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Varilight on Dimming LEDs
Comments off · Posted by admin in LED, LED Candles, LED downlights, LED GLS, LED GU10, LED MR16 lamps, LED panels, LED Spots
With an ever-increasing array of new control technologies available and many style and colour options for clients to choose from, electrical contractors rely heavily on good product availability from wholesalers across a very wide range of wiring accessories. You cannot always rely on the products you need being available ex-stock. Therefore, if a wholesaler is not offering same-day or next-day availability on a full range they are likely to miss out on orders and risk losing your support.
Further, if the product most suited to an intended application is not readily available there is also a danger that you will purchase a generic item off-the-shelf instead, especially at the final fix phase when time is of the essence. Inevitably, this often leads to problems down the line when products fail to perform satisfactorily or fail prematurely, requiring a re-visit to the site to troubleshoot or replace the originally installed item. This is costly in terms of your time and also your reputation. With your own credibility at stake, you want to install the best solution first time around and not settle for second best.
Don’t settle
Take the increasingly common example of a client asking their electrician to install energy-efficient LED lighting. Through (sometimes bitter) experience, most electrical contractors will have settled on a preferred brand of lamp, and, if the customer is looking for dimmable lighting, a preferred brand of dimmer as well. Unsurprisingly, all LED lighting is not created equal, even if it is described as “dimmable”, and so it is important to select the best dimmer switches for the job in hand. There are many dimmer switch technologies now available but very few deliver consistent results so it’s important for the electrician to have quick and easy access to the best dimmer for the application to avoid significant delay and client dissatisfaction.
“Unsurprisingly, all LED lighting is not created equal, even if it is described as ‘dimmable’, and so it is important to select the best dimmer switches for the job in hand.”
Many leading manufacturers have established supply chains that enable next-day delivery of items not generally available on wholesalers’ shelves. Therefore, you should always ask specifically for and insist on receiving the product you know is best suited to the job.
This is particularly important when new technologies arrive because it is difficult for wholesalers to indentify whether a new product should become a stock item. For example, when Varilight’s V-Pro series LED dimmers were first launched it took a while for wholesalers to begin stocking them. The V-Pro dimmer is now our best-selling product and widely available ex-stock. Meanwhile, our new V-Com series dimmers for larger LED loads are new to the market and not yet widely stocked. However, as with all Varilight products they are available on a next-day basis through our well established supply chain.
Ready to go
For contractors, the knowledge that a product is available next-day from your preferred wholesaler enables you to confidently recommend the products you know will be the best ones for your client’s application. Ready stock availability streamlines your business with reduced downtime and site re-visits while enabling you to deliver the optimum solution for the client.
Additionally, in situations where two manufacturers’ products are being used in an application, as in the above case with LED lamps and dimmer compatibility, knowledge is especially important. Many lamp manufacturers have tested their lamps with a range of dimmer switches and list them on their websites. Additionally, dimmer manufacturers may be able to recommend lamps that they know from experience give excellent results every time.
Quite clearly, it is no longer sufficient for manufacturers to have great products; investment is required to develop robust and well-structured supply chains to ensure those products are readily available for contractors to procure on a next-day basis.
You, as contractors, have a vital role to play in this process. It is only by insisting that your preferred wholesaler stocks or can quickly obtain products you know and trust, that they will have them available when you need them. In this way, you are able to respond at short notice and you can increase your credibility with your clients.
Visit www.novelenergylighting.com today to explore our range of Varilight dimmers and LED lighting. Call us 0208-540-8287 which questions, or email us: sales@novelenergylighting.com
led dimmers · led dimming · Novel Energy Lighting · varilight · varilight dimmers
We love LED lamps, but getting them to dim reliably can be a bit of a minefield
Lux reports: The adoption of dimmable LED lighting for new installations is rising fast, but with a vast retrofit market to address, there is an opportunity for further growth if the user experience can be optimised. LED lighting has already captured the imagination of consumers in a way that CFLs never did with LED lamps offering many of the energy-saving benefits of compact fluorescents but in a much more familiar package.
Consumers are able to buy lamps that look like the incandescent lamps they are replacing, which makes for a more comfortable switch. However, they are also expecting the dimming performance to be replicated and this is where a lack of information can lead to disappointing results.
Here are our top tips for getting the best out of retrofit dimmable LED lighting.
