possible to dim LED? (Mobile Home)

[Draakje]

Hi All,

I just bought a mobile home (Stacaravan) and it has these LED ceiling lamps which are quite bright.

It's a model FEM-1432 (Forge Europe) has an input of 100-240VAC 7W and 3000-3500K (guess this is the luminance)

it has a driver: APV-12-12

My question is: Is it possible to dim these LEDs?

Many thanks!

[Dave21w]

I would guess not with the driver you have, it will output the same voltage to the LED's regardless of it's input voltage all the way down to 100V in and then just below this most probably just switch off, I can't seem to find much info on it, can you post a picture of the top showing the ratings etc.

edit :- oops, should have searched for this "apv-12-12", basically you have a standard 110-240 in 12v out power supply as a driver, you will need to replace it with a dimmable version or put something like this between the output of the driver and the lamp.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wireless-Dimme ... B01EJ75Q3U

[Draakje]

aahh so it is possible by replacing the driver?

What to look for ? Any driver will do ?

thanks!

[jvdz]

aahh so it is possible by replacing the driver?

mmm... not per se! The bulb itself needs to be dimmable or else it will never work.

Jos

[Draakje]

hmmm.. ok so it is a misunderstanding dat LED is dimmable by default..

I always thought it was the driver that needed to be dimmable

anyway to find out? (or just trial on error?)

[jvdz]

Can't you find any details/specs on the bulb itself?
... or else you could just try, and when it doesn't work, replace the bulb by a dimmable one?
You do, as indicated above, require a "dimmer" that is suitable for LED bulbs since the old dimmers require a higher current for them to be able to function.

Jos

[Draakje]

Well I can not find any details about being dimmable..

Here are some pics which could clarify things

[Dave21w]

"mmm... not per se! The bulb itself needs to be dimmable or else it will never work."

Not strictly true, all 12v DC LED's are dimmble just by reducing the input voltage (no internal power supply), it is only if you are trying to dim mains input LED's where the LED itself has to be dimmable as it already has an integrated power supply to reduce the 110/240 down to a much lower DC value, its output value will stay constant regardless of input down to a certain point, dimmable mains LED's have a internal power supply that will reduce its output as the input reduces.

See here :-

https://www.led-lighthouse.co.uk/dimming-led-lights

LED strip lights and 12v GU10's are the same, the current requirement may be different as is the LED layout but thats about it.

[Draakje]

Interesting...

After reading the article my guess is that I could use a different driver.As in a dimmable driver (do these exist ?:P )

the thing is that I see that the driver is on the ceiling nearby the led. So if I want to add the dimmer (which is connected on the 12V side I have to do this on the ceiling...

I think it is much easier to just replace the led. (completely) By a dimmable led

[Dave21w]

This is the same device as a previous link I posted (but slightly cheaper) however you do realise this has "wireless" control ?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wireless-Dimme ... 49-3936468

[Draakje]

Wireless is an option ofcourse. but I am talking about 9 lamps which must be operated individually

don't know if that is possible.
and ofcourse it should also be operated by wall switch..

[Dave21w]

Sounds like your best option would be to find a driver that can run all 9 so you can dim them all together.

[Draakje]

Sounds like your best option would be to find a driver that can run all 9 so you can dim them all together.

No, because all have to be operated individually

[keepitsimple]

Yes - perfectly possible to dim 12v LED's, and quite easy and cheap to do.

I use 2 of these -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=VIPMOON+2+ ... nb_sb_noss

They control my garden lighting, which is a mixture of strips, integrated deck lights and standard 12v Led's, all running from mains non-dimmable LED drivers.

They have to be wired into the low voltage circuit - in my case between the 12v output from the mains driver unit and the LED's themselves.

Work fine, although the supplied remote range can be a bit limited.

As well as the supplied remotes I use a RFXtrx433XL to control them from Domoticz - they "learn" as Lighting 4 PT2262 - I use the "push on button" option to mirror the remote buttons. On/off, and up and down level by level dim can be captured. Probably some of the other functions too (pre set 25/50/100% is on the remote), but I haven't needed them.

You can use all the dimmers to respond to the same remote codes, or program them separately.

Cheap too !

BTW - 3000 to 3500K is the colour temperature - fairly common for LED's - at what I consider to be the upper end of warm white.