Puck dimmer and problems with Dimmable LEDs

[Doorman]

Hi all

I am in the final stages of a C4 installation. All my lighting has been installed and my programmer comes next week to install and program the system.

I have have about 100 led downlights which work great with both puck and elv dimmers. However I have a hanging pendant light fitted with 12x2.5w dimmable led globes. This fitting is connected to a puck and when the puck is switched off the globes still glow. If I take one of these globes and put into a fitting connected to an elv dimmer it works fine further if I replace 1 globe with a 40w incandescent globe the other 11 LEDs turn off. I have several fitting exhibing the same problem, led wall lights, strip lights and cabinet lights. In reality the only ones that do work are the down lights. The brand is barricade in case anyone in AU is looking for a Dimmable led downlight that works wih c4 http://lumitex.com.au/products/led-downlights/

This took my dealer by surprise and after a fair amount of back and forth with the Australian distributor it was discovered that the puck dimmer required a minimum load of 10w. I am told this needs to be a capacitive load and the LEDs are an inductive load so that is why my pendant with 12x2.5w LEDs are not enough load to for the dimmer to function.

My dealer is suggesting I need to install a resistor on the 240v side of the circuit to create a capacitive load to get the dimmer to switch off.

My issue with this is I have spent a small fortune on installing low consumption LED lights throughout the house and installing a 10w load on each circuit somewhat defeats the purpose.

An option will be to replace the effected pucks with elv dimmers as these are all installed into ceiling space but I don't feel I should have to pay for this nor should my dealer. There is nothing in the instruction sheet that comes with the puck dimmer and why does elv work and the puck doesn't?

Does anyone have any experience with this? Are there any other suggestions

Thanks

[berazafi]

There are some notes regarding some led lighting will stay on with some led loads in the instructions that come with the puck. Do you have neutrals connected to the puck modules, because that can also cause issues. Has your dealer added the lights to controller and done any programming. There is an option for Forward and Reverse dimming that might resolve the problem.

[Doorman]

Yes I believe the neutrals are installed to the puck. I will need to check. Will disconnecting the neutral help?

Dealer comes next week to install all the controllers and do programming but there has not been any suggestion this maybe fixed in programming

[berazafi]

No disconnecting will make it worse

Changing the dimming phase (done during the inital config may help).

Standards dimmers are reverse phase

ELV dimmers are forward phase

Puck dimmers can be either

Unfortunately LED can be a bit hit or miss, CBUS has the same problems, at least C4 doesn't require quite as much load on the dimmer as others to make it turn off.. BTW a dimmer is never actually off, there is always some power passing through

As you have said for the ones you need to be completely off, eg bedrooms, installing a fake load is still very efficient in power consumption. The fact they are visibly glowing is not costing any extra, if you were to use a different brand, you would still be consuming the same energy in the off state (although with yours you get night lights from it instead of just heat)