What type of voltage and current do LED lights require to operate?
Conventional incandescent lamps are made to operate on standard 110v AC power. Descrete LED chips themselves are designed to operate on DC current typically in the 350 mA range. As a result LED bulbs are designed with built in AC to DC converters that supply the correct current needed for the specific LED chips. As a result, LED lights may be used in place of traditional incandescent lamps without changing the fixture. Please note that most LED lights are not designed to be used with dimmers. Do not install an LED bulb into a dimmer controlled circuit with a properly designed LED lamp. • Are LED bulbs designed to function with dimmers? No. Standard LED bulbs are not designed to function with dimmers. A traditional dimmer reduces the overall voltage sent to the light fixture. LED’s operate on DC current. Some LED lamps are designed to function with dimmers, however those dimmers must be specifically designed to reduce the current delivered to the LED bulb rather than reduce the voltage.