Our Latest LED Compatibility Chart for Smart Series dimmers are now available here :

Click here for the Latest Chart

Choosing the right lamps for your dimmer

When installing any light fitting, especially electronic dimmers, it is very important to use suitably compatible bulbs (also referred to as ‘lamps’). Compatibility is important because not all bulbs work in the same way, and not all bulbs are dimmable.

 

Check the maximum and minimum load

It is also vital to use bulbs that do not exceed the maximum or minimum loads recommended for the fitting. For non-dimmable and high load options and in-line relay can be used in place of a dimmer. For more information on loading, click here.

 

Halogens, Eco Halogens and incandescents

Traditional incandescent lightbulbs, halogens, and lower energy halogens are all fine to use with Lightwave lighting products as long as they are within the total minimum and maximum loads.

 

CFLs

CFL bulbs are generally not dimmable, so are not recommended, and CFL tubes could cause damage to the dimmers so should not be used.

 

LED lamps

LED lighting has become a popular solution for people looking to reduce their energy consumption.  However, there are not many standards in the market, and many LED lights can have difficulty when dimming.

 

When it comes to LED’s they have such a short lifespan due to the changing technology and components within the bulb As the industry changes, it is difficult for us to keep on top of the LED’s that are being introduced into the market. However, from testing the smart series range of dimmers with multiple different bulbs, most dimmable LED’s will work with the dimmer as long as you have calibrated the dimmer and have made dimming level adjustments. Most bulbs will work with an auto calibration but if not then a manual calibration from the app can help

Unfortunately, there may be a few instances where certain bulbs do not operate as expected. These bulbs include G4's, G9's, MR16's, some low-wattage lamps below 4 watts, especially if only one is connected. We kindly request that these lamps adhere to the minimum wattage guidelines.

Please note that the following items will not work with our products: LED tape equipped with 12v dimmable drivers (compatibility requires 24v). Additionally, CFL bulbs are not compatible.

 

As a general rule of thumb when using our new smart series dimmers please see the following information:We recommend no more than 15 LED lamps per gang with a max rating of between 80-100w and a 10w minimum load per channel which can be reduced to around 5w when a neutral wire is connected.

 

Colour Changing Lights

Colour changing lights can be used in on and off mode only if using smart dimmer but not recommended.

 

In dimmable mode they will not work as most colour changing lights are designed to work with conventional on and off switches and any dimming must be carried out with the supplied remote control or app.

 

The problem is that these are the not the best bulbs, they use the dimmable symbol on the box, but they are highly likely not phase dimmable, so the dimmer will get damaged eventually again if we replace it. 

 

You cannot use a smart lamp with a smart dimmer. This is not recommended.

 

Low voltage & LED strips

Low voltage lighting and low voltage strip lighting can be used with a Lightwave dimmer as long as it is within the loading requirements and is used with a suitable dimmable transformer. Not all transformers are compatible, so please check the technical section below for advice on which transformers to use.

 

The recommendations for LED strip lighting 

• Smart Series 

  • 24v LED Triac Dimmable driver is required to work with Lightwave dimmers, this helps provide better dimming and compatibility - 12v dimmable drivers do not work with our system
  • No more than 10m of strip per channel
  • No more than 100w total output per channel
  • Min of 10w per dimmer gang 
  • Only 1 driver can be used per channel. Using multiple drivers on the same circuit can cause damage to the dimmer.
  • Use the gel type IP65 rated LED strips as we found them to be better with dimming and durability
  • Highly recommended to connect a neutral wire where possible to improve dimming performance 
  • RGB strip will not work with our dimmers due to incompatibility, please only use white and warm white 

   

  Connect Series 

  • 24v LED Triac Dimmable driver is required to work with Lightwave dimmers, this helps provide better dimming and compatibility - 12v dimmable drivers do not work with our system
  • No more than 5m of strip per channel
  • No more than 50w total output per channel
  • Min of 20w per dimmer gang
  • Only 1 driver can be used per channel. Using multiple drivers on the same circuit can cause damage to the dimmer.
  • Use the gel type IP65 rated LED strips as we found them to be better with dimming and durability
  • RGB strip will not work with our dimmers due to incompatibility, please only use white and warm white 

 

Check our compatibility charts

Lightwave dimmer switches are designed to work with LEDs if the LEDs are dimmable, but even then, there are some varieties that will have trouble dimming and may flicker. This may be resolved by increasing the total load (adding more bulbs), but not always. For Smart Series dimmers, manual calibration or reducing the dimming range may also help. To ensure the best experience, we strongly recommend referring to our LED compatibility chart to find a suitable lamp that has been pre-tested with Lightwave Dimmers.

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