I'd like to retrofit an existing lamp with a dimmer dial built in to support dimmable LEDS. It does not seem like I can easily remove the dimmer or, even if I could, find an LED dimmer that will fit the same location.
It seems like there must exist a small electronic device that can be added to the dimmer circuit such that the LED dimmer can be controlled directly from the old potentiometer. I'm lacking the vocabulary to find what I'm looking for on the internet. Can I connect an LED dimmer driver to the old dimmer? What else is there to look out for?
Best Answer
Dimmers of the type that go inside lamps (are we talking a halogen torchiere here?) are commodity components, and generally do not take a neutral.
One option is to go with low voltage (12-24V) LEDs e.g. LED strips, and use the technology used to dim those -- PWM. You may be able to find a PWM dimmer with a rheostat input, and relocate the rheostat (or one of equivalent value) to the standard location. This kind of hacking and experimentation is much more appropriate with low voltage lighting, where the risk of electrical shock is off the table.