LED lamps are gradually replacing other types of lighting products. This is due to their low power consumption and long service life. However, some customers have encountered the problem of flickering of these devices. There may be several reasons for such an unpleasant phenomenon.
Understand why the LED lamp is blinking, expert advice will help. They will also be able to explain how to get rid of such a problem. It will be possible to eliminate flicker by establishing its cause.
Lamp device
To understand why the LED lamp is flashing, you need to pay attention to its device. In other varieties of devices, such problems have never been found. If the owners used incandescent lamps, they supplied voltage from the mains to the spiral. She was an element of resistance.
The structure of the LED lamp is much more complicated. Inside this device is a converter. When the device is turned on, electric current flows from the base to it. Only bypassing this driver, power is supplied toLEDs. The quality of the current supplied to the LED elements depends on the converter circuit.
In expensive lamps of well-known manufacturers, the driver is able to convert an unstable AC voltage into a constant source of energy. In this case, the current will be highly stable. It will not be affected by external negative network factors (interference, fluctuations).
Poor quality appliance
If the LED lamp is flashing, the quality of the device may be insufficient. In cheap varieties of LED illuminators, a power supply with a quenching capacitor is installed instead of a driver. Also, such a device has a capacitive filter installed on the LED bridge. This does not allow the device to fully operate under adverse external influences.
Poor-quality device may flicker due to design flaws. Moreover, this situation can be observed both after switching on and after switching off. Cheap varieties of lamps with a power supply are used in utility rooms, corridors. But for lighting living rooms (especially children's rooms), high-quality fixtures should be purchased.
Flicker affects vision. The eyes tire quickly. It also reduces mental activity, work capacity. If the pulsation of the device is above 20%, it is not recommended to read, write or work on a computer in such lighting.
Flickering lamp on
There are several reasons why the LED lamp is blinking. First of all, this includes low-qualitymounting. If the contacts of the circuit are not connected securely enough, this leads to various adverse phenomena. One of them is the flickering of the LED device.
When connecting the wires, you must observe the correct polarity. If the conductors are color-coded, the connection is easier. But in old houses you have to use a special device. It will help to find out where the "phase" and "zero" wires are located. Otherwise, a small voltage will be constantly present in the circuit. This will cause the bulb to flicker.
Sometimes it is possible to fix the problem after replacing the old transformer with a power supply for the LED strip. In this case, flickering in the on state should stop.
Flickering lamp off
Sometimes it happens that the LED lamps flash when the lights are off. This is also a fairly common occurrence. Most often, this is due to two factors. The first of these is the installation of a backlit switch. The circuit opens, but not completely. The current supplied to the LED gradually charges the capacitor of the LED lamp. It's in the driver. The lamp may flicker or emit a faint glow.
The second common reason why an off LED lamp flickers may be its insufficient quality. Even when using a backlit switch, the device from well-known, trusted manufacturers will not flicker. In themcapacitors with increased capacitance are installed. The cost of such lamps is higher, but the problem of flickering almost never occurs when using them.
These are the main causes of annoying flickering. However, when establishing the cause of such a phenomenon, it is also necessary to take into account the frequency of outbreaks.
Flash pattern
The bulb may flicker intermittently or continuously. The cause of the unpleasant phenomenon depends on this. If the LED lamp is constantly flashing when on, the cause may be insufficiently high voltage in the household network. This prevents the launcher from igniting the device. The mains voltage deviation in this case is more than 5%. If the cause is not eliminated, the device will fail before the deadline set by the manufacturer.
With power surges, the presence of constant flickering with the light on is also possible. In this case, you will need to purchase a stabilizer.
If the lamp flickers only for the first 10 seconds after power is turned on, the starter has failed. It needs to be replaced or a new LED device purchased.
When the lamp flickers intermittently when turned off, the source of powerful electromagnetic waves may be the cause. Such a situation may arise if you bring the device, for example, to a switched on TV. Such sources of electromagnetic radiation include radio stations, power lines, as well as transmitters of mobile operators.
Elimination of incorrect operationwiring
If the off LED lamp flashes at a certain frequency, first of all, you need to check that it is connected correctly, as well as that the power supply parameters comply with the manufacturer's requirements.
The phase wire must be connected to the corresponding contact of the switch. It is considered incorrect to connect in which polarity is not taken into account. Such an electronic circuit will be under a small voltage all the time. To fix the problem, you will need to re-disconnect the wires and swap them.
