How to Wire LED Christmas Lights to a Dimmer

Wiring LED Christmas Lights into a dimmer can help to make the lights last much longer, it will also give you much more control over the brightness of the Christmas lights. Learning how to wire the LED Christmas lights into a dimmer can help you to control the exact brightness of the LED bulbs.

Step 1 - Choosing LED Christmas Lights

The first step is to choose a set of LED Christmas lights which will do everything you want. You must spend time shopping around because the prices of these Christmas lights can vary significantly.

Step 2 - Understanding the Concept

LED Christmas lights use a transformer to step the voltage of the AC current down into something which can be used to light the lights up. A dimmer switch works in a similar way as the power transformer, with the added factor of allowing you to control just how much power the lights get.

Step 3 - Choosing Christmas Lights Dimmer

Now you need to choose a dimmer which is suitable for use with your Christmas lights. Choose a dimmer which works with DC (Direct Current) electricity because this is what LED lights will work on. The Christmas lights dimmer should be capable of dimming to the correct voltages to change the brightness of the lights.

Step 4 - Wiring the Dimmer

The dimmer simply needs to be wired so that it is in-line with the LED Christmas lights. Always unplug the Christmas lights before cutting and wiring the dimmer. Although these will use a stepped down DC current which isn't lethal it's better to be safe than sorry.

Cut the wires where you want to locate the dimmer. Give this some thought before making the final cut because once you've made the cut you can't change it. Open up the dimmer casing and then screw the wires from the lights into the dimmer terminals. Make sure that the cable clamps are done up tightly on the insulated section of the cable.

The dimmer can normally act as the switch for the light too, assuming that the dimmer can become infinitely resistant. This way you will be able to quickly and easily control the brightness of the lights.

If these are external Christmas lights then it's always better to keep the dimmer switch inside the house. This way you won't have to worry about weatherproofing the connections.

Step 5 - Testing the Dimmer

Once you have wired the dimmer into the circuit you then need to test it. Turn the lights on and use the dimmer to change how bright the lights are. If the lights aren't coming on at all then it's likely that you haven't made one of the connections properly. If the lights don't change brightness when the dimmer is adjusted it could be that the dimmer has not been wired properly or that it is defective.

Step 6 - Enhancements

It's also possible to do various enhancements to make the most out of your light dimmer. An audio dimmer for example can be fitted which will allow the lights to flash along to music.