Dimmer Bulb NOT working

[wbmkk]

I have a dimmer switch in the bedroom and up until recently, all was well.

The light bulb stopped working and as I had a candle bulb spare, I fitted this and all was well, although the maximum brightness is far too low.

Today I bought two dimmable bulbs but they didn't work .. no light at all

I put back the candle light, and as before this works fine, just it's too dim.

What's going on ?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Today I bought two dimmable bulbs but they didn't work .. no light at all

Presumably not compatible with the dimmer.
What is the minimum Wattage of the dimmer?

I put back the candle light, and as before this works fine, just it's too dim.

Get a higher Wattage candle.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Today I bought two dimmable bulbs but they didn't work .. no light at all

I put back the candle light, and as before this works fine, just it's too dim.

What's going on ?

Most likely, the dimmer is not compatible.

 

[wbmkk]

thanks

 

[ericmark]

There are many ways to dim a bulb.
1) Wave form clipping.
A) Leading
B) Lagging
2) Simple resistor
3) Wireless link
The first to can be direct acting, or a signal to internal electronics within the bulb.

The LED is a current dependent device, so we need a driver of some sort, often built into the bulb, so the clever method was to have a low colour temperature LED which would not dim, and a high colour temperature which will dim to wave form clipping, so as it dims it appears to go more red, giving the required ambiance, but as the smart bulb became cheaper and cheaper it was no longer financially viable to produce these bulbs, as the smart bulb could do it better.

The simple resistor is not used much, as it produces heat.

The British system of using the ceiling rose as a junction box, means there is often no neutral at the switch. So some way needs to be found to power the switch without a neutral, the main method is to pass a very small current through the bulb even when off, this current, if the bulb is not designed to take it, can cause the bulb to stay on dim or flash.

With on/off electronic switches sometimes they use the motion of switching to generate current, or have small batteries, but not seen that done with dimming switches.

I did try fitting a smart dimming switch

which connects wireless to the bulb, but once one moves to smart devices, may as well use voice commands. So used it as a doorbell push instead.

I find many of the dimming switches confusing, as many say something like 30–400 watt, but when one reads the advert is says 5 watt lower limit for LED, so reading the details on the switch does not help.

Also, LED bulbs often have a large wattage written on the package, but reading the small print, one realises the real wattage is a lot lower. And it seems the manufacturers don't know what they are talking about

high voltage AC is well over anything we will find in the home, 230 volts are considered as low voltage by the international standards organisation (ISO) so I don't place much faith in the instructions.

I do have lighting which will dim, but all bought as a package, I do not use dimming switches any more, when the compact fluorescent replaced the tungsten lamp, all dimmer switches were removed.