Dimmable LED lightbulbs - worth it?

[TimmyP]

I've read lots of conflicting information on the internet about dimmable LED lightbulbs. Some people have said that even if a supplier claims that a LED lightbulb is dimmable using it with a dimmer can cause issues, such as it emitting a buzzing noise, flickering and it shortens the life of the bulb.

What would you advise? Either, I use a dimmer with a LED lightbulb; or I use a bog standard light switch with the appropriate illumination for the room and forget about a dimmer.

 

[SparkyChick]

If I'm installing dimmers, I use Varilight vPro dimmer modules with ScrewFix's own brand LAP dimmable lamps. If they are low voltage lamps, Varilight's lighting transformers work a treat.

The achievable range of illumination is not as great as incandescent lamps, but if you use the vPro's capabilities properly you can achieve nice stable low light levels (they have a minimum level you can set to avoid flickering).

This combination has served me well and I have thus far had no complaints about short lamp life, noise or flickering. I have had two vPro modules that were faulty (one would turn itself off if the lights in the next room were turned on/off and another simply didn't work). I've installed a stack of them and have not had a single failure.

 

[pc1966]

Another plug for the vPro dimmers!

They work fairly well with many LED lamps, but it is not as universal as old style filament lamps in that respect.

Limited adjustment, or occasionally flickering, are the issues you can have. I don't think I have seen shortened LED lifetime (but some are just not that good quality/lifespan, dimmer or not).