Blog – Dimming 12 or 24 VDC LED lights

Now there are even more ways to dim your 12 and 24VDC LEDlights as electronic technology advances.

LED lighting products have always been dimmable. In the early days, we had only one option and that was dimming on the low voltage side. Today, we have several other dimming methods to choose from. Which one is right for you will depend upon a number of factors including exactly what, where and how you are installing LED lighting, where your controls will be installed, and simply a matter of your personal preferences. Let’s start with the earliest and move to the most recent. All of these controls can be found on our LED dimmers page so you have only one click to review all.

Tried and true, Zane low voltage dimming controls. We started to offer LED strips and arrays in the late 90’s and Zane Inc has been with us all the while. Easy to install and highly reliable, Zane dimmers are still in great demand, especially for OEM’s and customers controlling some type of LED product in a control panel. With a capacity as high as 12 Amps in free air flow, there is rarely a need to run more than one circuit. PWM is built into each dimmer, increasing the longevity of your LED products. The mini-dimmer was shown (there is also a version with a wall plate attached) is very small and easy to conceal inside a cabinet or under a shelf. When using a low voltage dimmer, it is placed in between the power supply and the 12 or 24 LED product, so you are actually dimming the low voltage side and not the line voltage side. At a price point of $34.00, Zane dimmers are the most economical of all of the dimming solutions we offer today. Next on the agenda is the dimmable magnetic transformer.

Customers wanted a LED dimmer with a more updated look. The dimmable magnetic transformers work with 120VAC wall dimmers and have a capacity between 60 and 300W, so again, you can run a lot of LED lights in one circuit. Choose from an extensive list of compatible, conventional 120VAC dimmers to provide the look, colour and feel that will suit your environment. The downside is that they are very large and heavy. Your installer will have to find a location to accommodates the size and weight. The price point of $90-$200+ plus the cost of your dimmer switch and wall plate. And then, the Reign dimmers took a place on the playing field. Here is a dimmer with an updated, Decora-type look and feel.

They work in conjunction with an AC-DC power supply, but that doesn’t have to be as large and bulky as a dimmable magnetic transformer. You have a choice of three styles and two colours. These dimmers will work with either 12VDC or 24VDC LED lights and have a relatively high capacity of 100 W. Price point is $54.00 plus the cost of your power supply. Finally, the Switches! There’s nothing dim about this idea and it’s a product that has been long awaited. The Switches is a dimmer and power supply rolled into one. Only one piece of equipment to purchase, not two or three.

Every Switch comes with all three face plates: glossy white, glossy light almond, and glossy dark brown. That is the interior face plate and not to be confused with the exterior trim plate. This dimmer/power supply has separate 12 and 24VDC versions. Price point starts at $189.00 for the 12VDC 40W capacity model and goes up to $315 for the 24VDC 100W capacity model. A bit pricey? Perhaps. But with a 5-year warranty, nothing else to purchase, and a lot less installation cost, we think well worth the investment. Not sure which method of dimming your 12 and 24VDC LED lights is right for you? Let one of our technical sales people help you to gather all of the information you need to make a decision.

By: Mary Wecker