A Comprehensive Buying Guide that you must read if you are wondering how to dim your GU10 LED Lamps.
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I recently decided that we needed a dimmer switch on our kitchen GU10 LED lamps. I started researching dimmer switches and dimmable LED lamps and quickly realised it wasn't as straight forward as I thought - in fact it was a complete minefield!
I eventually came up with a great solution and thought I'd share it on my Channel. So here it is - I hope it answers all your questions!
UPDATE:
Since posting the video MySwitchShop.com have confirmed that they do have a Trailing Edge product that allows dimming from 2 positions within the circuit - Eclique2 - although it works on a maximum of 10 LEDs.
WHAT I BOUGHT AND WHERE
Varilight V-Pro Dimmer £53.76 $72.03 goo.gl/Yv3ncN
Megaman U-DIM 7W LED REFLECTOR geni.us/kBRZXT (Amazon)
USEFUL LINKS
How to program Varilight Pro-Dimmers goo.gl/jCGrJY
Trailing Edge v Leading Edge Dimmers goo.gl/iZbxyC
5 Steps to Properly Replacing 50w Halogen lamps goo.gl/uZYxA6
10 Things to Know before You Dim LEDs goo.gl/o2wTwj
LED Lamp Reviews goo.gl/bwyMre
Megaman Product Catalogue 2016-2017 goo.gl/zv3FtN
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Charlie, I have referenced you videos for so many different projects in recent years and am always impressed with you presentation, level of detail and good common sense advice. In following your advice I consistently achieve much better results than otherwise. Best regards keep them coming. ESOC
Forgot to thank you for your well explained video and review of your findings. Great for people who are looking into this.
+Zed Man Thanks mate, appreciate that!
excellent the way you edit to make things flow better without all the blank space (no audio - wasted time). Very efficient video
Thanks for the vid, knew there would be a bit more to it than just swapping bulbs, think I'll put the LED dimmer on the back burner for now.
Hello Charlie, Great video! Thanks for your interest in Varilight.
This is one of the best DIY channels on KZhead
Added a dimmer to for our two-way switched kitchen lights ages ago and it worked fine. The dimmer switch failed so replaced it. After a couple of weeks it wouldn't dim or just very slightly, Was fine for me but the Mrs likes the light to be really low (almost off for some reason). As we had had an LED bulb fail thought I would check that the replacements were dimmable so searched for a video and this popped up. I had watched it before when it came out. To get to the point, I had the same dimmer switch installed and hadn't realised you could set the low point and that was the problem. Ours had somehow got set the low point to almost full on! Thanks for a useful video.
Charlie, another excellent video, I was finding it a bit of a nightmare as well trying to figure it all out too. I have a 4 gang one way switch and one of those switches has 12 spots on it, so have got my 12 dimmable leds and have ordered a varilight v-pro dimmer switch, I learned the hard way too....very explanatory video as always, thanks.
Thanks Eoghan. Good luck with the v-pro. It's done a great job with my LEDs.
Excellent video. I'm a qualified sparks and regularly hit all these issues. When the client will accept it, I suggest leaving out the dimmers and look to layers of lights instead. EG, ceiling, wall lights, under cabinet and down to plinth lights on simple switches. Matching lamps is just not viable in the long term. Another classic video Charlie. Love the high speed delivery. You're one of the few I do NOT need to switch to 1.25 playback speed.
I've completed a full refurbishment of my flat and now, after a few months, I've come to the same conclusion. Dimmers are just not worth the hassle. I wish my electrician had advised me about Trailing and Leading edge dimmer switch modules. But I guess he didn't have a clue either. I find tradesman in the UK absolutely useless and clueless. They're just thick.
Loved this!! Thanks for sharing
Good contribution. May I correct you about the pin connectors code. GU10 ( you got it right ), the other type that has 2 straight pins are refer to as GU5.3 for its connectors. Whereas MR16 is the code for the type of bulb socket it is fitted into. The bulb you have fits a MR16 socket holder. There are smaller bulbs that are of the same shape fits MR11 socket.
