Over the past couple of decades, a movement that cares about preserving the environment on our planet has become very fashionable. But such fighters often encounter completely unexpected problems and try to find out why the light is blinking. Powersave lamp when the lights are off, how does the stroboscopic effect affect human vision, why in fluorescent lamps oh mercury. What can I say, sometimes you have to pay for your desire to help the planet.

How does a fluorescent lamp work?

At first glance it seems that fluorescent and energy-saving lamps much better than their counterparts with an incandescent filament. But it’s worth looking a little more closely at the differences between the products.

Regular incandescent lamp	Fluorescent Lamp
Provides light output by converting thermal energy.	UV waves are converted into visible light due to the luminescence effect.
The main element is the filament.	The inside of the lamp is filled with mercury vapor. In a second, the lighting device turns off and turns on again 100 times.
The lamp is relatively easy to manufacture and dispose of.	Disposal is possible only at special points, in compliance with safety regulations.
It does not have very high efficiency.	Due to all of the above, it has best performance efficiency.

But if we take nature specifically, then there is still the question of what exactly is more dangerous for it. Imagine that you have several small cans of mercury above your head. Introduced? So, this is not the plot of some horror movie, but the everyday reality of those who decided to try new lamps.

But don't despair, the same LED bulbs do not contain mercury vapor or other environmentally hazardous substances.

Why does the LED lamp blink when turned on?

It just so happens that the LED lamp itself works due to the stroboscopic effect. Roughly speaking, in a second it goes out and lights up (flickers) again about a hundred times. Due to this inconsistent glow, thousandths of a second of light and complete darkness alternate. But the human eye is designed in such a way that it does not perceive such sudden and short-term changes and records normal illumination. It just takes extra effort.

If flickering suddenly begins to be observed with the naked eye:

• You can check its frequency using a video camera; it records the slightest vibrations.
• Most likely the problem is the quality of the lamps themselves; you should look for the receipt and go to the store where you bought them.
• There may be a problem with the capacitor, which regulates the voltage and frequency of the supplied current. To fix the problem, you can either replace the existing capacitor or solder a new one.
• The problem may also be related to the wiring; remember when it was last changed, and whether there were any other “alarm bells”.

Any flicker negatively affects not only a person’s vision, but also his nervous system. There is an opinion that it is frequently changing picture underlies the formation of epilepsy.

Why does the LED lamp blink when the lights are off?

It's not very pleasant when the lamp continues to blink when the light is off. There may again be several reasons:

1. You have installed illuminated switch. For its needs, the indicator constantly consumes a small amount of electricity, as a result electrical network does not close.
2. Almost imperceptible current discharges also pass through the lamps, but this voltage is not enough to fully turn them on. Regular exposure to the capacitor gradually leads to the fact that the lighting fixture begins to blink, accumulating charge.
3. Each LED lamp is a rather complex mechanism, with capacitors or drivers that regulate the voltage supply. Any malfunction at this level can cause “light music” at night.
4. In this case, it is enough to place an ordinary transistor in parallel with the lamp.
5. No one is immune from low-quality products. The product may be defective or simply not meet quality standards. In this case, claims should be made to the manufacturer or seller.

If you want to solve the problem as quickly as possible, Screw in one ordinary incandescent light bulb parallel to the LED lamps, in most cases this helps. On the one hand, the problem seems trivial; it can be solved in 5 minutes.

But without understanding the basics, you can not only get confused for a long time, but also cause harm to your health. All work on the network should be carried out having previously de-energized the room .

Why does a switched off energy-saving light bulb blink?

Problems with energy-saving lamps most often arise for the same reasons:

• Topping the list is manufacturing defects and non-compliance with standards. Not all stores provide their customers with only the best products.
• In second place is the already familiar backlit switch.
• Manufacturers of most lamps advise that they should not be used with this type of switch.
• But if for some reason you did not read this information before purchasing lamps, you will have to change the switches in the house or remove indicators from them.
• In any case, work should begin only after you have turned off the power to the apartment on the panel.
• Alternatively, a transistor can be used again, placing them in parallel. Such option will do in the event that you cannot refuse the backlight for important reasons.

Saving electricity is a useful thing. But think about it, how much electricity does a pair of light bulbs consume? Now compare this with how much you spend on running a computer, refrigerator, washing machine. It is not always worth saving on your own comfort, especially when we're talking about about vision.

