Today, energy-saving lamps are very popular due to their long service life and low electricity consumption. However, they are already fading into the background, as more and more consumers give preference to LED lighting elements.
Of course, everyone wants the device purchased for a lot of money to run smoothly and not cause any trouble. However, sometimes it happens that the bulb blinks when the light is off. What is the reason for this? Is it possible to ignore a lighting device? With all these questions, let's try to understand the article.
Why the LED lamp blinks : the most common reason
Such a malfunction usually occurs in many energy-saving and most LED lamps. It's all about their device. The problem is that devices of this type operate on a voltage of 12 V. As you know, in apartments this network is not provided. So that the products can work from a 220 V network, voltage converters are built into the lamp bases. They consist of a capacitor that accumulates a charge, due to which there is an “ignition”, and the lamp starts to shine after pressing the switch. Thus, the lighting device is not directly powered, but only using a converter.
To understand why the LED lamp blinks when the light is off, it is necessary to consider the principle of operation of the switch itself.
The backlight turns on at the same time as pressing a key, which consists of an LED and a low power resistor. When the light is off, the button "resets" the power supply circuit of the chandelier, however, at the same time, a small current passes along this path. Its magnitude is not enough to fully charge the starting capacitor located in the bulb converter. After a certain time, some charge nevertheless accumulates, and the lamp “starts up”. But, the amount of energy is too small, so the lighting fixture flashes and instantly goes out, and everything repeats again. This most often explains why the LED lamp flashes when the light is off. However, there are many more reasons for this failure. They are quite common, so you should not exclude them.
Common causes
We continue to consider malfunctions of lighting devices. To explain why the LED lamp flashes when the light is off, you should pay attention to the possible causes of the malfunction. Probably the whole point is:
- Incorrect installation and connection of the lighting system.
- Manufacturing defect. If you buy a very cheap Chinese light bulb, then you should not expect much from it.
- LED backlight switch. An extra “flashlight" is often built into the key, which allows you to quickly find the light source in the dark. The problem is that this LED is powered from the same network as the chandelier itself, due to which multiple repeated circuits can occur.
- End of life LED lamp.
Perhaps this explains why the LED light blinks. It is also worth considering less likely causes of failure. Such situations are least likely to occur.
Possible reasons
Least of all, the answer to the question “Why does the LED lamp blink off?” becomes one of these faults:
- Some part in the device chip was damaged.
- Network outages occurred too often. Manufacturers are not responsible for excessive power surges. This happens extremely rarely, but if all the lighting fixtures constantly fail in the apartment, then this may be the problem.
- There is a breakdown of the dimmer. This device is used to smoothly change the brightness of the lighting in the room.
Some people are absolutely not annoyed if the LED lamp blinks when the lights are off, others may not pay attention to it at all. However, do not underestimate these lighting elements.
Why you can not ignore the blinking lamp
If the device is used to illuminate a technical room, then this can not cause serious harm. In this case, you can leave everything as it is. However, if we are talking about a living room, then a blinking light can cause serious trouble.
The fact is that flickering is very harmful to vision. If the lamp blinks all the time in the room, then the eyes will get tired too quickly, and mental activity will become inhibited over time. This is especially harmful for young children.
Also, repeated outbreaks can trigger an epileptic seizure in a person suffering from this serious ailment. Blinking lamps negatively affect animals, especially cats. Four-legged begin to behave more restlessly and may begin to show aggression.
Therefore, if the LED lamp blinks after turning off, the problem needs to be fixed. And do it as quickly as possible. It is also necessary to ensure that the blinking coefficient of the chandelier does not exceed 20%. To do this, just purchase a light meter.
Now we turn to the recommendations for the repair of failed lighting.
LED light flashing: what to do?
The first method is changing the parameters of the working backlight power circuit. There are two options for how it can be arranged:
- Using a board on which a compact resistor and LED are located.
- With parallel connection of a standard resistor and LED element.
In the first case, it will take a very long time to mess around. It will be easier to just remove the board. In the second case, everything is much simpler. You can try changing the resistor by installing a more powerful one instead. Due to this, the current that flows from the capacitor will decrease, so it simply will not accumulate.
When replacing a resistor, it is worth considering its power and the type of lighting device. For LED elements, units with indicators of 470 or 680 kOhm are suitable.
Method 2
In this case, it is necessary to connect the chandelier and the low resistance circuit in parallel . Due to this, the currents passing through the backlight will not accumulate in the capacitor. Instead, they will follow the chain and the lamp will stop flickering.
To do this, you need to purchase a resistor with a power of not more than 2 W and a nominal resistance of 50 kOhm. To make it easier to connect it, you need to solder the wires to its outputs. After this, the resistor must be isolated. To do this, you must first heat-shrink each solder point, and then pull the heat-shrink pipe over the resistor (the more the better) and close the resistance housing.
The prepared chain is connected in parallel to the lamp. For this, it is recommended to use a junction box.
Method 3
Some people use a capacitor instead of a resistor. In this case, you need to purchase a device whose power is 400 V. The connection is made in the same way - in parallel. Better use a junction box.
This is a simpler and more effective solution that will help regulate the operation of blinking lamps.
If insulation problems
If current leakage occurs, then this is a more serious problem. In this case, it is necessary to find the oxidized conductor, the contact pad and clean them. Also, you have to re-solder the connection.
In some situations, the current may "go away" due to poor insulation, so you will have to spend quite a lot of time looking for leaks. When the machine is on the line, it is also constantly “knocked out”. If this happens, it is most likely the problem lies in poor wiring. The easiest way to determine its “breakdown” is to use a multimeter.
Knowing why the LED lamp blinks when the light is off, you can solve the problem yourself. However, those who are on "you" with electricity are not recommended to experiment. Better call the wizard. An experienced specialist with the naked eye will determine the cause of the failure.