LED lamps are gradually replacing other varieties of lighting products. This is due to their low energy consumption, as well as their long life. However, some buyers were faced with the problem of flickering of these devices. There can be several reasons for this unpleasant phenomenon.
Expert advice will help you understand why the LED lamp is blinking . 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 flashes , you need to pay attention to its design. In other types of devices, such problems have never been detected. If the owners used incandescent lamps, in them the voltage from the mains was supplied 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 comes from the base to it. Only bypassing this driver, the power is supplied to the LEDs. The quality of the current supplied to the LED elements depends on the converter circuit.
In expensive lamps of famous manufacturers, the driver is able to convert an unstable voltage of an alternating nature into a constant source of energy. In this case, the current will be highly stable. It cannot be affected by external negative network factors (interference, swings).
Poor quality appliance
If the LED lamp blinks , the cause may be poor quality of the device. In cheap varieties of LED-illuminators, instead of the driver, a power supply with a quenching capacitor is installed. Also, such a device has a capacitive filter mounted on the LED bridge. This does not allow the device to fully work under adverse external influences.
A poor-quality appliance 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 a nursery), high-quality devices should be purchased.
Flickering affects vision. Eyes get tired quickly. Mental activity and ability to work are also reduced. If the ripple of the device is above 20%, it is not recommended to read, write or work on the computer under such lighting.
Lamp flickering
There are several reasons why the LED lamp blinks. First of all, low-quality installation. If the circuit contacts are not connected securely enough, this leads to various adverse events. One of them is the flickering of an LED device.
When connecting the wires, the correct polarity must be observed. If conductors are color-coded, wiring is easier. But in old houses you have to use a special device. It will help to find out where the wire "phase" and "zero" are. Otherwise, a small voltage will be constantly present in the circuit. This will cause the lamp to flicker.
Sometimes you can 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.
Flicker off lamp
Sometimes it happens that LED lamps flash when the light is off. This is also quite common. The most common cause for this are two factors. The first of these is the installation of a backlit switch. The circuit thus opens, but not to the end. The current supplied to the LED gradually charges the capacitor of the LED lamp. It is in the driver. In this case, the bulb may flicker or emit a faint glow.
The second common reason that an off LED lamp flickers may be its poor quality. Even when using a backlit switch, the device of well-known, trusted manufacturers will not flicker. They are installed capacitors with high capacity. The cost of such lamps is higher, but the problem of flicker when using them almost never arises.
These are the main causes of unpleasant flicker. However, when establishing the cause of this phenomenon, it is also necessary to take into account the frequency of outbreaks.
Nature of the outbreaks
The light bulb may flicker periodically or continuously. The cause of the unpleasant phenomenon depends on this. If the LED lamp is constantly flashing in the on state , the cause may be insufficient voltage in the household network. This prevents the launcher from igniting the device. The deviation of the mains voltage in this case is more than 5%. If the cause is not eliminated, the device will fail before the deadline set by the manufacturer.
During power surges in the network, constant flickering is also possible when the light is on. In this case, you will need to purchase a stabilizer.
If in the on state the lamp flickers only the first 10 seconds after power is supplied, the starter is out of order. You need to replace it or purchase a new LED-device.
When there is periodic flickering of the lamp in the off state, the source may be a source of powerful electromagnetic waves. Such a situation can occur if you bring the device, for example, to the included TV. Such sources of electromagnetic radiation include radio stations, power lines, as well as transmitters of mobile operators.
Troubleshoot wiring
If the off LED lamp flashes at a certain frequency, first of all, you need to check the correctness of its connection, as well as the compliance of the power supply parameters with the manufacturer's requirements.
The phase wire must be connected to the corresponding switch contact. A connection that does not take polarity into account is considered incorrect. Such an electronic circuit will be under low voltage all the time. To fix the problem, you will need to reconnect the wires and swap them.
If after this flicker is still present when the power is off, there may be induced voltage. Even on a disconnected wire, potential may appear if another cable is laid in parallel with it. In this case, only the wiring repair will solve the problem.
Illuminated switch
The reason why the LED lamp is off is blinking , there may be a switch with LED backlight. In this case, flashes are periodic, and their power is small. The backlit 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 time of discharge, the lamp lights up and the cycle repeats again. This problem is typical for most lamps with a control unit instead of a driver.
If the owners of such equipment do not have the skills to repair electrical equipment, it is better to replace the circuit breaker or purchase a new high-quality lamp (with a driver and a high-capacity capacitor). You can also try to disconnect the diode on the switch from the network.
You can also solve the problem if flicker is detected in a chandelier with several cartridges. Instead of one LED-device, you need to screw an incandescent lamp of any power. This element will take on the function of a shunt resistor. The presented solutions are considered safe from the point of view of fire safety.
Capacitor or resistor
If the LED lamp blinks 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 device. It is located on the back of the switch or inside the lamp holder itself.
In the first case, a non-polar capacitor is acquired. Its capacity should be 0.1-1 microfarads. This device must withstand a voltage of 630 V. Most often, a metal-film type capacitor is used for such purposes. Such an element of the circuit will not heat up, and it is also able to compensate for network interference.
If an additional element is planned to be mounted in a cartridge, you need to buy a resistor with a resistance of 1 MĪ© and a power of 0.5 to 1 W. Its dimensions will be 3 times smaller than that of a 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 a lighting device is unsafe. With minor errors during connection, the likelihood of a fire hazard increases. The resistor and capacitor must not come into contact with the housing or wire. It is also recommended to use heat-shrinkable insulating tubes.
Low voltage
If the LED lamp blinks (on) , the problem may be a low mains voltage. Residents of some cities and rural areas face such problems. If the issue with the electricity supplier does not work out, residents of such areas should purchase exclusively high-quality devices. They can operate in the voltage range of 180 to 250 V.
If there is insufficient voltage in the network or its differences, the owners are recommended to install a stabilizer. This device is able to extend the operation of all electrical appliances in the house.
Dimmer Application
Not only does the low mains voltage explain why the LED lamp blinks. If the device is connected via a dimmer, this can lead to similar troubles. Turning on the lamp through such a device not at full power will cause flickering when the light is on. When the power supply is increased with a dimmer, the light will stop blinking.
In this case, it is recommended to connect the device without reducing voltage devices. You can also set the dimmer knob not to the extreme positions.
Additional interference
If, when such problems arose, the owners could not establish the cause of the malfunction, the question arises of what to do. The LED lamp flashes when there are powerful sources of electromagnetic radiation in the apartment or near the house. 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 outside there is a powerful transmitter of radio signals. In this case, the owners are encouraged 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 flicker may occur over time. Eyes, head begin to hurt, working capacity decreases. In this case, the power supply is most likely the culprit.
Manufacturers must indicate on the packaging the ripple parameters of the device. However, some little-known manufacturers do not fulfill these requirements. They may also provide false information about this indicator. The real value of the ripple can only be determined using special equipment.
To prevent the appearance of pulsation and vision problems, you should give preference to trusted brands when buying. Their products are slightly more expensive, but this is a profitable investment. Quality devices are able to work for several decades. With their proper connection and operation, there is no ripple problem. Even in the presence of adverse factors (a backlit switch, poor wiring, electrostatic interference, etc.), such devices will work correctly without flickering.
Having considered the reasons why the LED lamp blinks, each user will be able to eliminate the unpleasant phenomenon independently.