Maestro Support

Ghosting / Blinking LED Lights with Maestro  Dimmers

Dimming LEDs:  Common problems and how to work through them

When you dim LEDs, you expect the same performance you get when dimming incandescent bulbs.  Unfortunately, it doesn't always pan out that way and can be frustrating.

We understand the challenges that come with dimming LEDs and are here to help you work through the issues as best as you can.  Please keep in mind that you may need to change your LED bulbs or the dimmer you are using so that they are compatible.  Compatibility between the dimmer and the bulb is key to better LED performance.

This article will help you to better understand what causes the lamps to flick or flash and will also provide solutions

What causes LED bulb ghosting?

When the lights are turned off, a small amount of electricity may still flow through the dimmer and the LED lights.  In rare cases, particularly with older LED lighting technology, this may cause the lights to glow or flicker even though they were turned “off.”  However, most of the LEDs currently sold in stores today are able to able handle this without issue.
 

What can you do about it?

1. Make sure your Lutron Dimmer and LED bulb(s) are compatible

With all the manufactures that produce LEDs there are many different electrical components within them, which means they differ from bulb to bulb. Some LEDs will dim down further and smoother than others.  Some bulbs perform best only when working with a specific type of dimmer.  This can make choosing the right dimmer and compatible bulbs difficult. It is best practice to use an LED from an Industry leading Manufacturer.

Lutron is one manufacturer that tests the latest LED bulbs and posts the ones that we have found to work best.  To view Lutron's list of compatible dimmers and tested bulbs, visit  the Lutron LED Compatibility Tool

 

       2. Change out one bulb for an incandescent/halogen

Because this is not ideal, this is the last resort.  If you do not want to change all of your LED lamps, then you can insert an incandescent / halogen bulb into the circuit.  This can help to stabilize the other LED lamps and improve the dimming performance.

To learn more about common problems with dimming LEDs, please visit Lutron's LED troubleshooting page