Wow amazing video you right the gu10 bulb more important some of bulb led work compatible with normal dimmer
Once again great advice !! I’m about to get dimmable down lights for my new conservatory they go around the edge of the conservatory on a soffit . Any idea if I should have cool or warm white
very informative. thanks
Great information. Thank you.
I’ve bought the exact same gear as yourself, varilight V-pro combined with Megan bulbs. And even on lowest setting it’s still to bright, I’ve adjusted the dimmer to get them as low as possible but still no joy. I’ve bought a lower watt dimmable bulb to see if I can get it dimmer.
At last.... a great explanation on it. thank you so much, great video...
You're welcome Mark 👊
Thanks this video helped me
Charlie, just like you I invested in the Megaman CFL GU10 lamps many years ago. As they keeled over, I invested in LED lamps of, shall we say, questionable manufacture. As they started to die one by one, I had the unusual experience of them going out with a bang and tripping the MCB (circuit breaker) which took out all the downstairs lights. After my wife and daughters were left in the dark a number of times, I wasn't at home, I invested in a branded manufacturer of LED GU10 lamps. I opted for Philips lamps and have not had any problems since. We went for the 2700K versions which are the Warm White type, on the advice of my family, as they are closer to the light produced by the old incandescent bulbs we all grew up with. I would advise anyone to ask the people who are going to use the space which type of lighting the prefer before a major purchase of LED lamps. On the issue of the dimmer I agree with all the points you made. A number of friends have asked me why they could not dim certain LED lamps only to find out they had purchased NON-dimmable LEDs. A BG dimmer switch works fine for us for a 4-way GU10 light fitting, but I couldn't get the same dimmer in another room to dim a Philips 8-watt BC bulb without flickering at a certain spot. I did try to adjust the dimmer as recommended but eventually replaced it with a standard switch and a Philips Hue bulb controlled by Alexa. So, as you say dimming LED lamps is a bit of a minefield. Great video
Hi David, thanks for that. Great to hear your experiences. Shows how fast things are moving doesn't it. My daughter now has a wi-fi bulb in her bedroom that she operates from her phone and can set schedules and moods on it. The kitchen lights were functioning pretty well. I did have to change over if the dimmer modules but other than that all working well. I agree on the warm white point. 👍
@@CharlieDIYte I think the industry needs a compatibility standard, you could just match the bulbs to the same code of dimmer
Hello, I have 10x LED GU10 3.5 watt bulbs. I did fit a B&Q dimmer switch but I found buzzing and flicking issue. Please recommend?
Well, I don't live in the UK, have the same voltage not want to pay the unbelievable prices that include a VAT and a super high shipping. So, the same bulb "GU10" is offered here in LED for $6 buy a name brand company. I plan to install them in a cooktop range hood with a 3 speed fan that failed recently, but I won't go into checking capacitance on a PSC motor. I am a retired auto tech and most of use go thru our careers with quality $500+ Digital Multi Meters (DMM) as vehicles have 12-14 volts DC, 5 Volts DC and 120 Volts A/C and not even going into Hybrids or Hydrogen Fuel Cell with 180 Volts DC. So thanks for the info! I guess a pound is the value of 1 pound silver or something quit sterling. ($) Hope you stay safe a drive on the correct side of the road. Thanks!
Thanks Dean. You too - good to hear from you 👊
I appreciate that this video was posted 5 years ago, but it's now probably best to fit an LED panel rather than these dreadful pot lights!!!
I have been using a variable auto transformer and it works on all led lamps and it works fine.
Doug Boles a variac is a type of inductor. Dimmer switches use phase angle rectifiers. Ie, why he talks about leading and trailing edge. Dimmers ride a specific section of the syne wave. Leds with electrolitic capacitors tend to glow or flash. It takes complex circuits in the bulbs to read what part of the syne wave it's receiving then modulating the leds.
