LED lamps are gaining more and more popularity. It’s not surprising - with the same luminous flux, they consume almost an order of magnitude less electricity than conventional incandescent lamps. In terms of this indicator, they also outperform compact fluorescent light sources several times over. Let's add in the durability of these lamps, widely advertised by the manufacturer, and the choice becomes obvious. Moreover, their prices are gradually decreasing and no longer look very prohibitively high.
Why do LED light bulbs burn out?
However, if replacing a burnt out cheap incandescent lamp usually does not cause particularly strong negative emotions, then a failed LED lamp leaves a very unpleasant aftertaste. And often such frustration is associated to a greater extent not even with lost money - I frankly feel sorry for lost hopes, and I feel oppressed by the feeling that you were “conned out like the last sucker” by promises of her long-term work.
And if this has happened more than once, then it becomes quite natural to want to understand the reasons - why do LED light bulbs burn out? Does the “root of evil” lie in the insufficient quality of purchased products, or should the reason be sought “in oneself”?
Spoiler – it’s quite possible to have one or the other.
Main reasons for failure
The main reason why LED lamps burn out is faulty wiring.
Faulty or rotten electrical wiring in an apartment or car is the main reason why LED light bulbs burn out. Most of the cables were installed many years ago, so the parts and wires are worn out. Changing wiring is time-consuming, expensive, and not always possible.
“Human factor” - mistakes made by electricians, builders, and other craftsmen are not uncommon. Incorrect calculation of the required voltage, poor connection of contacts, selection of unsuitable elements - all this leads to arcing of the network, failures, disconnections and other problems.
“Incorrect” lighting fixtures (sconces, chandeliers, lamps) are another reason for the constant burnout of LEDs. About a third of the consumed voltage is spent on lighting, the remaining 2/3 is transformed into heat. Therefore, when developing devices, it is necessary to take into account the heating of the crystals and provide for the possibility of timely cooling.
Only a professional electrician can often understand why LED light bulbs burn out.
Faults and wiring defects
Faulty electrical wiring in the apartment
LEDs burn out due to frequent power surges and surges. Problems arise on power lines, during a thunderstorm, or directly indoors. Timely checking the integrity of the wires will help avoid unexpected breakdowns and reduce the frequency of burnout of LED lamps.
LED lamps do not work well in low voltage conditions. The quality of connections in the junction box should be checked, twists and kinks should be eliminated. Old switches and blocks can also cause energy-saving light bulbs to burn out prematurely.
Checking the chandelier, identifying defects
Faulty cartridge
Chandeliers have a simple structure and the main “problem” area is the socket. Signs of trouble:
- excessive heat;
- sparking;
- blackening and soot.
LED devices cannot be used in chandeliers with closed shades and with the ceiling bulb placed downwards. With this arrangement, heat accumulates and there are no cooling options.
Poor quality LED lamps
A low-quality LED lamp burns out quickly
One of the recommendations of electricians is not to buy devices cheaper than 120 rubles. Less expensive models are made without the possibility of cooling, stabilization, ballast capacitors and other methods of protection, and they have a flimsy body. Although such devices “without everything” are disappearing from the market.
To minimize the consequences when working with cheap mechanisms, you can install a varistor - a special device that stabilizes the voltage during power surges. Typically, a device with a response level of about 470 V is used. Additional methods are to install a filter capacitor and a fuse on the board.
Lamp parameters
And the last reason for an LED lamp to burn out is its parameters, which may not meet the standards. It is very important not to make a mistake when purchasing a product.
It is better not to trust a bright glow at an exhibition stand - it is not a fact that the lamp will retain its characteristics with constant use. A high-quality LED lamp should have a built-in “driver” that protects against voltage surges.
To extend the life of LED lamps, you should follow simple rules - buy high-quality products, install reliable wiring at home and properly install the lighting fixture. And then the lamp will last the period stated by the manufacturer and even longer.
A unique article on our website is.
How LED works
Light is emitted when an electric current passes through the pn junction of a semiconductor.
The LED passes current of direct polarity and blocks reverse current from the voltage source. It is selected experimentally, taking into account the magnitude of the luminous flux and thermal processes.
The magnitude of the applied voltage to the electrodes (anode and cathode) is limited by the capabilities of the semiconductor - the internal electrical resistance of the pn junction.
Output characteristics
An LED lamp consists of a large number of LEDs combined in one housing and connected to a voltage source via a built-in power supply.
