Hi! Complete beginner here — hoping someone can point me in the right direction.
I’m planning to install a dimmer for my living room ceiling light. It’s a 60W dimmable LED fixture running on 230V (I’m in Europe). I’ve been looking at the rbdimmer modules and I see there’s a 1-channel 4A version and an 8A version.
Which one should I get for my setup? I don’t want to buy something too weak that might overheat or be unsafe but I also don’t want to overspend if I don’t need the bigger one.
Also — is 60W considered a “small” load for these modules? I honestly have no idea what amps my light actually draws. Is it safe to do this myself or should I get an electrician involved?
Thanks in advance for any help!
Great question Wendy — you’re definitely not the first to wonder about sizing!
For a 60 W dimmable LED fixture at 230 V your current draw is roughly:
60 W ÷ 230 V ≈ 0.26 A
So yes — 60 W is a very light load for any of our modules. The 1-channel 4A module handles up to ~920 W at 230 V which gives you a massive safety margin for a single 60 W fixture.
Here’s a quick comparison:
| Module |
Max Current |
Max Load @ 230 V |
Your 60 W Load |
| 1CH 4A |
4 A |
~920 W |
 (only 1.5% of capacity) |
| 1CH 8A |
8 A |
~1840 W |
(overkill) |
My recommendation: go with the 4A module for your use case. It’s more than sufficient and costs less. The 8A only makes sense if you plan to later control a much larger load — say a bank of halogen spotlights or a heater element.
One important note: make sure your LED fixture is specifically labeled as dimmable. Standard (non-dimmable) LEDs don’t work well with phase-cut dimmers and you’ll get flicker or the light simply won’t respond below a certain level.
Our buyer’s guide covers all module options and load calculations in detail: Which AC Dimmer Module to Choose — Complete Buyer’s Guide
Regarding safety — the low-voltage side (Arduino/ESP wiring) is perfectly safe to handle yourself. The mains AC side (230 V) should ideally be wired by a qualified electrician if you’re not experienced with mains wiring. Better safe than sorry!
— rbdimmer support team
Good advice from rbdimmer. Let me add a bit of technical context for anyone who wants to understand the math behind module sizing.
From a circuit perspective the key consideration for continuous dimming is TRIAC derating. You should never plan to run a TRIAC at its full rated current for extended periods. The general rule:
Derate to 60–70% of the module’s rated current for continuous use.
So for each module the practical continuous rating looks like this:
| Module |
Rated |
Derated (60%) |
Derated (70%) |
| 1CH 4A |
4.0 A |
2.4 A |
2.8 A |
| 1CH 8A |
8.0 A |
4.8 A |
5.6 A |
Wendy’s load: 60 W / 230 V = 0.26 A — that’s only about 11% of the derated capacity of the 4A module. Absolutely no thermal concerns at that level.
Where the 8A module starts to make sense:
- Multiple fixtures on one channel totaling 400 W+
- Resistive heater loads (500–1500 W)
- Situations where inrush current is high (some LED drivers have 5–10× inrush on startup)
For a single 60 W dimmable LED the 4A is the right choice. You’d need to be driving ~600 W continuously before I’d recommend stepping up to 8A.
One more thing: LED loads are slightly more complex than pure resistive loads because the LED driver rectifies and filters the input. This means the current waveform isn’t a clean sine — it’s more peaky. In practice for a 60 W fixture this is negligible but for larger LED installations (300 W+) it’s worth factoring in a bit of extra headroom.
Thank you so much — both of you explained it so clearly! I was overthinking this.
So the 4A module it is. My fixture is definitely labeled “dimmable” — I checked the box before buying it specifically because I wanted to add a dimmer eventually.
I’ll check out that buyer’s guide too. And good call on the electrician for the mains side — I’ll have my neighbor help with that part (he’s a licensed electrician). The Arduino side I think I can handle on my own!
Vincent — the derating explanation was super helpful. I had no idea you’re not supposed to run these at full capacity all the time. Good to know my tiny little ceiling light is nowhere near any limits.
Thanks again everyone!