13W LED Downlight: Dimming, Lumens and CCT Options

Are LED downlights dimmable, and will a 13W LED downlight with five colour settings dim on the dimmer already on the wall? The Schnap listing gives the 3A Lighting DL1570/WH/5C as a 13W kit with five colour temperatures from 3000K to 5700K and compatibility with most rotary dimmers. What follows covers the dimmers the listing names, the lumens and colour options, and the details the listing leaves open, so the order can be settled before the job starts.

Are LED downlights dimmable, and what does this 13W kit say?

Yes for this kit: the Schnap listing describes it as dimmable. The 3A Lighting 13W LED downlight, model DL1570/WH/5C, is a 13W, AC 200–240V LED downlight kit with five selectable colour temperatures from 3000K to 5700K, a 90mm cut-out, a 90° beam, IP40 rating and dimming on most rotary dimmers. The listing also gives the input as 50/60Hz and the light source as an SMD LED chip.

The five colour temperatures are 3000K, 3500K, 4000K, 5000K and 5700K, with 3500K and 5000K listed as their own settings. Five settings on one kit means a client who changes their mind about colour late in the job does not force a different product code onto the order. For a multi-room order, one product code can cover rooms that want different colour temperatures.

Not every client wants five colour settings. The tri colour downlight article is the companion to this one, and the table in the third section below sets the Lawell TLTA34510WD, which lists three colour temperatures, beside this kit. Readers who stay with the five-setting kit can move on to the dimmers the listing names.

What dimmer for LED downlights does the listing name?

The Schnap listing names two rotary dimmers as examples: the Clipsal 32ELED and the Gerard Diginet Rotary Dimmer. The DL1570/WH/5C is an external-driver SMD LED downlight kit, and the listing says the flex and plug are included. The housing is white and the listing gives the weight as 0.3kg.

Dimming wording is easy to read too broadly, so stay with what is stated: dimmable, most rotary dimmers, two named examples. The word most leaves room for dimmers outside the compatible group, and the two named models are examples, not a guarantee for every dimmer a client may already own. The wider range sits in the Schnap dimmable LED downlights category, where each listing can be opened and read for what it states about dimming.

A dimmed room is usually easier to sort out if the dimmer model is confirmed with the supplier before the wall plate goes in. The listing recommends a qualified electrician for wiring and dimmer compatibility. The same listing gives the input as AC 200–240V at 50/60Hz.

How many lumens does a 13W LED downlight give, and what does 5CCT mean?

The Schnap listing gives the 13W LED downlight a luminous flux of 890 to 1080 lumens. The 5CCT in the product name refers to the five colour temperatures the listing states: 3000K, 3500K, 4000K, 5000K and 5700K. The listing gives the beam angle as 90° and the cut-out diameter as 90mm.

The table below puts the DL1570/WH/5C beside the Lawell TLTA34510WD tri-colour downlight using only what each listing states. Both are 13W kits with a 90mm cut-out, so the differences sit in the columns. The Lawell listing states trailing edge dimming while the 3A listing names rotary dimmers, so the dimming wording differs between them.

A reader who wants five colour temperatures or a rotary dimmer named on the listing is looking at the 3A kit, and a reader who wants IP44, a 100° beam or the three-year warranty is looking at the Lawell listing. The 3A Gimble 15W tri-colour kit in Satin Chrome is also listed at Schnap. Pick the model that matches the listing lines above and add it from the Shop list at the end of the article.

What should you check before ordering a dimmable downlight kit?

Check the dimmer first: the listing names two rotary dimmer examples but doesn't state the dimmer type, minimum load or how many downlights one dimmer can run, so confirm those with the supplier before ordering. The 13W power, the 200–240V input and the 90mm cut-out are stated on the listing and can go straight onto a job sheet. The listing gives IP40 and states indoor use; in an IP code the first digit generally relates to dust and solid objects and the second to water, so read the rating alongside the indoor-use note.

The listing states SAA approval for safety, and that is the product-side claim on the page. AS/NZS 3000 is the Wiring Rules for installations, not a product certification. Warranty is stated as two years against manufacturing defects, against three years on a replacement basis for the Lawell listing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you put a dimmer switch on downlights?

For this kit, yes: the Schnap listing says the DL1570/WH/5C is dimmable and compatible with most rotary dimmers. The Clipsal 32ELED and the Gerard Diginet Rotary Dimmer are the two examples it names.

What size hole does a 90mm LED downlight need?

The listing gives the DL1570/WH/5C a 90mm cut-out diameter. It lists the dimensions as 56mm high, 109mm long and 109mm wide, with a weight of 0.3kg.

Do you need an electrician to install downlights?

The Schnap listing recommends a qualified electrician for wiring and dimmer compatibility. In Australia, work on fixed wiring generally has to be done by a licensed electrician, and the rules differ from state to state.

Shop Downlights at Schnap

Trade pricing is shown on the 3A Lighting DL1570/WH/5C page, and orders are dispatched same day from the Sydney warehouse.

• LED Downlight 13W 5CCT 90mm Cutout IP40 90° Beam White, 3A Lighting
• LED Downlight 13W Tri-Colour 90mm Cutout White, Lawell Lighting
• Gimble LED Downlight Kit 15W Tri-Colour Satin Chrome, 3A Lighting

See the full Indoor Lighting range at Schnap.