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[jsheridan36]

I hooked up a X-10 dimmer switch, WS12A, to an outlet to control a LED rope light. I double checked the wiring and it's all good but when I plug in the rope light, it stays on. I press the switch to turn it off and nothing happens. If I plug in an incandescent light, the dimmer appears to work fine. If appears like the dimmer switch doesn't cut off power completely when turned off. Is this true? Is there still current going through at a reduced level? What can I do to make the LED rope light turn on/off and dim?

Thanks for your help.
Rob

[Dan Lawrence]

A WS12 is a dimmer switch and it allows "trickle current" when off.  Incandescent bulbs are not effected, but CFLs, LEDs and fluorescent lights are.  You need to replace the WS12 with a non-dimming version. 

[dave w]

What can I do to make the LED rope light turn on/off and dim?

Thanks for your help.
Rob

Plug an incandescent night light into the same outlet. The night light bulb will "quench" the leakage current enough to extinguish the rope. Or put back standard switch for the WS12A and use a Socket Rocket with appropriate adaptors to light the LED rope. I  LED ropes at several places in home, all driven by Socket Rockets...works good, you just have to find ways of hiding the kludge of adaptors (cube tap, prongs to socket, and socket to receptacle).

[Brian H]

The WS12A steals power through the load and by X10s definition should be only used with incandescent bulbs.
Low wattage LED bulbs will also glow.
Try the small night light bulb trick or the Socket Rocket . Socket Rocket does not dim.

[jsheridan36]

Thanks all for the info.

[Rocket J Squirrel]

Or use a dimmer switch with a 3-wire connection, such as the Levitons, if your home wiring allows it. The addition of the neutral wire obviates the need to trickle current through the load.

[dkayton1]

I have two led bulbs hooked up as outside lights on a single x10 dimmable switch. When off, they are still lit, but I realized that the electricity usage, even at full power for 24 hours a day, is still less than using an incandescent bulb for a few hours a day.

So my question is -- is it okay to use LED bulbs on a dimmer switch? Is there any downside other than that the lights are always on and using a small amount of electricity?

(I don't want to buy two pocket rockets, because they're expensive and they'll look ugly in the fixtures, non-dimmable wall switches appear to be very expensive, and it would be very difficult to add on an incandescent night light bulb to the circuit.)

Thanks!

[dave w]

So my question is -- is it okay to use LED bulbs on a dimmer switch? Is there any downside other than that the lights are always on and using a small amount of electricity?

Thanks!

Other than the continuous aging of the phosphor in the white LEDs, it depends on the type of LED bulb. If it is the LED bulb design that has a "bunch" of LEDs in the enclosure, it should be OK, 

However if the bulb contains a single high output LED (Luxeon, Cree, etc) it might not like the distorted sine wave the dimmer switch circuity produces. I had a three watt Luxeon LED in a PAR20 style bulb that went south after three days on a Lamp Module. It had a tiny power supply tucked down in the socket area of the bulb which did not like the Lamp Module except when full ON (100% bright).

[dkayton1]

Thanks for the reply.

They each contain multiple LEDs, and I've been using them in this mode for about a month.

[dave w]

They each contain multiple LEDs, and I've been using them in this mode for about a month.

Yeah, if you have not seen a problem yet, I doubt you will.