Dimmable Ceiling LED Light Panels

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!

No… I’m not installing ceiling lights in Missy yet… 🙁

Fear not though… I have been making out just fine with some temporary LED light strips.

However; I am getting close!  I still need to decide on ceiling panels and get them installed. That thinking forced me to think about the lights that would be installed. We are slowing inching closer…

My requirements for ceiling lights were that they be very thin (I have very limited height to work with), operate from 24 volt DC current (I did not want to be required to run my lights thru a 24 VDC to 12 VDC step down converter), and be dimmable. I was hoping to find something round and in a small-ish diameter – like 2″ – 3″.

The advertisers of LED light panels on Amazon and eBay seem to be marketed to residential folks who need to run them from 120 VAC. The good news is that all of these fixtures run on DC current and include an “LED Driver” that converts the AC current to DC current. The trick is finding lights that operate from the desired DC current (24 volts for me, 12 volts for some). Since this information is not typically included in the marketing material, it can be a challenge.

I purchased ten of these round LED light panels in the 9 watt variant . The operate on 24-42 VDC and measure about 5.75 round and three-quarters of an inch thick (or tall). I wish they were a smaller diameter but it is what it is.

These touch panel LED dimmer switches operate on 12-24 VDC so I hoped they would work with my lights. They are super slick and stylish – at least to my eyes. 🙂

After getting both items in hand, I connected them on my test bench and WHALLLLA!! LIGHT!

Better still – the dimmer works as expected.

I think the arrangement is going to work just fine. However; I do not have a permanent installation yet and certainly no more than a few minutes of operational time.

Wait… wait… wait….

After typing all of the above, I thought to myself: Self, why don’t you go ahead and install a couple of those lights and a dimmer so you can get some experience with them?  Wouldn’t it be better to discover they don’t work so well BEFORE cutting big holes in your – soon to be – brand new ceiling panels? Besides, you could use a couple more lights in this place!

Of course, it is very difficult to argue with myself when I make this much sense.  So… I got back up out my comfy computer chair and went back to work.

Now, this is only a TEMPORARY installation so please don’t go looking for super fancy, hoity-toity looking setup.

With that said; I installed two of the LED light panels over the kitchen cabinet with the dimmer switch mounted in the wall.

Does it work?

Lights on their dimmest setting…

And on their brightest setting…

It sure does!  It looks fantastic – the light – not the installation! And being able to dim them is super nice!

Now to start the clock and see how long they last!

Update: Someone asked me for some data on these LED/SMD light panels. Here it is:

The numbers bounced around a wee bit during measurement – that always makes me nervous. Regardless, these are the ‘observed averages’. Keep in mind, these are running from 24VDC system which at the time of measure was sitting at 28.3VDC (per the BMS).

For a single light/panel:
Brightest setting: 150mA at 27 VDC.
Dimmest setting: 100mA at 20.7 VDC.