Reducing brightness of LED downlights?

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Wolf555

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#272157 12-Jun-2020 06:22

We recently had our downlights replaced with closed LEDs. We previously had LEDs in the old lights but they were just the bulbs. These new ones I think are either 8 or 9w and have the options for the different colour ranges. We've tried a couple and they all seem too intense and if you look anywhere near them you get some glare and want to look away.

Without paying heaps to have a dimmer installed on every single one, is there any solution to help tone them down a bit?

timmmay

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#2503320 12-Jun-2020 07:18

Dimmers on LEDs don't always work very well - I tried three different brands of dimmers on my "dimmable" LED lights and it just made them flicker. You'll get used to the lights, unless you put super bright lights in your lounge or something, in that case replace them with smaller units.

concordnz

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#2503361 12-Jun-2020 09:20

LED Dimmers come in 3 different technologies & must match the LED's
Trailing/Leading (& a third one I forget)
It's important to get the right dimmer to match your LED technology.
@timmay - the ones you tried were all probably the same tech & not correct for your LED's.

@Wolf555 - There is no easy way - I have the same problem (in the 2 rooms I 'didnt' put dimmers)
Only solution I have - You can get various 'films' to go over the likes of bathroom windows for privacy or to reduce sun coming through lounge windows.

Find some of this film - get the similar Colour to your roof paint or LED surround (so it looks OK when they are switched off)
Cut circles to fit your LEDs & put this film over the lens/face of the LED lights.
- that should be a cheap & easy way to help reduce the glare.

hsvhel

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#2503384 12-Jun-2020 09:45

Are they the Ambius range by chance?

I have replaced all mine with the above and they're brighter than the sun

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Handsomedan

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#2503435 12-Jun-2020 10:07

It took a long time for us to get used to having LED's in our house after having standard downlights.

One of the 4 dimmers we had installed is rubbish and has always just flickered (thankfully in a room we use less than the others at night), but our LED-specific dimmers in the kids' bedrooms and lounge make a MASSIVE difference.

Going from Wembley-Stadium brightness when we need it, to a more ambient warm light in the lounge is amazing and having the ability to blaze the lights in the bedrooms is great when tidying up after two teenagers. They generally have them at about half dim.

The dimmers are expensive, but I think as long as you have the right ones fitted, they're worth it.

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timmmay

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#2503452 12-Jun-2020 10:45

concordnz:
@timmay - the ones you tried were all probably the same tech & not correct for your LED's.

We used the recommended dimmer type, three different makes, plus tried a different type entirely. Still didn't work. Might just have been poor quality LEDs.

Wolf555

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#2503502 12-Jun-2020 11:01

Could the reason be they aren't recessed at all? I just had a look at some online and they all seem slightly recessed whereas ours are flush with the outside mount/ceiling. Could this have anything to do with it?

We had 1 dimmer installed and it works good but wasn't cheap so if I can avoid having to buy one for every room that would be good.

They're 90 degree beam angle and 900-1050 lumens if that helps.

concordnz

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#2503503 12-Jun-2020 11:01

timmmay:
concordnz:
@timmay - the ones you tried were all probably the same tech & not correct for your LED's.

We used the recommended dimmer type, three different makes, plus tried a different type entirely. Still didn't work. Might just have been poor quality LEDs.

Ok yeah, that must be the circuitry in the LED causing your problem.
(Unless you have electrical 'noise' on your wiring causing it. - but that is for another thread and on the edge of my expertise)

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mdooher

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#2503506 12-Jun-2020 11:04

hsvhel:

Are they the Ambius range by chance?

I have replaced all mine with the above and they're brighter than the sun

they will be if you got the 100mm 15w ones..mind you, they are fine on a dimmer

Matthew

alasta

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#2503507 12-Jun-2020 11:04

Bright lights bother me because they mess with my sleep. I really need to be able to dim my lights an hour before I go to bed.

The place that I am moving into later this year has downlights as shown in the picture below. Is it possible for a non-qualified person to replace them with Philips Hue lights, or does that require an electrician? If I do need an electrician then I guess I'd be better to just leave those lights there and put in the appropriate LED dimmer switches? I don't necessarily need 'smart' lights, but I need to be able to control brightness and also ideally the colour temperature.

concordnz

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#2503593 12-Jun-2020 12:37

@alasta Can't tell from the photo - can you start a new thread & get a photo of 'just' the LED housing? (Or climb up in the ceiling & take a photo of the sticker on the LED housing? )

Then we can tell you.

alasta

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#2503594 12-Jun-2020 12:39

Thanks. Unfortunately I won't have access to the property until construction is finished so I will take a closer look and start a new thread in a few weeks.