Test the bulbs for a couple of weeks and make sure you're really happy with them.

How to reduce the burden on the environment?

Today there are many more reasonable ways to save energy:

1. Usage solar panels and wind generators.
2. The layout of the house and the location of windows in accordance with the lighting.
3. Taking into account the topographical features of the area and the wind rose.
4. Implementation production processes with a closed cycle.

What can cause an energy-saving lamp to blink?

Problems and blinking of energy-saving lamps even when turned off can be caused by:

• Using switches with an illuminated indicator. Useful thing, especially if you have difficulty seeing and orienting yourself in the dark. But there may be too much light.
• Wiring problems.
• Lamp non-compliance with quality standards.

You can fight each cause on your own, but it is better to take all precautions so as not to lose your health, and maybe even your life. Electricity is no joke.

It’s unpleasant when at night, instead of going to bed after a busy day, you have to try to understand why the energy-saving lamp is blinking when the lights are off. It's good that the problem can be solved, screwing an ordinary lamp in parallel. Well, or more in a radical way, removing all energy-saving devices.

Video about blinking energy-saving lamps

In this video, electrician Ivan Matveev will talk about the reasons that cause the light to flicker when the light is turned off, and also describe how this phenomenon can be eliminated using a resistor and how to connect it:

Holders LED lighting Sometimes the light bulb may flicker when turned off. This behavior of the light source creates visual discomfort, interferes with sleep at night, and the light bulb itself fails faster. The topic of this article, why the LED lamp is blinking, is aimed at identifying and eliminating possible reasons malfunctions led lighting. However, this problem is also relevant for energy-saving light bulbs. Let's try to find out further why this happens.

Let's get acquainted with the design of modern light sources

To find out why LED lamps blink when the lights are off, you need to briefly study its design. By the way, electronic led circuit lamp is similar to the housekeeper circuit. So, any of these light sources operates on 220 volt AC power. But to glow the LEDs located in the lamp bulb, a constant current of lower voltage is required. To do this, a special electronic circuit, called a driver. This is a kind of switching element of LEDs.

The driver rectifier is assembled from 4 diodes. The alternating current passing through it is converted into direct current. However, this voltage still pulsates and to smooth it out, the electronic circuit is equipped with a capacitor. It serves as a storage unit for the current required to illuminate the LEDs. Having understood the electrical circuit, it is time to find out the reasons why the lamp is blinking.

Common Causes of Flashing

It should be noted that lamps tend to blink not only after being turned off, but also when turned on. This could be due to several reasons:

• the weak power of the driver does not correspond to the parameters of the emitter, which does not allow a full launch of the device;
• The driver rectifier is designed for low mains voltage drops. With strong pulsations electronic device can't cope;
• Some switches are equipped with an illuminated indicator. By passing current through itself, the indicator allows the driver capacitor to charge, which is why short-term flashes of the LEDs occur;
• A correctly connected switch should break the phase. If the gap is set to zero, the switched off lamp will blink in any case;
• waves high frequency often cause LEDs to glow. If there are such emitters nearby in the form of household appliances, pulsation may be observed. An elementary reason could be a mobile phone tower installed near the house.

And in conclusion, it is necessary to mention a possible defect in the light source itself, or the old lamp has simply exhausted its resource.

Methods for eliminating lamp flickering

So, it's time to find out what to do when the switched off light is blinking.

Backlight problem

Let's start with the simplest thing - a wall switch equipped with backlight. The operating principle is as follows electrical diagram simple For illumination, a small light bulb is used in the switch housing. It is connected to the electrical circuit according to the principle that when the key is turned on, current flows to the lamp, and the indicator is turned off. When the key is turned off, the interrupted circuit does not supply voltage to the light source, but at this time a new circuit is closed, supplying current to the indicator, and it begins to glow.

A small voltage passes through this indicator, allowing the driver capacitor to charge. Having accumulated energy, the capacitor gives it to the LEDs, but it is so small that it can only cause a short-term flash. Constant repetition of this process creates visible flickering of the lamps.