Together they provide:
- light output;
- color temperature;
- a certain angle of dispersion of the light flux.
These characteristics are published in a separate article. Their quality depends on the operating conditions and design of the lamp.
Reasons for frequent burnout of LED lamps
It's one thing when incandescent lamps burn out, the cost of which is quite low. In this case, we, as a rule, do not attach much importance to the problem and simply replace the burnt-out products with new ones.
However, things are completely different if the LED bulb in the lamp often burns out, the cost of which is several times higher. In this case, there is no point in resigning yourself, because... the cost of frequent replacement can put a significant dent in your budget. It is necessary to understand the possible causes of the malfunction and eliminate them.
Next, we will tell you why LED lamps in an apartment burn out and what to do to solve the problem.
Poor quality products
Unfortunately, the main reason for LED burnout is poor build quality. In our search for cheap LED products, we often fall for the trick of Chinese brands - bright light bulbs that, as advertising, shine quite well on the stand and at the same time have a stylish design.
The fact is that most LED products from China are manufactured in such a budget version that the light bulbs burn out due to the lack of elements for protecting the LEDs from surge current in the driver circuit.
As a result, during voltage surges, the current increases, due to which the LEDs heat up above the nominal temperature and, of course, burn out.
In addition, let’s return to one more reason, which is closely related to the advertising move when demonstrating the glow of a light bulb on a stand.
When choosing an LED lamp for the home, we all try to find an option that will shine well and at the same time be cheap.
That is why some manufacturers select resistors and capacitors in light bulbs in such a way that the LEDs work at full power, but brightly. As a result, the service life of the products is quickly reduced and they burn out.
Also, another reason for the frequent combustion of LED lamps is a defect in the configuration and a violation of the soldering technology, which is typical for cheap Chinese products.
You can verify the above by watching these videos:
What else could it be?
When we looked at the technical characteristics of LED lamps, we pointed to such a parameter as the number of switches. In LED light bulbs, as a rule, the number of switches declared by the manufacturer is unlimited.
But in practice, frequent turning on of the light affects the service life of the LEDs, and if you turn on the light switch in the room dozens of times a day, then it may well be that the lamps burn out for this reason, especially if they are Chinese.
We should also talk about backlit switches.
If the chandelier is controlled by such a switch, then most likely you have noticed that the LED light bulb sometimes flickers or even lights up dimly when the light is off.
Well, the last, rarely encountered situation is when 12-volt LEDs in spotlights burn out.
Here the situation may be either in the wrong backlight connection diagram or in the power supply (incorrectly selected power or poor quality).
We provided the correct wiring diagrams for spotlights. As for the power supply, it must be selected with a power reserve (at least 20%).
We draw your attention to the fact that sometimes apartment owners think that all the 12-volt LED lamps in their suspended ceiling have burned out. First of all, it is better to check the power supply, because
Most likely, it burned out, not the light bulbs!
These are actually all the reasons why LED products burn out.
We hope our information was useful to you and now you know why LED lamps burn out, and what to do in this case! We draw your attention to an important nuance - each lamp has its own warranty period, so if in your case the burnout occurred immediately after purchase due to poor build quality, you can safely go to where you bought it and solve this problem with the seller!
It will be interesting to read:
The miser pays twice - low quality LED lamps
The main reason why LED lamps fail is the low quality of the LED lamp itself. In order to attract consumers with a low price, unscrupulous manufacturers make LED light bulbs bright, beautiful, but short-lived. The lamps shine so brightly on the demonstration stand, but are completely unsuitable for long-term operation over many years.
They lack reliable current stabilization and protection against increased network voltage. When the supply voltage jumps for some reason, the current through the LED crystals increases excessively, the lamp shines quite brightly and impressively, but the crystal quickly degrades in this mode. The result is predictable - the lamp soon burns out.
Why do LED lamps burn out?
And some manufacturers specifically tune the visual characteristics of their LED lamps so that they shine brightly even at normal supply voltage. But at what cost is this achieved?
In order not to make the product more expensive, not to install more powerful LEDs, not to use LEDs with a more efficient phosphor, they simply adjust the voltage stabilization in the lamp so that the LEDs shine at full strength, without a safety margin.
