Why does my LED lamp blink?

LED bulbs are gradually replacing the lighting devices. But if you install them in a chandelier, sometimes there is a flicker. Immediately diagnose why the light flickers in the apartment, it is difficult. The device flickers not only when the light is on, but also when the light is off. This causes overloading and shortens the life of the electrical appliance. The blinking light is very uncomfortable for humans. This phenomenon can occur for several reasons. Advice from experts will help to understand why an LED lamp is blinking.

Causes of flickering when the light is off

It is not uncommon to find that flickering continues after the light is turned off. You can't see it during the day, but at night the faint flickering flashes become clearly visible. Why does an energy-saving lamp flicker when the light is off? This behavior can occur for 3 reasons: a low-quality product, a bad backlit neon switch, or improper installation.

Faulty and wiring problems

If the LED lamp flickers after turning off, the problem may be related to the wiring. It is necessary to check how the cable is connected with the phase. The correct connection is considered when the phase runs through the switch and not connected directly to the lamp. A diode indicator screwdriver will help identify the phase wire. After distributing the wires correctly, the light bulb is once again checked for proper operation. Blinking often occurs due to induced voltage. This is when the power wire is located too close to the disconnected cable.

Working with the wiring, you need to:

• consider its condition;
• Observe safety precautions.

If the used switch does not have night illumination, and the flicker continues, it is better to completely replace the wiring with a new one.

Backlit switches

Switches with backlighting are the most popular among consumers. The design is equipped with a neon lamp or a simple LED, which makes it easy to find the switch at night. But with the addition of a new part, the LED light bulb started flashing. This is due to a small charge that builds up on the filter capacitor:

• when the switch is turned on, the electricity goes directly to the bulb, and when it is turned off, it goes to the LED;
• because of the incoming current, the filter begins to charge constantly, and the lamp flickers.

Since it is possible to remove the flicker of the LED lamp in 2 ways, then choose one of them. Instead of energy-saving model put an incandescent lamp or disconnect the power circuit, turning off the backlight. If the light fixture has 2 bulbs, replacing one of them with an incandescent bulb can get rid of the flicker. The fastest and easiest way is to install simple switches without backlighting.

Poor quality bulbs

A light bulb when off can flicker when it is defective. There are many products on the market that do not meet the requirements of the standard, and trying to save money, many people buy appliances from unknown manufacturers. If the product was bought substandard, it is enough to buy a new lamp. What you need to consider when buying:

• the manufacturer;
• quality lamps are sold in one piece;
• the product is tested for performance.

Compact models are very popular. In the back rooms and corridors it is customary to install LED lamps with a cold temperature mode, in children's rooms, living rooms and other living areas - with a warm shade.

Turning off the light in the switch

To get rid of flashing in the lamp on 220V, you need to remove the LED or neon light from the switch. To do this, prepare all the necessary tools:

• screwdriver with a flat slot;
• screwdriver;
• wire cutters;
• knife.

Before you start the work, turn off the electricity. If fuses are installed in the house, unscrew them. If there is an automatic disconnect handle on the panel, it is put in the "off" position. The work of disassembling the backlight is identical to replacing a simple switch:

1. The decorative "on-off" keys, located on the body, have latches. They are picked up on both sides and carefully removed.
2. To remove the device from the box, unscrew the mounting screws.
3. The contact wires must be de-energized. They are checked with an indicator screwdriver.
4. Before disconnecting the wires, carefully remember their location.
5. The structure housing consists of 2 parts, which are fastened with latches. Therefore, it is inspected for their presence.
6. When the latches are found, they are pulled apart. This will divide the switch into two parts.
7. A resistor with a bulb is soldered to one part. The LED or neon bulb is disconnected and removed.

The switch without backlight is assembled in reverse order. The entire job will take no more than 30 minutes.

Flicker when the switch is on

Find out why the LED spotlight flickers, it is easy. It is enough to turn it on and consider the LED. To protect your eyes from the bright flashes, you need to use dark glass:

1. The crystals are all connected in series by gold wires and glow a blue hue.
2. When in operation, they heat up and transfer the heat to the metal plate.
3. If one of the crystals goes out, the contact between the wires breaks and the circuit stops working.

There are two reasons why an LED lamp may blink when turned on. These are insufficient voltage in the mains and a poor quality power supply. Sometimes the connection point between the crystal and the wire is temporarily shorted. The spotlight begins to blink intermittently or constantly, then recovers. It is difficult to identify such a malfunction.

Too low voltage in the power supply

The LED element has two types of flicker: low-frequency and high-frequency. The range of mains current varies with frequency up to 50 times per second. It is called a sine wave. If the mains voltage is low, then there is flickering of LED lights when turned on. This problem is most often seen in villages and some neighborhoods. The electricity is weak and the voltage in the socket does not exceed 200 V. What to do:

1. For an LED bulb to work steadily and without interruptions, it must be equipped with a quality driver. For residents of such areas, lamp models with voltages of 180-250 V are suitable.
2. Sometimes the undervoltage will show up if the unit is turned on with a dimmer. If it is not turned on fully, models that do not support operation with a dimmer will begin to flicker. To fix the problem, you need to increase the power. To do this, raise the control knob to the rated voltage.
3. Any electrical appliance will not work well and will quickly fail with unstable mains voltage. A multi-kW resistor installed will ensure that the line voltage is stable.
4. If the 12-volt bulbs that are connected to the power supply are flashing, this may be due to a lack of power. Most often this problem occurs in spotlights, when LED bulbs are put instead of halogen models. Here there is a parallel connection, due to which you get an additional load and there is a voltage sag.

The problem of a poor quality product

If the LED is equipped with a poor power supply, it will not be able to sufficiently smooth out the rectified voltage in the mains. When the light ripples with a small amplitude, it may not be noticeable to humans. But too much flicker, which happens every day, affects the retina, causing great harm to the eyes. A fixture with more than 20% flicker affects mental performance and ability to work. You should not read or work on a computer with such lighting:

1. In Russia, there are permissible standards of KP, which are regulated by SanPin 2.2.1/2.1.1.1278-03. Therefore, manufacturers of products indicate the ripple factor on each package. But products of Chinese manufacturers have inaccurate data. Most often, the KP indicated on the package exceeds the figure by several times.
2. If you bought a product from an unknown manufacturer, you can try to change the specifications of the device yourself. To make the light bulb work without flickering, the smoothing capacitor is replaced. The base of the device is opened, the capacitor inside is replaced by a similar model with a higher capacity.

All the problems of LED lamps can be eliminated on their own. The main thing - to establish the cause of the blinking and determine what method is better to get rid of the problem.

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