There are several ways to solve this problem:

1. The easiest way is to cut off the indicator wires inside the switch with pliers. The main thing is not to confuse the wires going to the backlight with the main line, otherwise you may be left without light. If you lack knowledge, it is better to install new switch without indicator.
2. A simple solution to the problem is possible if a multi-arm chandelier hangs on the ceiling. It is enough to screw a weak incandescent lamp into one of the sockets, which will extinguish the incoming voltage from the indicator.
3. For those who are friends with electricity, the method of installing a 2 W quenching resistor in the circuit is suitable. You need to take a part with a resistance of 50 kOhm and connect it inside distribution box or near the chandelier socket. The resistor is connected in series with the LED lamp through the terminal blocks, and a heat-shrinkable tube is put on for protection. The same effect is possible if, instead of a resistor, you connect a capacitor with a capacity of 0.5 μF, rated for a voltage of at least 400 volts.

If you still want to leave the indicator working and the LED lamps not to blink, you need to make a separate circuit for illumination inside the switch. Receiving current through other wires, the indicator will glow constantly in any position of the switch key.

Driver problem

When there is no backlight on the switch, but the lights are still blinking, the problem may be hidden in the driver. It is best to replace a product under warranty. If the warranty period has expired, and you have unusable lamps and a soldering iron at home, you can try to resolder the converter from another product. First you need to disassemble the plastic housing of the light bulb. Usually its halves are held in place by clamps. If they break during disassembly, it's okay. After repair, the body can be glued with any high-quality glue.

So, inside the disassembled case under printed circuit board we need to find a small microcircuit. Current flows through it from the lamp base to the LEDs. This microcircuit needs to be unsoldered, and in its place another converter from a similar lamp must be soldered.

Capacitors tend to “dry out” during operation, losing their capacity. Sometimes this is the cause of the problem. Then there is no need to change the converter; you just need to solder in a new capacitor with the appropriate marking.

Electrical wiring problem

It happens that there is no backlight on the switch, new lamp I checked it upon purchase, but the home chandelier began to flicker immediately after installation. Perhaps the reason lies in the electrical wiring. Old houses have a lot of twists inside the distribution boxes instead of the required terminal blocks. They had long since oxidized, and the insulation could have cracked in many places. Here you need to think about replacing such wiring, and it’s not about the flickering of the lamps itself, but for your own safety.

If LED lamps flicker during new wiring, it means that unscrupulous electricians made a defect. There should be a break in the phase wire through the switch to the chandelier. This can be easily checked with an indicator screwdriver. They unscrew the tab from the chandelier and, with the switch off, use the tip of the screwdriver to touch the contacts inside the socket, but without connecting them to each other. If the screwdriver indicator lights up, it means that there is constant voltage coming to the chandelier. The problem is solved by changing the wire inside the junction box going to the switch.

The reason for the poor quality of lamps

The most common reason for the blinking of switched off lamps is their poor quality. This problem is sometimes observed in LED lamps and spotlights. Many Chinese manufacturers save money by putting low-quality parts into their products. Such lamps are cheaper than branded analogues and usually come without a warranty.

There may be domestic products with good appearance body, but with Chinese filling inside. Thus, the manufacturer tries to reduce the cost of its product to increase demand. Most often, defects in such lamps are detected by inspection at the time of purchase, but it is better to give preference to branded LED light sources.

Why do working lamps flicker?

Flickering off LED lamps visible to the naked eye. If a problem occurs, it can be fixed immediately. But it happens that the lamps blink when the lights are on. This is almost invisible, however, at the subconscious level you feel discomfort and rapid eye fatigue.

The problem is the same capacitor inside the case. The small capacity does not have time to cope with the pulsation. The current passing at 50 Hz is doubled, causing the LEDs to blink at 100 Hz. There are rules according to which the pulsation coefficient of LED light sources installed in medical and children's institutions is allowed to be no more than 20%. In other cases, there are no special requirements, however, this should not be neglected, because the coefficient of cheap lamps can reach up to 60%.

You can independently identify flicker in two experimental ways:

1. Immediately after inclusion in dark room One LED light source in front of it must be quickly waved with a regular pen or pencil. If a continuous trace is visually visible, then the pulsation is normal. Broken lines indicate a high rate.
2. The easiest way to see the pulsation is with a camera or mobile phone. By pointing the camera at the lamp from a distance of 1 m, you can see dark lines displayed on the display. They talk about high pulsation.

