Most of us have experienced device compatibility issues in some form, whether it’s a power plug, a video game or a universal remote control. Tech does not always talk with other tech and “compatible with most devices” often translates to “works with every device but yours.” The same holds true in lighting, particularly in dimming control systems which don’t always play well with the LED light driver supplying the power. Unfortunately, pairing an incompatible LED driver with a dimmer control switch often results in undesirable effects such as flickering, audible hum and higher output at low dimmer levels; it can even shorten the life span of the driver.
Example of an LED driver wired to a dimming controller.
How Do I Know if my LED Driver Is Compatible with My Dimmer?
The short answer is you don’t. Because there are literally thousands of different dimmers on the market with more becoming available every day, it is impossible to say with 100% certainty that an LED power supply is compatible with all dimmers. However, there are ways to avoid the incompatible pitfall, and the first step is knowing how far the driver manufacturer is willing to go to ensure your dimmer system works with their drivers.
Testing, Testing, Testing
There are a number of reasons why dimming incompatibility can occur, a topic we’ll explore in depth down the road, but incompatibility can result when installers choose LED drivers from manufacturers who don’t take the time to test their drivers with popular light dimming control systems. It’s easy to see why. Testing dimmers with drivers requires experienced labor and engineering time, and few LED driver manufacturers want to commit to the investment. At Magnitude Lighting, however, we look at it differently because incompatibility results in product returns. That’s why we test our LED drivers with the most popular dimming systems such as Leviton, Crestron, Lutron and ILC. We publish the results on our website and regularly update the charts as we test more dimmers. In fact, we test more dimmers with our LED drivers than anyone in the industry.
Visit our dimmer compatibility page for a list of dimming controllers our team has tested and be sure and check back for updates. If you have a dimmer that’s not on our list, we can help. Contact us at sales@magnitudeinc.com