Another issue with cheap LED is that many flicker when dimmed. The type of flickering im talking about is a 100hz flicker due to incorrect design not a compatibility issue with the dimmer. It's most noticeable when dimmed and when they are in your peripheral vision (which is more sensitive to motion). If you look directly at them the stop flickering because your central vision is less sensitive to movement.
trailing edge dimmers were designed to reduce flicker and electrical noise. Nothing to do with LEDs. Bigclive has a nice video explaining all the problems.
Richard absolutely correct He also explains why it's almost impossible to achieve dimming properly at mains voltage with either leading or trailing edge switches
Just what I needed to know. Cheers.
Honestly I swear by megaman led lamps for dimming as I’ve used about 5 different brands of gu10s and they’ve been the best. And even the e27s of theirs have been great on bog standard dimmers
UPDATE - myswitchshop.com confirmed to me today that there IS a Trailing Edge product that allows dimming from 2 positions within the circuit - it's called Eclique2 but you can only run a maximum of 10 LEDs on the circuit.
No idea why I'm watching these, as if I'll ever own a house. Still bloody interesting.
Cheers mate!
Why on my LED lightbulbs dull
Have you managed to own a house 4 years on?
Brilliant! Thanks!
Thanks for that Chloe 👍
Colour choice is down to individual. My preference is warm white around 3000 k. I wouldn’t recommend cool white unless you want your kitchen to look like a dentist surgery.
3000k for living areas, 4000k for kitchen/bathroom. Anything cooler than 4000k is too cold and clinical for domestic environment in my experience
I'm obsessed with anything lights! Unfortunately for cheaper LED GU10 will just have a capacitive dropper to drop the voltage not great but if it's a sealed unit perfectly safe to use, these won't be dimmable. The expensive bulbs will have the proper transformers in them. For bathrooms and kitchens I tend to go with cool white. Living areas warm white. Also if you have an outside floodlight and you want an LED version go with warm white as the Cool white won't throw enough light.
I got LED flame bulbs from this ledflamelamp.com,it seems real flame.it is cool.
A transformer won't help as dropping the current to an led isn't the best way to dim them. Reading the syne wave and h/f modulating the led is the best option
Charlie, do you have recommendations on the GU10 housing? Or can any cheap housing from any tool shop work? I liked the slim white ones that you had.
I don't, Phil but yes, any would work.
whats the difference between Enlite and Enlite ICE ?
I've retro fitted 8 5W LED GU10s into a bedroom light fitting and the previous dimmer didn't work. I replaced it with a new dimmer from Wilkos, rated for up to 50W LED. It is a leading edge dimmer. The LEDs do dim, but there is a buzzing coming from the new dimmer switch which gets louder as the LEDs are turned up and quieter as the LEDs are dimmed. It's quite loud. Any thoughts / advice?
@@TJ34644 Thanks for the reply!
Thats not right dimmer, change this to trailing edge one. Hope it will sorted.
Really like your posts. You keep referring to 'circuits' in this post when I think you mean switch line? A circuit is the feed from the consumer unit and each circuit may have multiple switch lines.
Thanks for pointing that out Andrew. 👍🏻
GU10s don't have transformers do they? I have halogens with transformers - GU5s. I've used Philips LEDs in my lounge which worked with an unbranded dimmer I found there. Does anyone know if the v-pro will work with transformer lights?
You're right, they don't have transformers - in contrast to lamps like MR16s that do. There's plenty of info out there such as this www.varilight.co.uk/dimmers/compatibility-v-pro.php but the best thing to do is give Varilight a call - I found them pretty helpful.
Can you please explain how to get rid of GU10 buzzing? I have Lutron switches and my GU10s dim fine, but the buzzing is devastating. I want to solve it, but I don't know where to start.
There's an incompatibility there that you need to get to the bottom of. Have you spoken to the installer or Lutron technical support?