You can get rid of pulsation by simply replacing the capacitor with a part larger capacity. Sometimes the dimmer can be the cause of flickering LEDs. This device is often installed to adjust the brightness of lighting. The point is that not everything LED sources The lights are dimmable. This needs to be clarified when purchasing lamps. Such information is indicated on the product packaging.

And finally, the cause of flickering may simply be poor network voltage. The problem can be solved by installing a stabilizer throughout the house. The device must have a surge protector. By the way, a stabilizer can solve the problem of lamps blinking due to high-frequency interference.

But everything is fine if not for one thing! It turns out that energy-saving and LED light bulbs in chandeliers and lamps begin to blink with weak flashes (even when the lighting is turned off). This is especially noticeable indoors at night. However, when replacing economical lamp on the most ordinary incandescent light bulbs, the phenomenon immediately disappears. Let's start with what an LED lamp consists of:

There are two types of LED lamp power supply:
1) Power supply through a capacitor, used in budget lamps, the lamp flickers (pulsates).
2) Power supply through a driver with current stabilization, in good ones, more expensive.
You can check them through a special device, for example: “TKA-PKM” or through any phone camera, in which you can see the stripes on the turned on LED lamp. Ripple- this is the percentage change in brightness from on to off, or the amplitude of fluctuations in the brightness of the lamp. A person cannot notice 50 Hertz, but the eyes can still get tired. Frequencies above 300 Hertz are harmless to humans. Due to their size, silicone LED lamps do not have a switching power supply. A lamp with a primitive unit is 50 Hertz. Examination: The phone is capable of detecting flickering 50 times per second. If you point your phone camera at a lamp with a primitive power supply, ripples appear,
to the lamp with pulse block power supply - no flickering.

The current on the capacitor when the switch is off may appear for various reasons; after recharging, it tries to turn on the lamp.

Let's look at the main reasons for them, but provided that in the place (socket) where the lamp was blinking, check another lamp, if it continues to blink:
The reason for the blinking of lamps in the switch with LED backlight , it means there is leakage through the light bulb electricity, which moves along this path: network - backlight lamp - chandelier with lamp - network. This current is very small (about hundredths of an ampere) and does not affect the overall network load (the electric meter does not respond to it). Elimination: Cut off or replace the switch, or connect a regular incandescent lamp in parallel with the LED lamp.
If the chandelier had halogen lamps and a protection unit was installed in it halogen lamps or soft start unit. Elimination: blocks must be removed from the chain.
Incorrectly routed electrical wiring, as the reason for the blinking of lamps and when done incorrectly electrical wiring. If the switch breaks not a phase, but a zero. Remedy: In this case, you need to change apartment panel phase with zero.
Also, the reason for the lamps blinking may be an outdated TN-C circuit without installing an RCD in case of leakage currents.
And the most popular low quality lamp, as the reason for it is dim lighting when turned off or when blinking when turned on. Remedy: exchange this lamp in the store under warranty.
That's all!

Often, when purchasing new lighting fixtures or updating existing ones, a malfunction such as blinking lamps occurs. Uneven lighting not only indicates some malfunctions, but also causes discomfort for vision. Timely elimination will extend the life of the lamps themselves and is beneficial from an economic point of view.

Why does an energy-saving light bulb blink when the switch is off: reasons

Energy-saving lamps are a worthy replacement for conventional incandescent lamps. But, despite many positive traits, they have a number of negative ones. The most common is the flickering of the lamp after the switch is turned to the “off” position.

Main reasons:

• Malfunction of the lamp itself;
• Incorrect connection;
• Lighting in the switch.

Today, there are a huge variety of energy-saving lamps. They differ in different parameters, one of which is price. Trying to save money, many people do not take such things into account when purchasing important features like, manufacturer and warranty. When choosing the cheapest options, it is often discovered that the lamp is faulty even before work begins, and this is followed by additional waste of money. To avoid this, choose trusted manufacturers. Also, a malfunction of the lamp itself may appear after a long time of operation or a power failure. Fixing the problem is quite simple - replace the non-working lamp with a new one.

Flickering can also be caused by incorrect electrical installation. This means that the switch in the circuit with the lighting device in which the flickering occurs does not interrupt the phase, as usual, but the zero. This problem can be easily resolved. If you have basic knowledge of electrical installation, you can do this work yourself. If you don’t have the skills, you can call a professional for this.

