Need help with electrical problem.

[hongkong2]

I had 2 LED spot lights on the front porch and 2 Led lights on the garage all with dusk to dawn feature. Wife said the porch lights were too bright so I installed a LED compatible dimmer switch with all 4 lights on the same circuit. Now the porch lights function as they should but the lights on the garage wouldn't come on so I switched back to the standard sp/st switch and still no garage lights. I pulled the fixtures off and tested for current and both boxes had current. I've since pulled the LED lights on the porch with 25w incandescent flood lights and they work fine but still no garage lights. Any and all ideas welcomed, thanks.

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[Member 361]

Some LED's are not compatible with traditional dimmer switches. It's very possible you burned out the led's in the garage. Do you have a new fixture you can try in there to see if it works?

 

[hongkong2]

Some LED's are not compatible with traditional dimmer switches. It's very possible you burned out the led's in the garage. Do you have a new fixture you can try in there to see if it works?

I did install a LED compatible switch, trying to figure this out before buying new fixtures for the garage..

 

[Member 361]

I've seen some led's that don't function with the led dimmers even.

 

[bcp]

I once almost started a repair on a light when it didn't come on when switched. Then i realized it had a photocell and It was daylight.

Bruce

 

[Member 361]

You could also try moving one of the garage lights to the porch and the porch light to the garage and see what happens!

 

[hongkong2]

I've seen some led's that don't function with the led dimmers even.

These won't even function after I switched back to the original non dimmer switch.

 

[Member 361]

These won't even function after I switched back to the original non dimmer switch.

The drivers for the led's burn out so they will need a new one. Usually cheaper and easier to just replace the fixture.

 

[jbett98]

I installed some exterior GE LED flood lights on my rental house that have a built in motion sensor.
They only cost $15.00 each and when something trips the sensor, they stay lit for 10 minutes then shut off unless they keep sensing motion.
Very bright and they screw into the E26 bases.

 

[Joe13]

You could also try moving one of the garage lights to the porch and the porch light to the garage and see what happens!

This is a good next step to isolate the wires, switch or lights

 

[Aught Six]

When we converted the hall light to LED, we had to replace both switches.
Sure glad we have cases of incandescent bulb stashed.

 

[Tony617]

Some LED's are not compatible with traditional dimmer switches. It's very possible you burned out the led's in the garage. Do you have a new fixture you can try in there to see if it works?

I changed all of lights in our home to LED. Unfortunately we had a dimmer switch on the dining room lights and they were not compatible. I had to order dimmable LED lights instead.

 

[Jim Horn]

Regarding dimmers and LEDs - conventional dimmer switches work by shutting off a variable part of the AC waveform which reduces the average voltage. An incandescent light ends up with less power as average voltage decreases. The dimmer does this by rapidly turning on and off at 120 times per seconds while synchronizing with the 60 cycle power.

LEDs can only be powered by low voltage direct (not alternating) current, usually at about 3.4 volts. So every AC compatible LED bulb or fixture includes extra circuitry to convert the 120 volt 60 cycle power to that, while adjusting the LED voltage to maintain a particular current that the LEDs need.

Therein lies the problem. The LED driver circuit exists to keep a constant power to its LEDs while a conventional dimmer is changing the input waveform. Some drivers can be destroyed by such waveforms, as I suspect yours did. "Dimmable" LED bulbs and fixtures include extra circuitry to detect such waveforms, survive them, and change the current to the LEDs accordingly, allowing them to be dimmed.

Meanwhile, conventional dimmers may or may not work with the very different load the LED drivers present to them. And the range of dimming available is far different than that of incandescent bulbs. So a LED dimmer is designed to account for that - but still sends a chopped-up AC power to the lamps, possibly destroying any that are not made for that.

Close examination of the packaging of LED bulbs and fixtures will usually state whether they are dimmable or not. And, if not dimmable, if it can be used in a circuit with dimmers. You may have to read the find print in the latter case to find if that is so.

In short, be sure to use dimmable LED bulbs or fixtures when using them with any dimmers, either conventional or LED type. Otherwise the performance will be poor or may destroy them. If they are dimmable, changing conventional dimmers to LED dimmers will give a more satisfying range of control.

Sorry you had to learn about this the hard way!

(Created the MIL STD on military drone anti-collision lighting using LEDs...)

 

[hongkong2]

Regarding dimmers and LEDs - conventional dimmer switches work by shutting off a variable part of the AC waveform which reduces the average voltage. An incandescent light ends up with less power as average voltage decreases. The dimmer does this by rapidly turning on and off at 120 times per seconds while synchronizing with the 60 cycle power.

LEDs can only be powered by low voltage direct (not alternating) current, usually at about 3.4 volts. So every AC compatible LED bulb or fixture includes extra circuitry to convert the 120 volt 60 cycle power to that, while adjusting the LED voltage to maintain a particular current that the LEDs need.

Therein lies the problem. The LED driver circuit exists to keep a constant power to its LEDs while a conventional dimmer is changing the input waveform. Some drivers can be destroyed by such waveforms, as I suspect yours did. "Dimmable" LED bulbs and fixtures include extra circuitry to detect such waveforms, survive them, and change the current to the LEDs accordingly, allowing them to be dimmed.

Meanwhile, conventional dimmers may or may not work with the very different load the LED drivers present to them. And the range of dimming available is far different than that of incandescent bulbs. So a LED dimmer is designed to account for that - but still sends a chopped-up AC power to the lamps, possibly destroying any that are not made for that.

Close examination of the packaging of LED bulbs and fixtures will usually state whether they are dimmable or not. And, if not dimmable, if it can be used in a circuit with dimmers. You may have to read the find print in the latter case to find if that is so.

In short, be sure to use dimmable LED bulbs or fixtures when using them with any dimmers, either conventional or LED type. Otherwise the performance will be poor or may destroy them. If they are dimmable, changing conventional dimmers to LED dimmers will give a more satisfying range of control.

Sorry you had to learn about this the hard way!

(Created the MIL STD on military drone anti-collision lighting using LEDs...)

Thank you for your great explanation, now I understand what happened. I'll pick up new LED lights for the garage and forgo the dimmer