You can buy LED bulbs, unlike halogen or incandescent bulbs, in dimmable as well as non-dimmable varieties. That’s because, the first LED bulbs were mostly non-dimmable. As the LED technology evolved, it became possible. And today dimming is a low-cost or no-cost adder to the majority of LED light bulbs. That’s why, most LED bulbs are of the dimmable variety, and only the lowest cost LEDs are non-dimmable.
Which brings us to the titled question: Does using dimmable LED light bulb with a non-dimmable switch cause any issue?
In short, the answer is NO.
You can still use dimmable LEDs if you don’t have a dimming switch installed. These bulbs will work at 100% output and they will work just as efficiently as if they were being used with dimmable switches. Of course, you won’t be able to enjoy the dimming feature, which is the main USP of dimmable LED bulbs.
When you think of it, dimmable LED bulbs are only marginally expensive than their non-dimmable cousins. So if you are thinking of using LEDs for a long time, it would be worth investing into dimmable LED bulbs. You may also want to consider installing quality dimmer switches down the line to enjoy dimming.
Another related question that we get asked a lot is – Can I install non-dimmable LED bulbs with a dimming switch?
The answer is YES. However, keep in mind that the bulb will function at is full capacity. Dimming a non-dimmable LED bulb is likely to lead to erratic behavior like buzzing or flickering. Worse, it may eventually damage the non-dimmable LED bulb.