Can You Use A Dimmable Light Bulb In A Non-Dimmable Socket?

We've all heard the jokes about how many so-and-so's it may or may not take to change a lightbulb. Jokes aside, replacing a burned-out bulb ranks high on any list encompassing the most common projects a homeowner or renter will undertake. Thankfully, changing a burned-out bulb is also one of the easier tasks you're likely to find on that list, as it generally requires little more than a person unscrewing the old lightbulb and replacing it with a new one. 

Of course, you'll need to have a new light bulb to do the job right. Perhaps more importantly, you'll need to ensure that the bulb is actually compatible with the light you intend to use it in. After all, some lighting sources are designed to power bulbs in a specific wattage range, and using the incorrect bulb may lead to a malfunction in either the light or the bulb itself. In the case of replacing a bulb in dimmable or non-dimmable lighting sources, it's important to use a compatible bulb, but if all you have on hand is a dimmable bulb, it should still work in a non-dimmable socket. 

It is, however, important to note that a dimmable light bulb will not maintain its dimming function when used in a non-dimmable socket. Moreover, the dimmable bulb will likely only be able to function at its maximum brightness. So, it might be wise to replace it with a compatible bulb as soon as possible. 

If you're curious why a dimmable bulb won't dim in a non-dimmable light socket, it's merely a matter of design, as the socket itself does not possess the correct components for dimming, despite being able to illuminate the bulb. That might lead one to wonder whether or not a non-dimmable bulb will work in a light socket fitted with dimming capabilities. The answer is no, as even the smartest of non-dimmable light bulbs will not properly function in a dimmable lighting socket.

That is primarily because non-dimmable bulbs are not designed to adjust to different voltages in the way that their dimmable counterparts are. So when you put them into a light fit with dimming capabilities, those bulbs, in essence, just don't know what to do with the voltage fluctuations that occur when the light's dimmer is engaged. All that being said, you may still see light when you initially put a non-dimmable bulb in a dimmer light. Even if that is the case, it won't take long for the bulb to begin to fail. When that happens, the bulb will most likely begin pulsing or flickering.

Should that happen, you'd be wise to turn the light off and remove the bulb as soon as possible. Failure to do so may cause irreparable damage to the bulb and the light. There is one exception to all of these rules, however, as incandescent bulbs are generally capable of working in both dimmable and non-dimmable light sockets. Unfortunately, that style of bulb has been banned in the United States for a few years now.