Brilliant, no nonsense advice, perhaps its time (Sept 22) for an update ?
Thanks Malcolm. Yes you could be right!
I'm not stepping into this minefield
Incandescent bulbs were so much cheaper, simpler to use and to crown it all - interchangeable.
Expensive to run though. They were simpler times,, I agree.
Really useful video - doing the same in our kitchen soon. But what's with the constant cutting with the video. 😄
ipb1966 How d'you mean with the cutting? I don't film it in one go if that's what you mean - you'd find all the pauses and "ums" pretty boring to sit through!
I thought the cutting gave it some energy
He then can change the background. I enjoyed the items on his table not being static but secretly moving ☺
I fitted these dimmers recently:- www.danlers.co.uk/quiet-dimmers-trailing-edge/29-products/dimmers/trailing-edge-dimmers/175-dqdgd-mk400w-quiet-grid-dimmer-module They allow one or more slave units to be installed and are compatible with existing three way lighting circuits, great for retrofitting. Will handle loads from 40-400w and are trailing edge.
Toby Butler Thanks for that Toby. Great tip!
You can use my Dimmer for gu10 led Lights
3 Step Dimmable GU10 led lights available and requires no dimmer module
Nice and informative video, but I would like to have lot less cuts.
juhva If you can do something like this in one take then you should be doing this not me!
My head hurts. I have a simple ceiling light with 3 led bulbs in my son's bedroom, all I need to know is what led bulbs n what light switch to get so it's dimmed when I turn it on at night n wether it's dimmed without a flash when turned on. It is quite urgent as he has epilepsy and suffers from nocturnal seizures. Could anyone help please?
What you need is to do is buy a dimmer for LEDS. This will have some pdf on the manufacturers website that has a list of compatible (in house tested) LED lamps that you can choose. This will show the maximum number of lamps you can install which is important. You may need to ring the dimmer switch manufacturer to check also the brightness when turning on the light.
LEDS are flickering constantly at 100 or 120 hertz depending on which country you live in as they use a full bridge rectifier to convert AC to DC. A dimmer only makes that worse. For an epileptic it is much better to use incandescent if at all possible(they are harder to find now).
The new problem is the new led DL sealed units no bulb to change what happens when one fails and u cant get the same one? Everything is throw away now😡
That is annoying!
All I want to know is if these led bulbs are fumable???GU10s ??????
Still no solution to this problem?
Let's just make it simple. Leading Edging dimmer switch modules are for the old halogens. Trailing edge dimmer switch modules are for the new LED bulbs. There's more to it, but that's a good start. Secondly, don't get dimmers, not worth the hassle.
My dimmer's still performing pretty well..
@@CharlieDIYte You've won the dimming lottery. Lucky boy. I've got a blink in my living room setup, every five minutes or so. I'll have to change the modules from leading to trailing edge and see if that solves the issue. I'll try the VPRO. It'll be £30 for two. Not a massive loss if doesn't work. It just pains me because the so called electrician should have at least warned me. He knew we were getting LED dimming light bulbs and the recommendation should have been a trailing edge dimmer switch.
Are there no EU laws governing what LED kit can be imported? It's weird that it's such a free-for-all, when you see how domestic laws like Part P are made to hit an unsuspecting layman with a £5000 fine for not following the regs properly. Lack of joined-up thinking, I suspect. _Are there any scenarios where incompatible parts might cause overheating-or worse?_
All good questions, sadly outside my area of expertise. Are there any electricians out there who can answer this?
CHARLIE YOU WILL NOW HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THOSE MEGAMAN BULBS ARE A LOAD OF CRAP. OVER 50% OF THEM FAIL PREMATURELY. TERRIBLE BRAND!!
VERY SHOUTY THIS MORNING WITH YOUR CAPITALS 🤣 No worse than any other in my experience. They all have obsolescence built in. What would you recommend then?
Too much talk,Speak plain English to senior citizens.