The mismatch problem
Older dimmers were made for traditional bulbs that drew a lot of power. LEDs draw very little, and many older dimmers simply don't know what to do with them. The result: buzzing, flickering, lights that won't dim smoothly or don't fully switch off.
Leading edge vs trailing edge
Most dimmers work in one of two ways. Leading edge dimmers are the older type; trailing edge dimmers are generally better suited to LEDs and run more quietly. Many modern 'LED dimmers' are trailing edge or universal.
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Minimum and maximum loads
Every dimmer has a minimum load. A single 5W LED on a dimmer that expects at least 40W may misbehave. There's also a maximum, which you need to check if you have lots of downlights on one dimmer.
The fix
An electrician can swap your dimmer for an LED-compatible model matched to your bulbs. It's a small job and usually solves the problem completely.
