Light dimming: meaning and advantages of using led dimmers

Published : 06/07/2023 10:00:00

We often hear about LED dimmers or LED control units, as well as dimmable bulbs, spotlights or dimmerable strip LED: a “dimmable” system is able to vary the light intensity and easily switch from a stronger light to a weaker one.

From dimmers dedicated to lighting a single light point or a single room, switching to dimmers for large rooms and systems inside museums or theatres, in large-scale distribution or in Hospitality: applications where precise light control is required are increasingly widespread.

Let's find out what dimmers are and how they work, the main advantages of a dimmable lighting system and the most frequent problems.



Dimmerazione della luce - Significato e vantaggi



What is a dimmer and what is meant by dimmable



A dimmer is a device used to modulate the load power of a light source: more simply, it regulates the intensity of the light lowering and raising it (hence the origin of the term, "to dim" or "dimming", which means to obscure).

The dimming of the LED light can take place through two main devices:

  • Dimmable LED drivers: it is about LED power supplies designed both to supply energy to the components and to allow control of light intensity;
  • LED Dimmers: devices used exclusively for the regulation of light, using the technique of PWM modulation or through other control systems.



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How dimmers work to adjust brightness



The regulation of the light can take place via direct command (switches, knobs, panels, etc.) or remotely (from wireless remote controls to smartphone apps), while the dimmer operation takes place through different control systems, from analog technologies such as potentiometers and 0-10, 1-10 signals to digital standards such as DALI and DMX.

Modern dimmers have additional features, including the Dim to Warm technology to control not only the intensity of the light but also the color temperature, switching from warm to cold lighting and vice versa.



CLO Constant Lumen Output per il mantenimento di corpi illuminanti



The advantages and problems of using dimmers



The use of dimmable lighting systems has revolutionized the world of LED Lighting, bringing significant advantages over traditional lighting devices.

  1. High efficiency: in dimmers the energy dissipation is lower than in systems with rheostats and variable resistors; moreover, the modulation of the light also allows you to vary the current consumption, reducing it when necessary.
  2. Greater savings: lighting systems that work constantly at full capacity use greater volumes of current, leading to an increase in energy consumption; with dimmers it is possible to improve the relationship between costs and benefits.
  3. Longer Lifetime: energy-saving bulbs, spotlights, reflectors or LED strips can work longer and with greater efficiency.



Indice di resa cromatica CRI per illuminazione LED



However, it is not uncommon to run into some problems in the use of dimmers, often caused by an inadequate choice of dimmer or by a non-optimal installation:



  1. Noise and interference: switching dimmers can lead to problems in sending and receiving electronic and analog signals, as in the case of audio systems;
  2. Buzzes and flickers: when controlling particularly high loads, if the dimmer is not adequate it can cause unpleasant buzzing or flickering effects;
  3. Incompatibility: choosing a dimmer that is not compatible with the lighting system can cause voltage drops or overloads, reducing the lifetime of the devices.



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Dimmer professionali Dalcnet per il controllo digitale della luce



Choosing a dimmer for an LED Lighting project



There is no “universal” dimmer suitable for every single application: the choice of LED dimmer must be carefully calibrated according to specific needs.

Experts in the distribution of LED lighting components, at Digimax we can manage entire customized LED Lighting projects, which include light and color dimming with the most advanced Casambi and Dalcnet branded LED dimmers.

The wide range of light control solutions through latest generation protocols such as DMX, DALI2, KNX and Casambi is what distinguishes Digimax's offer, together with the supply of over 1000 LED Lighting components including drivers, dimmers, strips and neon flexes, lenses, COBs, reflectors and heat sinks.

Discover our personalized consultancy service and our catalog of LED dimmer Made in Italy.



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