The lamp flashes or dimly lights after turning off: how to eliminate the flicker and save the light bulb

The blinking of energy-saving lamps causes different reasons, and therefore the ways of their elimination are significantly different, but they require immediate implementation.

The fact that most of the population of our country know about using energy-saving lamps. After installing them, many were convinced that they have a lot of positive qualities. However, many were alarmed by the unexpected effect - the energy saving lamp blinks after being turned off. In order to understand what causes such a phenomenon, first you need to establish in which mode the blinking occurs, and also to understand the principle of operation of such lamps.

The basic design of energy-saving lamps

Their body is filled with inert gas and mercury vapor, and the bulb is internally coated with a phosphor that is capable of converting ultraviolet radiation into a visible light to the human eye. Between the tube and the socle is an electronic board, which ensures the functioning of such electric lighting products.

From the mains to the energy-saving lamps comes the standard voltage of 220V, which is variable, but they work from the DC voltage. Naturally, no one installs rectifiers in the luminaires themselves, as well as their cartridges. Everything is much simpler, they are mounted inside all modern lamps.

The principle of conversion is reduced to the fact that an alternating voltage is applied to the input of the diode bridge, after which it is already constant, but has a certain level of ripple. To smooth them, a smoothing capacitor is mounted, which most often causes the lamp to flash. However, this problem can arise for another reason, so before you begin to eliminate it, you need to find out how and when it happens.

The main reasons that the lamps flash. Methods for eliminating

Flashes can occur in different ways, we will consider the main options.

1. Why the lamp flashes constantly when it is connected to the network. The following reasons may cause such a problem:

• A low voltage level, which does not allow the starting up of the lamp control equipment. To be convinced of this, it is necessary to carry out measurements in the event that it is found out that the size of voltage deviations exceeds 5% regulated by normative documents in any direction, then it will be necessary to write a claim to the company that supplies electricity to your dwelling.

• Faults in the startup circuit of energy saving lamps. They are repairable and fit, so they must be replaced immediately.
• Significant voltage surges, which can lead not only to flashing, but also to the complete output of their lamp building, as well as other equipment. The same power supply company can become the culprit of such a problem, but the connection to the network of a powerful welder or other similar equipment can lead to the same result.

1. The light flashes when connected to the mains, but does not light. In this case, you just need to replace the starter - a significant detail in the electromagnetic system of starting fluorescent lamps. But this problem does not apply to their energy-saving varieties.

1. Why the power saving lamp is off. There may be several reasons:

• Incorrect electrical work. Most often this is because the phase is confused with zero. You can verify this yourself, but you need to have or borrow from neighbors electric meters or voltage indicator. To correct the situation is not very difficult - just change the zero and phase in the electrical shield. But not everything is so simple. Finding the answer to the question: "Why is an energy-saving lamp blinking?" - can reveal serious problems with wiring in the house or apartment. For example, you are still using an outdated TN-C grounding system, have not installed a protective shutdown device, which is very dangerous, and can be the reason that the LED lamp is constantly flashing.
• Low quality of the product itself. Unfortunately, not all products, so widely represented in the modern market, meet the requirements of GOST.In this case, there is only one way out - to purchase energy-saving lamps only in large specialized stores and to give preference to brands that have already proved themselves.
• The presence in the immediate vicinity of sufficiently powerful sources emitting electromagnetic waves. Even the included TV can cause the lamp to flash, but this is only possible if it is very close. However, transmission lines or different transmitters, including mobile communication, can cause periodic outbreaks of these lighting products.
• Presence of a backlight in the key switch, which can be used as an LED or a neon lamp. This is the most common reason why an energy saving lamp flashes after being turned off.

The fact is that if the light is on, it means that it is powered by an electric current. Its value is so small that the electricity meter does not even react to it, but even this minimum is sufficient for the capacitor in the lamp to be gradually charged. As soon as the level is reached, which is enough to start, an outbreak occurs. The lamp goes out because the discharge of the capacitor is instantaneous, and everything starts again, repeating itself many times.

This has a very bad effect on the lifespan of energy-saving lamps, since it operates in a non-standard mode and is spread out for a limited number of starts. Now you know why the energy-saving lamp is flashing. To fix this situation there are several ways and on each of them we will stop.

Options for eliminating flashing or flashing

The easiest way to get rid of the unpleasant sensations, caused by the fact that the energy saving lamp flashes after switching off - remove the power of the backlight. To do this, you need to open the switch cover and disconnect the wires that go to the LED.Then the current will not flow to the charging capacitor and the problem disappears when the off lamp flashes periodically, which is very unpleasant at night. Snacking the wire is not recommended, especially if you are not a specialist in this field, as it can be confused with the power cord.

There is another very similar option - to replace the key switches with the backlight on the usual ones. This procedure can not be called difficult, but if you have never done this, then entrust this work to a specialist.

When the off lamp in the chandelier flashes, and there it is not alone, and all have a similar problem, you can replace it with an incandescent lamp that has not much power. In this case, the current will not flow to the filter capacitor, since it will go to heat the tungsten filament of a conventional light bulb.

There is another option, which is often recommended, when there is only one lamp in the lamp, then you can do otherwise - add a resistor. It must have a resistance of 50 kΩ and a power of 2 watts. You can find it in the store for radio amateurs and it is inexpensive. It is he who will consume the current that caused the lamps to flash, and their work will not be affected in any way. To ensure maximum safety it is necessary to insulate the resistor, for which it is better to use a heat shrink tube. It can be connected in a plafond, near the lamp holder or in a junction box.