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Micro on/off (or dimmer) to control LEDs?

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    Micro on/off (or dimmer) to control LEDs?

    Short version: LED bulbs draw very low power and this is a problem for some vendors - Can Insteon micro switches/dimmer handle it? Are people successfully using the micro on/off (or micro dimmer) to control LED lights? I'm interested in both screw-in replacement bulbs that look and light like incandescent bulbs, and also 120v-to-12v power supplies.

    Longer version Existing old home would look terrible with new light switches; neutral is available in most of the old switches. Exterior is dark at night and would be safest to be able to turn on light from street when coming home at night. As incandescent and CFL lights burn out I'm replacing them with screw-in LED bulbs - these have the most common Edison E26/E27 bases, and they fit just fine in existing fixtures. I was looking at /another brand/ that has the remotes I want, but the other brand of fits-behind-existing micro switch/dimmer does not necessarily work with LEDs. One vendor reports failures with loads under 20 Watts. The manufacturer gives different advice but does say it has issues with some LED drivers. So, that got me looking at Insteon. Single LED bulbs that replace common 60W bulbs are about 9 Watt LEDs. It's possible there will be some 6 Watt. In one outdoor location I want to run at least one 12V bulb. I haven't picked a fixture yet but LED step lights tend to run from 1 Watt to 2 Watts. Even Xenon step lights are under 10 W.
    Last edited by cyberiad; 12-30-2015, 01:48 PM. Reason: clarified that neutral wire is available in existing boxes behind existing switches

    #2
    I use both SwitchLinc and Micro dimmers with dimmable LED bulbs. Not all brands dim well. I've had success with both Sylvania and Cree LED bulbs. Philips LED bulbs flicker occasionally at less than full brightness.
    Message from Forum Admin: stusviews passed away in April 2018. Stu was a huge fan of Insteon and a huge presence on both the Smarthome and Insteon forums, helping thousands of us along the way (he had nearly 20,000 posts to his name). We thank him for his contributions, dedication, and passion for making the Smart Home a reality. He will truly be missed.
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