No matter the project, there's nothing more frustrating than arriving at a job with tools that simply aren't equipped for the job you need them to do.
When it comes to LED dimming, there are three problems that can catch out even the most seasoned of installers on their lighting projects. Particularly when working with difficult-to-dim fittings, large LED loads and even low LED loads.
Below, we take a look at the 3 biggest challenges electricians face on their LED dimming projects - so you can specify the right products from the start, tick off the boxes you need to and ultimately save time and money and spare yourself a return trip to the wholesaler.
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#Challenge 1: Trusting watts on the box
If you depend exclusively on box wattage for your calculations, you run the risk of not taking into consideration the impact of inrush current on your installs. While datasheets for reputable products will sometimes give an inrush current rating, this isn’t always the case.
In some instances, you might get away with it on-site, as the LED fittings you've chosen are good quality and keep inrush to a minimum. Other times you'll find yourself stuck on-site with a dimmer that can't cope with the total load you're attempting to dim.
Inrush can easily push a scenario where you're installing 8 10W/VA LED downlights on one circuit, well over the capabilities of a 100W/VA dimmer. So, it is worth always anticipating the impact of inrush on your installs and choosing reputable products from the start.
Here’s more information on – or go here if you need to troubleshoot a flickering light
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#Challenge 2: Relying on legacy dimming technology
If you choose a dimmer that isn’t designed to dim LED, you face being called back to the site for any number of issues: flicker, buzz, shortened lifespan and even Wi-Fi disturbance. Why? Because a lot of legacy dimmers on the market that have been designed and built for standard incandescent lamps are not equipped to handle LED loads.
Take TRIAC dimmers for example, a TRIAC dimmer has a copper coil inside that produces less than desirable results when paired with LED.
For more on TRIAC vs digital technology for LED dimming, you can
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#Challenge 3: Dimming large LED loads
If you have a seemingly complex project – dimming large loads on the same circuit from multiple control points - you need a product that is designed to be able to cope with the fittings and wattage you’re attempting to dim. Standard module dimmers often only go up to a certain wattage capacity and you might be fooled into thinking you need a bespoke lighting control system to solve the problem – which could take an already costly project way over budget.
There is an off-the-shelf, cost-effective and easy-to-install solution that can help to dim large loads, problematic drivers, and difficult-to-dim fittings as well as provide multiple control points per circuit, but it’s best placed being considered right from the very start.
At Zano, we designed the ZBARLED as an off-the-shelf and versatile solution, able to cope with loads up to 1000W/VA. You can even install multiple ZBARLEDs in parallel to provide dimming of even larger loads per circuit.
However, it’s a remote dimming pack that needs to be installed out of sight through a break in the circuit or a junction box. It’s not a standard wall dimmer, and your project specifications should account for it right from the very start.
There have been times when installers have used the ZBARLED as their “get out of trouble” product, helping to solve many a challenge of being stuck on site with no alternative solution than to go right back to the drawing board – but we would much rather they specified it right from the very start to save the added costs and delays to their projects.
Make it work from the start
Unfortunately, there are times when you don’t even know that you’ve started out with the wrong dimming product until a customer calls you back to the site quoting “flicker” and “buzzing sounds”, or you’re stuck on site with an overloaded dimmer and have no other option than to head back to your local wholesaler. When the unfortunate happens, Zano will always work with you to find the right solution, but to keep stressful, time and money-costing scenarios to a minimum, make sure you do your due diligence and get your hands on a dimmer that will work from the start.
If you choose Zano, you don’t have to worry about these problems - or about the cost and time they take to fix. With the correct project specification, you can be sure that the dimmer you choose for your next LED dimming project is the right tool for the job. With compatibility and lamp testing, our technical team are here to support from start to finish.
If you have an LED dimming challenge on your next project, Zano can provide the solution. Don’t hesitate to ask our team what that is by sending us an email, or by calling our friendly team at 0345 519 5858.