As a result, the LEDs shine very brightly, at the same time they overheat, and again quickly fail in this mode. Thus, the life of an inexpensive but bright LED lamp is doomed to be short-lived. And is it worth talking about the low quality of soldering in cheap LED lamps, where the installation technology is obviously broken...
Poor wiring connection
The quality of contact in the electrical wiring has a great influence on the service life of any lamp, as well as any electrical appliance. The most common reason for light bulbs to burn out is a poorly made or weakened connection at the junction of the wires over time. This problem, in most cases, occurs if the electrical wiring in an apartment or house is made of aluminum wire. If all the wires are in order, then it is likely that the problem is in the contact. In this case, you need to diagnose all the electrical wiring in the house as quickly as possible, and you need to start from the place where the lamp is connected. Today, electrical goods stores sell various modern wire connectors, the use of which significantly improves the performance of all wiring in the apartment. If you do not have special skills or relevant experience, then this work is best left to a professional electrician.
Driver Significance
The service life of the lamps also depends on the quality of the driver. It is this that provides proper power to the LEDs and prolongs the life of the source.
A driver program with a pulsating transformer and a current converter is an extremely reliable industrial solution for powering LED light bulbs, which is published industrially.
To assess the significance of the current stabilizer, it is necessary to analyze its influence in the chandelier. Thus, a chandelier with LED lighting has a current stabilizer. Its output voltage fluctuates over a wide spectrum, and the value of the output current is constant even with a single LED in the load. In such a chandelier, a burnt-out LED can simply be short-circuited. The most powerful current drivers operate approximately according to this principle.
How to disassemble the LED module?
To repair a faulty lamp, you must first dismantle it. There are no special difficulties in performing the procedure
But to avoid problems, you need to be careful and show skill.
Some lamp components cannot be repaired, so they must be handled with care during the disassembly stage. The circuit board requires special attention.
Method 1: unscrewing
Being a fragile device, the lamp can fail if disassembled incorrectly. To prevent this, you need to follow the instructions and follow some rules.
To dismantle the diffuser dome, you need to take the product by the edges with both hands and gradually separate the upper part from the body. The problem is solved without much difficulty, because the connecting sealant layer has a minimum thickness.
Next you will need to perform the most difficult part of the work - separating the plate from the body. The problem is solved by removing the bolts securing the structure. The heads of these fasteners are extremely tiny, so special precision screwdrivers must be used to unscrew them.
After this, you should separate the plate from the radiator using a sharp flat object
You can use jewelry tweezers as this, which allows you to carefully pry the edge of the plate and then remove it entirely
Method 2: Heating with a hairdryer
The next option involves using a hair dryer to heat the lamp body. It may become popular when disassembling devices with thick glass that cannot be removed with a screwdriver.
After heat treatment, the LED module is easily removed from the base. When exposed to hot air, the components expand and the adhesive becomes elastic. As a result, the product breaks into several parts.
If you don't have a hairdryer, you can use another method. It consists of using a solvent, an awl and a medical syringe with a needle.
The awl is carefully drawn along the edge, and then the solvent is applied using a syringe. After a few minutes, the sealant becomes pliable and the dome can be unscrewed without additional effort.
Other manipulations are carried out according to the same instructions as in the previous method.
Reasons for frequent burnout of LED light bulbs
The main factors influencing the service life of LED lamps:
- quality of product manufacturing;
- condition of electrical wiring and connection points;
- voltage stability in the power supply circuit;
- the presence of a radiator for uniform cooling of the LEDs;
- frequent turning on and off of lamps;
- using a switch with a control indicator.
Low quality of the lamps themselves
A common reason why LED light bulbs burn out is poor workmanship. To reduce product costs, power stabilization controllers are excluded from the design, which leads to increased load on the LEDs. Since, to save money, the lamp does not have a radiator, the elements overheat and degrade. The lamp will work for several hundred or thousand hours, but will fail before the end of its declared life.
Some manufacturers achieve maximum brightness by adjusting the voltage on the LEDs. The elements work to the limit, which causes increased heat generation and structural destruction. An additional problem in this case is the insufficient amount of solder and special paste for heat removal.
Faults and wiring defects
If LED lights burn out quickly under normal operating conditions, you will need to check the condition of the electrical wiring in the room. It is necessary to find distribution boxes located on the walls under the ceiling. At the same time, the connection points between the electrical wiring and the lamp sockets are inspected. If melted insulation is detected, it is necessary to cut out the damaged area and connect the cables with twisting or spring terminals (for example, Wago).