Since the lamp is designed for a certain number of starts, eliminating the fault in the form of blinking increases its operating time.

Because of design features switch and the operating principle of the energy-saving lamp blinking. It happens this way. When the lighting is turned off, electricity stops flowing to the lamp and is supplied directly to the LED. A certain charge accumulates in the capacitor and after discharge the lamp flashes. There are several ways to correct the situation. Disconnecting the LED from the power circuit will also help by replacing all backlit switches with regular ones without backlight.

LED lamp flashes when light is off: troubleshooting

LED lamps operate in principle no different from all others; the main condition is the supply direct current. This is achieved due to built-in or supplied microcircuits that rectify electric current. But also the presence of these microcircuits in the circuit makes the lights blink.

There are several ways to get rid of flickering:

• Installing an incandescent lamp in the circuit;
• Embedding a resistor;
• Turning off the backlight diode in the switch.

Incandescent lamp installation is suitable for multi-socket light sources in most cases. The incandescent lamp is screwed into the nearest place of arrival of electrical energy and itself is a kind of resistance that does not allow low-power pulse currents from the capacitors to pass through. In this case, LED lamps stop flickering.

Eliminating the blinking of LED light bulbs by adding a resistor to the circuit is a little more difficult than simply screwing in a tab, but in this way you can achieve uniform illumination. The resistor eliminates the leakage current that causes the lamps to flicker. The resistance used must be at least 100 kOhm and 0.5 W. The resistance is built into the circuit in parallel, by soldering, and in order to avoid fire hazards, the resistor is installed in a junction box.

Before soldering the resistor, to ensure better protection, it is necessary to insulate it. The most convenient and in a quality way, there will be insulation using heat shrink tubing.

To turn off the backlight LED in the switch, you need to remove the switch itself and disassemble it. Next, disconnect the wires going to the backlight and reassemble the switch in the reverse order. Carry out all work with the electricity turned off.

LED lamp blinks when turned on: reasons

A very common occurrence is when LEDs flicker after electricity is supplied to the light source. There may be several reasons. Some you can handle on your own, while others are best left to an electrical specialist.

Possible causes of the malfunction:

• Poor quality installation;
• Low voltage;
• Voltage fluctuations;
• Malfunction of the lighting device.

Sometimes, in order to get rid of flickering LEDs when they are on, it is necessary to check the quality and reliability of all contacts in the electrical circuit. This fairly simple method will help eliminate blinking.

When the network voltage is low, a failure occurs in the circuit that regulates uninterrupted operation LEDs. In this case, you need to do the following: measure the voltage in the network and be sure to turn off the voltage supply to the lighting device.

Flickering of LEDs both in off and on states leads to a decrease in their service life.

Also, evidence that the LEDs are flickering may be voltage drops in power networks. Changes can occur for various reasons. You should disconnect the light source from the network and contact the company that services this section of the power network.

If the above reasons are not identified, it means that the lighting device itself is faulty and must be replaced.

Why does an incandescent light bulb blink?

The main reasons for the blinking of incandescent lamps in an apartment are poor-quality contacts in the circuit or faulty electrical wiring and equipment. Before trying to eliminate the cause of the lamp blinking, it is necessary to identify some features that cause it to occur.

Main reasons:

• The lamp connected to the socket blinks;
• Flashing occurs in lighting fixture, connected to key switch;
• Lights flicker throughout the entire apartment or in one room.

A flashing portable lamp that is powered from an outlet must be checked for functionality by connecting it to different sockets, in whose reliability you are absolutely sure. The lamp has stopped blinking, a certain socket is faulty. If the blinking continues, you should disassemble the lamp, check and, if necessary, clean the contacts.

If the lamp(s) in the lighting fixture connected to the key switch blinks, then most likely the lamp itself or the wiring section is faulty. First of all, replace the flashing lamp with a working one. If this does not help, you need to check the switch contacts or ring the wiring going from the switch to the lighting fixture.

All work with electrical appliances Carry out when there is no voltage in the network.

Flickering of light throughout the apartment or in a certain room indicates several reasons. If the lighting is not stable not only in your home, but also in nearby houses, and flickering occurs in all rooms, then there are two reasons for the malfunction. Poor quality supply of electricity by the supplier company or malfunction power equipment. If everything is flashing in only one room, this indicates an uneven distribution of electricity in the apartment.