Not all LED bulbs will work seamlessly with all Z-Wave switches. While we no longer publish a database of verified working LED bulbs (manufacturers change components way too often for that), here are some general tips that we hope will help you make the best choice for your smart lighting.
While it's normal to get a flickering effect at low brightness levels (0-10%), sometimes you'll connect an LED bulb and find that it flickers at all dimming levels. This is usually due to a driver incompatibility and you can check with the bulb manufacturer whether it requires a leading edge TRIAC driver or a trailing edge MOSFET driver to know which Zooz dimmer will work best for you.
Our leading edge / TRIAC dimmer models are ZEN22, ZEN24, ZEN72, ZEN74, ZEN77 VER 3.0, and ZEN30 VER. 2.0 & VER. 3.0.
- The ZEN22, ZEN24, and ZEN30 VER 2.0 are discontinued in favor of the ZEN72, ZEN74, and ZEN30 VER 3.0.
Our trailing edge / MOSFET / ELV dimmer models are ZEN27, ZEN77 VER 1.0 & 2.0, ZEN30 VER. 1.0.
- The ZEN27, ZEN77 VER 1.0 and 2.0, and ZEN30 VER 1.0 are discontinued in favor of the ZEN77 VER 3.0 and ZEN30 VER 3.0.
We also put together a few helpful tips on how to address flickering on the bulbs used with Zooz dimmers in these articles.
Here is a list of the bulbs we see most issues with, whether it's flickering or even causing malfunction on both our on/off switches and dimmers so we don't recommend using any of Zooz switches with the following brands:
- Feit Electric
- Lithonia
- Luminus
According to our engineers, the components used in these brands' bulbs can cause higher inrush current and overall less stable current values on the circuit, causing failure on the switches more easily. The failure isn't guaranteed but we see it more often with this and a couple of other brands so we don't recommend using our switches with these brands specifically.
If you'd like to find out more about Zooz switch load requirements, check out this info about minimum loads and motor loads.
Using fluorescent tube lights? Read this important information!!
How about halogen bulbs? Do NOT use Zooz switches or dimmers with halogen bulbs. Halogen bulbs, similar to tube lights, produce high inrush current that could damage the switch/dimmer, so we don't recommend using any of our Zooz switches in locations with halogen bulbs. Even if the wattage is rated at or under a given switch/dimmer's maximum rating, halogens can draw over 40 times more than the listed rating. The switches should only be used with LED or incandescent bulbs within their maximum ratings.
And if you have any other questions about LED compatibility, don't hesitate to reach out!
