Investigating the cause and 8 ways to solve the problem of flickering lights
Since energy-efficient LED bulbs have replaced hot and energy-consuming incandescent bulbs, a problem has arisen for some people, and that is the flickering of the bulb! If you want to know the reason for this blinking and how to fix it, then stay with KCS Group. In this article, I will examine the cause and methods of solving the problem of flickering lights.
Fixing the problem of LED lamp flashing and low power on or off
Undoubtedly, the emergence of new energy-saving lamps and LEDs has significantly impacted energy consumption, but sometimes these lights may flash when they are off or even on. This problem is not essential for some people, who ignore it, but for most people, it is an annoying problem, and they are looking for its solution. After examining the reasons for this, I will tell you how to fix it.
The reason for the flickering lights
The flashing of lamps has different reasons, and its intensity is also variable. It would be best to find out why the LED bulb is flickering to stop this problem. Also, before finding the reason, you should consider the condition of your light, the flashing time, and other components in the circuit, such as transformers, dimmers, switches, and sensors. In general, I can mention the following reasons as the most common:
• Transformers
• Improper wiring
• Illuminated keys
• Problem with dimmers
• Incompatible motion sensor
• Transformers
• Defective or poor-quality the lamp
Flickering light due to a problem with the transformer
If you use energy-saving lamps that include a transformer, the reason for its flickering may be the quality of the output voltage and fluctuations in this part.
To solve this problem, if you are using old halogen transformers or those with inappropriate swing output, you should replace them with new ones that are special for LED and have better quality. To return your transformer, I recommend contacting the KCS Group. Our experts have years of experience installing and repairing transformers in the Great Toronto Area and guarantee the results of their work.
The problem of low load (minimum load) of the transformer in flickering lights
Many electrical transformers require a minimum output load. For example, if you have already used 5 halogen lamps of 20 watts and you want to replace them with LED and do not change the transformer, you will have the problem of flashing or not turning on the lamps because, according to calculations, 5 LED lamps with 3 watts are enough. In the old version, you needed 100 watts of power, but with the new bulbs, you will only need 15 watts. In the previous example, you probably used a 50 to 150-watt transformer, meaning they required at least 50 watts to work correctly.
The best solution to this problem is replacing the old transformer with a new type of LED. We recommend using quality brands. Feel free to contact KCS Group today.
Flickering lights due to incorrect wiring
To correctly wire the lamp, you must connect the neutral wire directly to the light, and the phase wire must be in the path of the switch. If the phase is connected directly to a lamp consumer through its body connection, a link may be established, which is the reason for the flickering. If your wiring has made such a mistake, the lamp will flick.
You need to replace the phase and neutral wires to solve this problem. In these cases, I recommend you seek the help of a skilled electrician, such as the experienced technicians of KCS Group and do not touch the wiring yourself.
Flickering lights due to the light switch
If your light switch has a light and it is an old low, consumption model, you may have a problem with the LED lamp flashing on and off because the lamp inside the key needs a small current to activate.
If it is the cause of your flickering light, you should use switches without lamps or remove the switch lamp from the circuit. New LED lamps usually do not cause such a problem. You can test this and change your bulb if needed.
Flickering light due to the connection to the dimer
If there is a dimmer in your light circuit, use this method to fix the flickering problem of the low-energy lamp. Older bulbs worked fine with dimmers, but LED and energy-saving bulbs usually struggle because they can’t be dimmed and require a specific voltage! Therefore, the first point is that when buying an LED lamp, you should pay attention that it can be connected to a dimmer (dimmable). Of course, your dimmer must also be suitable because old dimmers require a minimum load, so you must use new ones for LED.
Therefore, to solve the flickering light problem, you must buy a low-power lamp that can work with a dimmer, and your dimmer must be a new type of LED. If you remove the dimmer from the circuit, your problem will be solved.
Flickering light due to the connection to the motion sensor
Motion sensors also need a minimum load to work correctly. If the lamp connected to your motion sensor flicks, to solve this problem, you should use low-load sensors or install a relay switch in the circuit.
The reason why the light flicks when it is on
The light bulb blinking is either due to the quality of the lamp, or your lamp is at the end of its life. If your LED bulb flicks for a short time after being turned on, the bulb is likely of poor quality. Many different companies use low-quality power supplies and boards, which is the cause of this problem. Some lights require a specific temperature to illuminate and stop flicking fully. It may also happen later after turning on the lamp.
The capacitor has lost capacity if your lamp was not flicking before and blinking after turning it on. Its material would be of poor quality if it had this problem initially. Either way, replace the bulb with a new LED light.
The low-energy lamp only flicks occasionally
If your energy-saving bulb only blinks occasionally, troubleshooting becomes more difficult. The reason for the flashing of the lamp from time to time may be due to an improper terminal, improper transformer, incomplete or inadequate power supply in the light, and fluctuations in the power grid.
Regarding the inappropriate transformer or terminal in the previous methods, I explained the appropriate solution that you can use those methods.
In the case of a faulty lamp, you can replace another lamp instead of the one flashing. If the new bulb no longer flicks, the bulb’s power supply is probably incorrect, and you need to use a different bulb.
But if the replacement bulb blinks occasionally, you probably have a power surge. In this case, you should take the help of a skilled electrician from the KCS Group to determine the fluctuations in your wiring.