If after this flickering is still present when the power is off, there may be induced voltage. Even on a disconnected wire, a potential may appear if another cable is laid in parallel with it. In this case, only wiring repair will solve the problem.
Illuminated switch
The reason why the off LED lamp flashes may be the switch with LED light. In this case, flashes are periodic, and their power is low. The illuminated switch has a neon or LED indicator. A small amount of current flows through this device. This voltage is enough to charge the capacitor. At the moment of discharge, the lamp lights up and the cycle repeats again. This problem is common with most lamps with a control box instead of a driver.
If the owners of such equipment do not have the skills to repairelectrical engineers, it is better to replace the switch or purchase a new high quality lamp (with a driver and a high-capacity capacitor). You can also try to turn off the diode on the switch from the mains.
It can also solve the problem if flickering is detected in a chandelier with multiple lamps. Instead of one LED-device, you need to screw in an incandescent lamp of any power. This element will take over the function of the shunt resistor. The presented solutions are considered safe in terms of fire safety.
Capacitor or resistor
If the LED lamp flashes after turning off, you can eliminate this phenomenon by adding a capacitor or resistor to the circuit. An additional element is connected in parallel to the lighting fixture. It is located on the back of the switch or inside the lamp socket itself.
In the first case, a non-polar capacitor is purchased. Its capacitance should be 0.1-1 uF. This device must withstand a voltage of 630 V. Most often, a metal-film capacitor is used for such purposes. Such a circuit element will not heat up, and it is also able to compensate for network interference.
If you plan to mount an additional element in the cartridge, you need to buy a resistor with a resistance of 1 MΩ and a power of 0.5 to 1 W. Its dimensions will be 3 times smaller than that of the capacitor.
If the switch has 2 keys, you will need to include two capacitors or two resistors in the circuit. However, it should be noted that adding such elements to the lighting fixture is unsafe. With minorConnection errors increase the risk of a fire hazard. The resistor and capacitor must not come into contact with the case or wire. Heat shrink tubing is also recommended.
Power supply low
If the LED lamp is flashing (on), the problem may be low mains voltage. Residents of some cities and rural areas face such problems. If the issue with the electricity supplier cannot be resolved, residents of such areas should purchase only high-quality appliances. They can operate in the mains voltage range from 180 to 250 V.
If there is insufficient voltage in the network or its drops, the owners are advised to install a stabilizer. This device is able to extend the life of all electrical appliances in the house.
Using a dimmer
It's not just low mains voltage that explains why the LED light is flashing. If the device is connected via a dimmer, this can lead to such troubles. Turning on the lamp through such a device not at full power will flicker when the light is on. When the power is increased using the dimmer, the light will stop flashing.
In this case, it is recommended to connect the device without voltage-lowering devices. You can also set the dimmer knob to other than extreme positions.
Additional interference
If, when such problems appeared, the owners could not determine the cause of the malfunction, the question arises of what to do. The LED lamp flashes whenthe presence in the apartment or near the house of powerful sources of electromagnetic radiation. Before connecting, it is necessary to exclude the possibility of their influence on the device.
First you need to determine which devices in the room can create additional electromagnetic pulses. If the problem is not determined indoors, then there is a powerful radio transmitter outside. In this case, the owners are advised to use expensive, high-quality lamps. They will not flicker.
Manufacturer
When the LED lamp flashes at a low frequency, this phenomenon may not be visible to the human eye. However, the negative effects of flickering may show up over time. Eyes, head begin to hurt, working capacity decreases. In this case, the power supply is most likely the culprit.
Manufacturers must indicate the parameters of the pulsation of the device on the packaging. However, some little-known manufacturers do not comply with these requirements. They may also provide false information about this indicator. The actual value of the ripple can only be determined using special equipment.
To prevent the occurrence of pulsation and vision problems, you need to give preference when buying proven brands. Their products cost a bit more, but it's a worthwhile investment. High-quality devices can work for several decades. With their correct connection and operation, there is no ripple problem. Even in the presence of unfavorable factors (illuminated switch, poor wiring,electrostatic interference, etc.) such devices will operate properly without flickering.
By considering the reasons why the LED lamp flashes, each user can eliminate the unpleasant phenomenon on their own.