Unstable voltage in the network
LED lamps are designed for a voltage of 220 V (alternating current); when the voltage changes, the devices blink and burn out. To ensure stable voltage in the power circuit, a built-in driver is used, which is the first to fail.
If lamps designed for a voltage of 12 V are installed in the room, then in the absence of backlight it is necessary to check the functionality of the power supply.
Insufficient heat dissipation
When installing lamps in a chandelier, it is necessary to ensure heat dissipation. LEDs do not heat up as intensely as the filament of an incandescent lamp, but to ensure a factory resource, a radiator is required. Ceramic sockets in the chandelier allow you to partially reduce the temperature, but it is recommended to purchase lamps with an integrated radiator. The element, made of ceramic or light aluminum alloy, is located on the bottom of the lamp; there are fins on the surface to increase the cooling surface area.
In lamps with reduced power, the radiator is located inside the bulb; it is impossible to visually check its presence. Cheap products use a heat exchanger with reduced dimensions that does not provide cooling for the LEDs. To determine the size of the radiator, you can weigh the lamp on a scale or in your hand. It is not recommended to purchase light lamps. An additional problem is the insufficient layer of paste located between the diode and the radiator.
Frequently turning lamps on and off
LED lighting fixtures often burn out when power is applied due to a power surge. As a result, the electronic component or conductive paths printed on the printed circuit board are destroyed. Since LED lamps are energy efficient, it is not recommended to turn the power on and off frequently.
An additional challenge are switches with integrated LEDs. When using LED standard bulbs, it is recommended to remove such a switch, since a low current flows in the circuit, which can ignite the LEDs. Constant illumination negatively affects the electronic ballast, which prematurely fails. If the user intends to keep the switch with an indicator, then it is necessary to install an additional 50 kOhm resistor.
What about the switch?
Few people pay attention to switches, but they may be the cause of burnout. Using a backlit switch entails the passage of current through the indicator to the chandelier, which causes flickering or faint glow of the diodes to be noticeable.
Such products significantly shorten the life of LED lamps. Poor voltage quality is generally noticeable in new buildings that are not yet fully occupied. Such problems are solved by using stabilizers.
Which lamps will last long?
When selecting LED light sources for a living space, it is recommended to purchase products manufactured by large companies (for example, Wolta, Osram or Philips). Products from Chinese manufacturers Camelion or Gauss do not differ in durability from lamps produced by European companies. It should be taken into account that European manufacturers have brought the assembly of LED lamps to China
When purchasing, you need to pay attention to the declared service life and light temperature
There are products on the market from Ecola and Newera, which are claimed to be Russian developments. The products are assembled in China, and the manufacturers provide a 2-year warranty on the lamps. According to user reviews, these LED lamps are highly reliable and correspond to the stated parameters.
Purchasing products on AliExpress allows you to save money, but this trading platform often offers low-quality products. Before purchasing, it is recommended that you read the reviews left by previous customers. It is necessary to take into account that high-quality products are sold at prices comparable to the cost of LED lamps in retail stores in Russia.
Is it worth buying on Aliexpress?
When purchasing a lamp, you should, of course, definitely pay attention to the characteristics of the lamp. But it is equally important to look at the manufacturer’s brand. This is especially true in cases where the apartment owners decided to save money and purchase a Chinese LED device. After all, the answer to the question of why LED lamps burn out often lies precisely in the poor quality of their assembly.
Lamps from Aliexpress, for example, almost never have good properties. But even in this large online store you can sometimes find relatively good products of this type. Even on Aliexpress, high-quality lamps are quite expensive. In order not to make a mistake when choosing an LED device on this site, you should at least read consumer reviews about the product on its page before purchasing.
Checking the chandelier, identifying defects
If the wires are in good condition as a result of the test, you should check why the LED bulbs in the chandelier burn out. It is quite possible that the reason lies precisely in the unsatisfactory technical condition of the lamp. Since LED light bulbs are highly sensitive to voltage changes, you must first check the quality of the connection of the chandelier to the wires of your home network.
After this, you need to check the lamp itself. The design and electrical circuits of most chandeliers are quite simple, which makes it easy to understand the problem and identify a possible malfunction. At the very beginning of the audit, it is recommended to check the contacts located in the cartridges. They should not only be inspected, but also be cleaned.
