One of the most common issues with mains dimmable lighting control systems—also known as phase dimmable or triac dimmable systems—is the incorrect specification of lamps (light bulbs). For this discussion, we are extending the definition of "lamps" to include LED strips.

The type of lamp required depends on the lighting control system in use, as it may need to be compatible with either leading-edge or trailing-edge dimming.

"Leading-edge" and "trailing-edge" dimming are sometimes referred to as "forward phase" and "trailing phase" dimming, respectively.

Some lighting control systems are phase adaptive, meaning they can automatically adjust to work with either leading-edge and trailing-edge lamps. Additionally, some lamps on the market are dual-compatible, meaning they are designed to operate with either dimming type.

Avoid Mixing Different Lamps on the Same Circuit. Mixing different types of lamps on the same circuit—such as GU10s and LED strips or multiple models of GU10s—can cause dimming issues, even if all lamps are of the same dimming type. For optimal performance, always use the same lamp type and model within a single circuit.

We would suggest not to use :

• Cheaper electrical wholesaler brands
• Lamps sourced from Amazon / Ebay

Recommended Dual-Compatible Lamps

For better compatibility, we suggest the following dual-compatible lamp ranges:

• Megaman's – U-Dim range
• Philips' – Gold Dimmer Icon / Gold Compatibility range

Test Before Installation
We strongly advise testing the compatibility of your chosen lamps before installation so that you can satisfy yourself of the dimming.