It is a common misconception that any LED lights can be dimmed with an LED dimmer”
DO choose dimmable LEDs
The number one rule for successfully dimming LED lighting might sound obvious but it is a common misconception that any LED lights can be dimmed with an LED dimmer. In reality, the driver circuitry must be designed with dimming in mind. Therefore, it is essential to choose lamps that the manufacturer describes as ‘dimmable’. The lack of an industry standard for dimmable LED drivers has, though, led to a myriad of different approaches by lamp manufacturers, some more successful than others.
Choose ‘dimmable’ lamps but be aware that this in itself is not a guarantee of a good dimming performance. It is, however, a good starting point.
DO stick to recognised brands
There is a lot of variation in the dimming performance, under test, of LED lamps described as dimmable. In particular, the achievable brightness range and stability of output are the features most likely to disappoint with unbranded lamps.
Some manufacturers are happy to label their lamps as dimmable even if they can deliver only the smallest change in brightness. Choose lamps from established lighting manufacturers. Aside from dimming considerations, established brands are also more likely to offer better product warranties, longer lamp life and more customer support.
Top tip: Stick to brand names that you can have confidence in and don’t be tempted to make false economies.
The escalating brightness of retrofit LED lamps has made dimming much more relevant”
DO read the label
To deliver a true retrofit comparison with incandescent lighting, it is important to consider the brightness range. Significant advances in LED lighting technology have been made in recent years, achieving far higher lumens per watt, even for the halogen-mimicking warm white lamps, where lamp output is often compromised for the more familiar incandescent hue. There is little point in connecting a dimmer to an LED light if it is dim enough already, so the escalating brightness of retrofit LED lamps has made dimming more and more relevant. Brighter lamps can give customers a greater dimming range.
Top tip: Read the label and select the dimmable lamps with the highest maximum lumen output.
DO ask manufacturers about compatibility
Most established lighting brands publish compatibility data on their websites. Dimmer switches are tested with various loads and the lamp performance graded. These grades are a useful reference point and can help when choosing a dimmer. It can be confusing though, when navigating the websites of international brands, to find dimmers listed that are not available in the UK. If in doubt contact the company to ask about their recommendations.
Top tip: Manufacturers want customers to experience the full potential of their lamps and will often be happy to recommend the best dimmer switch to use.
DON’T use a standard dimmer
Some lamps manufacturers may boast that their dimmable LED lighting can be controlled using a standard dimmer, but where this claim is borne out, it is likely to be true only when some very narrow criteria are met. Standard dimmers will be underloaded in most LED applications, exacerbating flickering and strobing effects, which, in turn, can drastically shorten lamp life. Standard dimmers are also not equipped to exploit the full brightness range, resulting in a disappointing user experience.
Top tip: Take claims of compatibility with standard dimmers with a pinch of salt.
DO choose a dimmer designed for LED lighting
DO choose a dimmer designed for LED lighting
Sophisticated dimmers are available to deliver the best possible performance from dimmable LED lighting. Some have several dimming modes to enable smooth dimming across the diverse driver technologies in the market. The brightness output a lamp produces from the same power input varies markedly between brands. For this reason, some manufacturers now include an adjustable minimum brightness setting so the user can access the full brightness range of a given lamp. An adjustable minimum brightness also ensures that any instability a lamp might exhibit at its lowest level of illumination can be avoided.
Top tip: Dedicated LED dimmers are equipped to exploit an LED lamp’s full dimming potential, better replicating the dimming behaviour of an incandescent lamp.
Design your lighting installation to ensure you don’t exceed the maximum load of the dimmers available”
DON’T buy your luminaires without first selecting a dimmer
Like all dimmer switches, those designed for LED lighting have minimum and maximum load recommendations. Design your lighting installation to ensure you don’t exceed the maximum load of the dimmers available. Splitting the load across more than one dimmer could provide a solution and give greater control by allowing light levels to be zoned in a multi-functional space. Until recently it was difficult to find a dimmer capable of controlling more than 100W of LED lighting, but some recent products open up the possibility of dimming much larger LED loads, up to 600W.
Top tip: It’s important to select a dimmer that can control the total wattage and quantity of lamps you want to dim.
DO read the instruction leaflet
LED dimmers often come with features designed to enhance their performance, but you may have to program the dimmer to access them. Don’t be tempted just to ‘plug and play’ because you may be missing out on features that will give greater expression to your lighting. For example, with some remote-controlled dimmers, enhanced scene-setting features may be unlocked using the dedicated handset. Some manufacturers have released how-to videos on their websites.
Top tip: Read the instruction leaflet or you may miss out on features and benefits.
Contact Novel Energy Lighting to discuss you lamp needs and dimming requirements.
Tel: 0208-540-8287, or email us for more info: sales@novelenergylighting.com
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