Particular attention should be paid to the central contact, commonly called the tongue. If necessary, it bends upward, which significantly increases the reliability of the connection between the contacts and the light bulb.
One of the reasons is the voltage converter
Many high-quality LED lamps produced by well-known companies are equipped with quite complex electronic circuits. The main function of these devices is to convert 220 volt AC network voltage into DC voltage, the value of which is required for this type of LEDs. In addition, they qualitatively smooth out the resulting pulsations.
A standard board usually consists of 1 or 2 chips and other elements. This design significantly increases the life of the lamps, but at the same time increases their cost. Therefore, in order to increase product sales, unscrupulous manufacturers replace normal complex circuits with so-called ballast, which was already mentioned earlier. In this regard, many consumers during operation have a logical question about why LED light bulbs quickly burn out.
The main reason is current surges, which cannot be leveled out with simple ballast. As a result, the structure of the semiconductor is disrupted, and the luminous layer - the phosphor - becomes inoperative. Therefore, it is recommended to buy products only from well-known manufacturers that are reliable and of high quality.
LED lamp blinking
LED lamp repair
Dimmer for LED lamps: what is it, which one to choose, why doesn’t it work
New generation LED lamps
LED lamps for home
Comparison of LED lamps and incandescent lamps
How to choose a quality LED lamp
Choosing the best quality LED lamp is quite a difficult task. Consultation with the seller is not always able to give a certain result, so you need to have minimal knowledge.
The main parameters of LED lamps are power and luminous flux. They are connected. If compared with the usual indicators of incandescent lamps, the power of LED structures is almost 10 times higher - the equivalent of a 100-watt incandescent lamp will be a 12-watt LED. Luminous flux shows how much light a device produces.
The longevity of the lamp can be ensured by purchasing products from the most well-known and reliable companies. These are companies such as:
- Philips;
- Camelion;
- Osram;
- Muller;
- Tagan, etc.
Sometimes it is useful to come to the store with a burnt-out lamp and show it to the seller so as not to buy the same one again.
Low quality products
Most LED lamps from Chinese brands burn out due to poor quality assembly. Under the stylish appearance of the product, several unpleasant surprises may be hidden:
- a cheap electrolytic capacitor that gradually loses capacity when operating in a high-temperature environment;
- lack of high-quality heat removal;
- lack of a good driver;
- “cold soldering” of contact pads, etc.
If you look inside the body of a burnt-out LED lamp, you will find that the thermal paste is only partially applied to the aluminum substrate. As a result, heat transfer from the board to the radiator occurs unevenly, which leads to overheating of the emitting SMD element, which is in the worst temperature regime.
Clever Chinese engineers calculate the ballast power supply so that the output voltage on it is slightly higher than the rated one. The initial brightness of such a product impresses the buyer, which means the commercial goal has been achieved. In the best case, after several months of operation, the luminous flux will decrease by 30%, in the worst case, the lamp will burn out.
The listed facts indicate a deliberate deterioration of the technical characteristics of the product by the manufacturer. After all, if everyone switches to high-quality LED lighting, then who will buy the lamps?
How to extend service life
In order for the source to serve until the stated period, you must follow some rules:
- During installation: do not install immediately when brought in from frost; do not apply much force, as this will cause external damage; LED strips are not allowed to be glued directly to wallpaper or furniture.
- The lamp must have an indicator diode.
- If the lamp is not protected from humidity, then it cannot be used in bathrooms, kitchens, etc.
Electrical wiring problems
But the main factor that affects the service life of an LED lamp is the instability of the voltage in the electrical network. It’s clear how increased voltage affects a regular incandescent lamp. The tungsten filament overheats, the structure of the filament is destroyed, and as a result the lamp fails.
A problem with electrical wiring can be detected by the frequent burnout of lamps in a certain place. In this case, first of all you need to check the condition of the wire that powers the LED. It must be insulated and free of visible damage. If the need arises, the wire can be connected using WAGO reusable terminal blocks. They have special levers that allow you to quickly disconnect the circuits and test each element separately.
If, when inspecting the wiring, you do not find a defect, then you should carefully inspect the cartridge. If there is visible damage or signs of burning of the wires, then such a cartridge must be replaced. To be sure of the long service life of the LED lamp, it is better to immediately replace suspicious wires and sockets.
