to your replies.
Thanks!

Flo

2

[quote=“frichter09, post:1, topic:171242”]Hey everyone,

It is time to upgrade my z-wave system a little and I am looking to get a bunch of dimmer switches for my LED light bulbs.
So which one would you recommend? The most important criteria for me is reliability.
Before I found this forum I got the CT30 thermostat and I wish I would have had done some research here before.

So which LED dimmer do you use and recommend to work best with my Vera Light?

Looking forward to your replies.
Thanks!

Flo[/quote]

So far I haven’t found any of the z-wave dimmer switches that work very well with LED bulbs. When dimmed the LED bulbs flash on and off every few seconds (very annoying). I have tried many combinations of bulbs with the GE z-wave dimmers with little luck.

Don
3

I’m dimming Philips Master Led MV GU10’s and Philips Lustre E14’s using Fibaro FGD211 modules. With the default parameters you get the flashing as you describe, but after contacting Fibaro, they told me to change a particular parameter and this has proven successful. No flashing, just reliable dimming :slight_smile:

4

Thanks for the replies!

@Don, Does this GE switch have a neutral? From what I have seen online neutral is absolutely needed when it comes to dim low voltage light. I think I will try this dimmer. It states it works with LEDs:

http://www.zwaveproducts.com/Zwave-Lighting/Zwave-Dimmer-Switches/Evolve-Zwave-Wall-Dimmer-LRM-AS.html

Quinten, is this a European Model? I cant seem to find anything. Do you have a link for the dimmer switch?

Flo

5

Yes, I believe they are not available outside Europe yet: http://zwave-products.co.uk/shop/article_299/Fibaro-Universal-Dimmer-Insert-w_-Z-Wave.html?pse=apq

Manufacturers website: Wireless Smart Home and Home Automation | FIBARO

6

Thanks Quinten,
too bad I just moved from Germany to the US :slight_smile:

Flo

7

Have you tried using a EarthLED ThetaLux Pro bulb with your dimmer? I have installed several of these bulbs with the 5000K color temperature. I found it to be the only bulb that does not flash on and off when used with a Leviton VRI06-1LZ: 2-wire, no neutral incandescent dimmer. Because the VRI06 is an incandescent dimmer, it does not have a wide range when used with an LED lamp, but the lamp does not flicker when used over the full, but limited, range of the VRI06 dimming functionality. In my application, having a LED bulb that does not flash with a 2-wire incandescent dimmer was more important than the actual dimming itself. But on the web site for the bulb, there is a video showing the bulbs range of dimming capability. One thing to remember when using an LED bulb on a dimmer is that its color temperature will not change as it dims as an incandescent bulb will. But if you are looking for a A26 base LED bulb that might give you a fighting chance when used with a dimmer, I believe the ThetaLux Pro is your best bet.

You might also try adding a 7 watt incandescent night light or a 12 watt incandescent sign bulb to your circuit to see how that affects the dimming performance of your LED lights. Before I found the ThetaLux bulb, I used a 12 watt sign bulb in parallel with my LED bulbs to keep them from flashing. It worked well but there was a severe color temperature imbalance between the sign bulb and my 5000K LED bulb.

The web site for the ThetaLux bulb is http://store.earthled.com/products/earthled-thetalux-pro-9-watt-dimmable-led-light-bulb.

8

Thanks Silvereagle, I actually need a par38 bulb though :slight_smile:
But good to know you figured out a combination that works!

I will check tonight if I have a neutral wire in the box. I reaaaallllyyy hope so!
If I do I will go with the Evolve dimmer (needs a neutral wire and says it is suitable for LED dimming) and try different LEDs.

Thanks,
Flo