Bulbs That Work With a Dimmer

Incandescent

• Incandescent bulbs are standard light bulbs that produce light by heating the metal filament wire inside the glass. The metal element stores the energy from the dimmer switch and allows you to change the brightness of the bulb. When you purchase incandescent bulbs, make sure you do not purchase fluorescent bulbs that look similar. Read the package carefully and select the wattage that the dimmer brand recommends.

Compact Fluorescent

• A Compact fluorescent light (CFL) helps save energy, but only certain types of this bulb will work with a dimmer. Many fluorescent bulbs require a minimum voltage to produce light. After you purchase a CFL bulb, read the package carefully to determine whether it will work. The package will often state that the bulb is dimmable. Even so, the bulb might not work with the type of dimmer you have. If you purchase these types of bulbs, you may want to determine whether you can bring them back to the store.

Light-Emitting Diode

• Light-emitting diode bulbs (LED) can work with dimmers if they are specifically designed for them. Read the package carefully to determine whether they are dimmable. The bulbs may not receive enough voltage, and certain brands of dimmers will not work with LED bulbs. The bulbs do not function as well as incandescent lights, but The U.S. Department of Energy states that new design options may improve the bulbs in the future.

Considerations

• While CFL and LED bulbs can work with a dimmer, you may notice that they are not always 100 percent compatible. Sometimes the light bulbs turn off before you turn the dim switch to the lowest level. The dimmable bulbs can also turn off without any warning and may flicker due to changes in voltage. Not all brands of light bulbs are the same. You may have to try different brands of these bulbs until you find one that works well with the dimmer.