No. 3. Voltage instability in the network
Burnout of an LED lamp due to problems with voltage instability is often found in country houses. The surge can occur at the time of peak electricity consumption. If a lamp without a driver is installed in a chandelier, it will most likely burn out.
Instability measurement and influence parameters.
Only a high-quality lamp with a driver with a wide range can overcome a voltage surge in a house or apartment. In most expensive light bulbs it ranges from 160 V to 235 V. But if light bulbs from popular and expensive manufacturers burn out, the only solution is to purchase a voltage stabilizer.
Defects in electrical wiring or electrical appliance
LEDs become unusable due to constant power surges. Variations can occur due to disruption of power lines or improperly laid in-house wiring.
Old or incorrectly routed wiring
Fluorescent energy-saving and LED light bulbs do not respond well to a decrease in voltage in the network, so before using them in residential lighting, it is necessary to check the insulation in the distribution boxes and in the lamp connections.
If possible, you need to replace the twists with complete wiring. It is convenient to use terminal blocks for connection, from which you can remove the metal tip of the wire and reconnect without damaging its integrity.
Problematic operation of the lamp
Another common cause of light bulbs burning out is problems with the lamp itself. First of all, before screwing in the lamp, you need to check the condition of the lighting fixture:
- inspect the contacts in the cartridge. Due to high temperatures and chemical reactions, plaque may form in the base, which must be cleaned with a sharp object or sandpaper;
- if necessary, bend the tongue, which ensures good contact of the socket with the lamp base.
Possible reasons
Probably everyone knows the saying “The miser pays twice.” This is where the first of the possible reasons lies. Many will say that in order to save money they buy LED lamps, but the problem is in the correct choice of these devices. Poor workmanship is present in half of the lamps sold for sale. The fact is that manufacturers, in order to attract more customers, lower the price of the lamp, but accordingly they themselves use low-quality parts. Sometimes, manufacturers make light bulbs too bright, the light from them is very beautiful, but there is no protection against excess luminous flux, which is why burnout occurs.
Most LED lights are powered by a power supply or LED paths. The undoubted advantage of the power supply is that it can be used as an electrical ballast. If the power supply is not configured correctly, the lighting fixture will always burn out. This happens because the power that passes through the unit is less than necessary.
The main reasons for LED burnout
LED lamps are becoming increasingly popular among consumers due to their bright light, low power consumption and long service life. Compared to conventional incandescent light bulbs, these devices are much more economical and worth the investment. Even fluorescent lamps for the home are inferior to LEDs in terms of electricity consumption. In addition, prices for such products are constantly decreasing, which allows even buyers with a small budget to purchase them.
Replacing a socket for an LED lamp Source 220.guru
DIY LED lamp repair
Burnt-out LEDs often lead to failure of the lighting fixture. Sometimes the problem can be determined after dismantling the case. But there are exceptions when externally the components appear to be working properly. Do-it-yourself LED lamp repair begins only after identifying the problem.
Replacing light bulb LEDs
To replace the lamp's LEDs, it is not necessary to use soldering equipment. Sometimes it is enough to heat the board with a hair dryer, as a result of which the soldering area will become soft and pliable, and the diode will be easy to reach with tweezers.
A working light source is placed on the heated area, and after the board has cooled, it is firmly fixed. When disassembling the device, you need to monitor the location of the element to avoid mistakes during reassembly.
LED lamp driver repair
Repairing an LED lamp with your own hands is not difficult. Often this requires troubleshooting problems in the driver that arise due to a burnt out resistor or capacitor.
If your home workshop has multimeters and other measuring devices, the diagnosis will be performed without any difficulties. If a breakdown is determined, the part is replaced with a working model with similar performance characteristics.
How to check and replace the power supply?
If the lamp is installed in a technical room with a high level of humidity, it is equipped with stabilizing power supplies that reduce the voltage to safe values. With use or under the influence of negative factors, the stabilizer fails.
To replace it, you need to remove the voltage by disconnecting the circuit in the distribution panel.
Eliminating blinking LED lamps
Often, LED lamp repair is intended to eliminate the flickering problem. An unpleasant phenomenon occurs as a result of interruption of electrical contact. Determining the cause with a magnifying glass is problematic, so all that remains is to re-solder the sockets, which requires some effort and time. But, given the simplicity of the scheme, you can carry out the necessary manipulations on your own.
Main conclusions
LED lamps, the most popular and common among users, burn out due to excessive heat or exceeding power parameters. Before replacing the lamp, it is necessary to determine the cause of the failure and eliminate it. Otherwise, the new lamp will also burn out in the near future. It is necessary to use power stabilizers and check the condition of the wiring and all connections. When purchasing lamps, you should pay attention only to the most well-known companies that provide a full guarantee for their products.
How to fix the problem?
If the LED lamp lights up when the light is off, how to fix it? There are different solutions. It all depends on the nature of the problem itself. For example:
- A cheap, low-quality LED lamp always glows in the dark after it is turned off. To eliminate this problem, it is necessary to replace it with quality products from a trusted manufacturer.
- If the lighting element is on because an illuminated switch is used, then this problem can be solved in different ways. For example, the easiest way out is to change the switch in the house to a regular one, without backlighting. You can simply cut off the specific wire that powers the backlight. This can be done after opening the switching device. But there is another way out - to preserve this function, it is enough to place a resistor in parallel on a certain section of the electrical circuit.
- If the LED light is on and the reason is in the wiring, then it will be extremely difficult to solve such a problem. To eliminate it, you need to find the location of the current leak. But this may entail certain difficulties. But when the light turns off, the bulbs will not light up. We talked about what malfunctions in electrical wiring can happen in a separate article. There is another way, simpler. When the lighting element is lit, it is necessary to connect a load (relay, incandescent lamp or resistor) in parallel with it. You just need to take into account the fact that the resistance in the connected load should be lower than in the light emitter. And as a result, the leakage current will flow to this load, but due to the fact that the resistance is insignificant, it will not light up.
Another effective way to eliminate the glow of LED bulbs is to add a capacitor to the circuit. This is explained in detail in the video tutorial:
A variety of methods can solve the problem of the glow of emitters with diodes so that they do not glow at full intensity when the switch is turned off. The main thing is to understand the root cause of the problem. We hope you now understand why the LED lamp glows after turning off and what to do to correct the situation!
It will be useful to read:
- Why is the energy saving lamp blinking?
- DIY LED light bulb repair
- Connection diagram for spotlights
Lamps blink when on or off
We figured out why LED lamps burn out, let's move on.
Most often, a malfunction of LED lamps manifests itself in the fact that they begin to blink. This can happen both when the device is turned on or off. In the first case, the cause of blinking may be:
- poor-quality installation of the device
- old wiring in the house
- the switch is not in phase, but at “zero”
- low-quality driver in the lamp itself
- phase imbalance
Sometimes it also happens that the light goes out after being turned on, and then lights up. This primarily indicates a faulty starter.
What to do when the device blinks when it is turned on
The first step to fix this problem is to check all contacts on the network. If this does not help, you may have to think about replacing the electrical wiring in the apartment. Old high-rise buildings usually have aluminum wires installed. There are many powerful devices used in apartments today. Therefore, aluminum wiring may simply not cope with the load. If blinking occurs for this reason, the wires must be replaced with copper ones.
If the light blinks simply due to a malfunction, you can try the following:
- take out the device filling and insert the driver there
- to stabilize the lamp, solder another capacitor into it
- use one driver for all light bulbs in the device
Blinking when off
This type of malfunction can be explained by:
- The presence of LED lighting in the switch
- Inconsistency of the lamp itself with quality standards
LED light bulbs blink frequently when turned off due to a fault in the electrical wiring of the house or apartment. Also, in some cases, this phenomenon occurs due to the operation of a large number of sources of high-frequency interference (microwaves, electric stoves, washing machines, etc.). In this case, the problem can be corrected by including a stabilizer with a filter in the network circuit.
Illuminated switch
The simplest solution to the problem is to replace the backlit switch with a regular device. If for some reason this is not possible, you need to install an additional resistor with a power of 2 W and a resistance of 50 kOhm. Due to it, the necessary resistance will be added, preventing random impulses. The resistor is connected directly near the switch or directly to the lamp. A special heat-shrinkable tube is used to insulate and secure the resistor.
Installing an additional resistor
Sometimes the cause of blinking is the incorrect installation of the switch, when the break is set to zero instead of phase. The off state does not interrupt the operation of the lamp, and it will constantly blink under the influence of constant recharging. High humidity also contributes to the appearance of parasitic current pulses in the network, under the influence of which the LED lamp blinks. When choosing a lighting device, you should purchase products only from well-known and trusted manufacturers.
