LED problems

[Robert N.]

I have recently installed LED fixtures with dimmers. Both dimmer & LED manufacturer have (tested the equipment & say they are compatible). The ckt feeding the lights is its own ckt on an arc fault breaker with dedicated nuetral. I have changed the dimmer i have changed the lights. there is multiple Led fixtures in this home. the problem is that if the dimmer is not full bright the Led fixtures blink. I have heard of a filter helping with this problem has anyone had any luck with this or insight?

 

[GoldDigger]

I have recently installed LED fixtures with dimmers. Both dimmer & LED manufacturer have (tested the equipment & say they are compatible). The ckt feeding the lights is its own ckt on an arc fault breaker with dedicated nuetral. I have changed the dimmer i have changed the lights. there is multiple Led fixtures in this home. the problem is that if the dimmer is not full bright the Led fixtures blink. I have heard of a filter helping with this problem has anyone had any luck with this or insight?

If there is a three-wire dimmer on the compatibility list I would try that. For some reason (design changes, number of fixtures) the compatibility lists seem to have glitches

If possible a small incandescent on the same dimmer output may help.

 

[electricmanscott]

Some LED are just not dimable. I've spent too much time talking with various tech support dummies insisting I'm wrong as I explain exactly what is happening while we're on the phone. :roll:

 

[JDB3]

An electrical friend told of a similar situation. Up to a certain number of lights the dimmer worked fine, additional light lead to problems. Upon checking with the "LED" manufacturer & reading about the LED's installed, they discovered that a special dimmer was required to operate the LED's. Check any information that came with these bulbs.:happysad:

 

[petersonra]

Some LED are just not dimable. I've spent too much time talking with various tech support dummies insisting I'm wrong as I explain exactly what is happening while we're on the phone. :roll:

I think the actual answer is that in general LEDs are dimmable, but you can't always use a dimmer that is suitable for standard incandescent lights to do it.

 

[LEO2854]

I have recently installed LED fixtures with dimmers. Both dimmer & LED manufacturer have (tested the equipment & say they are compatible). The ckt feeding the lights is its own ckt on an arc fault breaker with dedicated nuetral. I have changed the dimmer i have changed the lights. there is multiple Led fixtures in this home. the problem is that if the dimmer is not full bright the Led fixtures blink. I have heard of a filter helping with this problem has anyone had any luck with this or insight?

Welcome to the forum...:thumbsup:



You need a combination CFL/LED rated dimmer switch to dim those and the big problem with those are that they're only rated for 150 watts,they've got to come up with something better than this,but until then it's the only way to dim them properly,these products should not be on the market until they're ready for regular household use,they make us look like dummies in front of our clients,people use dimmers for everything so why do some of the ceiling fans GU-24 sockets and non-dimmable CFL lamps....:roll::happysad:

 

[electricmanscott]

I think the actual answer is that in general LEDs are dimmable, but you can't always use a dimmer that is suitable for standard incandescent lights to do it.

True, but not the answer to my post.

 

[M. D.]

My mystery?,.. two circuit track, LED flood lamps , the number & wattage of compatible with two different styles of dimmer .. when one dimmer off , completely off,.. in fact disconnected entirely , the other dimmer excited the lamps not only of it's circuit but, to varying degrees , those of the other circuit , Not all the time ,mind you, but quite often . After much frustration and time on the phone with the lamp and dimmer folks I got a big " HUH... must have something to do with the shared neutral " The curator of the museum was thrilled he'd spent the extra money :happysad: Now, as far as LEDs go,.it's snap switches only for this guy .. they want dimmers they can figure out the "compatibility" issues

 

[copper chopper]

can you provide some more info- are the lights all from the same manufacturer, if not they might have a different driver (ballast) than the other ones. Then are you using the 0-10vdc type of dimming system or is it a percentage.This is a big difference in dimmers. check the drivers on your light fixtures for this.Try the NOVA-T dimmers from lutron they seem to work well.Also are you switching from 1 location or multiple.

 

[GoldDigger]

My mystery?,.. two circuit track, LED flood lamps , the number & wattage of compatible with two different styles of dimmer .. when one dimmer off , completely off,.. in fact disconnected entirely , the other dimmer excited the lamps not only of it's circuit but, to varying degrees , those of the other circuit , Not all the time ,mind you, but quite often . After much frustration and time on the phone with the lamp and dimmer folks I got a big " HUH... must have something to do with the shared neutral " The curator of the museum was thrilled he'd spent the extra money :happysad: Now, as far as LEDs go,.it's snap switches only for this guy .. they want dimmers they can figure out the "compatibility" issues

SWAGs:
1. The LEDs are very sensitive compared to other devices. Is it possible that simple capacitive leakage current (in the track or elsewhere) is causing the LEDs on the OFF side to light visibly, although not very brightly at all?
2. If the LED driver modules are using a connection to ground as well as to neutral (such as for noise filtering), there could be a cross coupling of line power via a poorly grounded "ground" in the track.

 

[M. D.]

SWAGs:
1. The LEDs are very sensitive compared to other devices. Is it possible that simple capacitive leakage current (in the track or elsewhere) is causing the LEDs on the OFF side to light visibly, although not very brightly at all?
2. If the LED driver modules are using a connection to ground as well as to neutral (such as for noise filtering), there could be a cross coupling of line power via a poorly grounded "ground" in the track.

I'm done .. spent over $500.00 worth of time and devices .. snap switches for me

 

[Robert N.]

can you provide some more info- are the lights all from the same manufacturer, if not they might have a different driver (ballast) than the other ones. Then are you using the 0-10vdc type of dimming system or is it a percentage.This is a big difference in dimmers. check the drivers on your light fixtures for this.Try the NOVA-T dimmers from lutron they seem to work well.Also are you switching from 1 location or multiple.

i am switching from multiple places. i am also using what they call companion dimmers (that are rated for led) the wattage is under 150 lutron says there dimmer is compatible with the fixture.also they are all ce the same fixtures.

 

[Ohms law]

Welcome to the forum...:thumbsup:



You need a combination CFL/LED rated dimmer switch to dim those and the big problem with those are that they're only rated for 150 watts,they've got to come up with something better than this,but until then it's the only way to dim them properly,these products should not be on the market until they're ready for regular household use,they make us look like dummies in front of our clients,people use dimmers for everything so why do some of the ceiling fans GU-24 sockets and non-dimmable CFL lamps....:roll::happysad:

I wanted to share my own struggles with LED bulbs and dimmers, I was on CREE's website and they state that there CREE bulbs have a inrush current or repetitive current equivlent to a 75 watt incandescent. I'm not sure if they are saying that you have to size the dimmer according to this rating they state. I would be curious what someone else might say.

 

[cadpoint]

I don't know the exact answer to your in-rush question. I will say that they have to put some value on what their material can handle.

It's only because the industry went up to the average lamp usuage sizes that the product has gone through the trial and error period.

In the end these products and all like produced LED's are just different. It's not a like any metal element in a old school lamp, it's made up of different types metals and elements. Not using a heavy metal compound is the biggest plus to LED.

I also want to state that I know they had a go at how the active standards of light measurements where used and obtained and wanted to change or tweak how their product would present or more clearly present their product to a century old aspect! I never found out the rest of that story!

Any problems (just like Life) can still exist at any point as to obtaining the exacting quatinties desired that this product demands and it is obtained daily at the mass produced manufacturing level, but only with heavy QA being ever present!

I wish I had bought Cree at $18! :slaphead: