The energy saving lamp blinks - the main cause of the malfunction

Principle of operation

housekeeper First we need to tell you briefly about how to work the light source, sinceit is in the internal system that there can be malfunctions.

Fluorescent and LED lamps, unlike other products, operate on DC power. This is as follows: the 220 V variables are applied to the base, after which the electricity passes through the diode bridge and the filter capacitor. As a result, the alternating voltage is converted into a constant voltage, which we have at the output. It is the capacitor on the board that can cause the light to flicker.

As you can see, the design of LED and fluorescent light sources is really different, so if you are a hard-boiled incandescent bulbs and you see that blinking have passed, you should not think that it was the poor quality housekeeper( although there are a defective product).

list of possible reasons

So, then proceed as follows: individually consider the reasons why energy saving lamps may flash, and immediately after each option will tell you how to remove this or that problem.

backlight to switch

first and most popular energy-saving lamps flicker problem with the lights off switch is illuminated. This type of light switch has a small LED that lights up when the key is in the off position.

What happens at this time? As you understand, when the light is off, the circuit is broken and no power is supplied to the lamp. At the same time, the backlight is connected to the switch in parallel and when it opens the circuit, the current flows to the LED.As a result, such a scheme of electricity movement is obtained: the electric network - the backlight - the lamp - the electrical network.

Just this small voltage, which is necessary for the functioning of the backlight, charges the capacitor. The result - the lamp tries to turn on, but immediately goes out, becauseThe capacitor charge is not enough for normal operation. Such attempts of inclusion will be repeated repeatedly, as soon as the capacitor is charged quickly. You will in turn see that the energy saving lamp is flashing during operation.

There are several ways to solve this problem:

1. Disconnect the LED wires from the circuit. The main thing in this case is not to mix up the veins, and then there are cases when they bite the phase or zero.
2. Replace the switch with an ordinary one, without the light indicator.
3. Add a filament lamp to the circuit, which will take over this small voltage, charging the capacitor. Not the most reasonable option, especially since it's hardly possible to hide beautifully in the chandelier another light bulb. Nevertheless, many on the forums write that they used this method for fighting the flickering of an energy-saving light bulb, which gives it the right to exist.
4. Add a resistor with characteristics in the circuit: power 2 W, resistance - 50 kOhm. This element will consume a current that causes the energy-saving lamp to flash, and the resistor is compact in size. You can connect the resistor directly near the cartridge or else in the junction box. In any case, the connection must be made by the terminal block, and for isolation of the resistor it is best to use a heat shrink tube. This method can be clearly seen in the video below.
5. Well, the last way to solve the problem is to connect the backlight to the network with a separate wire. In this case, it will burn constantly, but the energy costs will be scanty. The lack of such an idea is a superfluous connection of wires.

We recommend that you give preference to the first or the fourth solution to the problem. If the backlighting is really important for you, buy a resistor( it costs about 10 rubles), if not - just cut the wires, as a result of which the energy saving lamp will not flash when it is off.

Problems with wiring

If you bought a special lamp that does not blink when the light is off, and the problem still occurs, then it's a matter of wiring. In the old wiring, current leakage is possible due to insulation damage and bad twisting of the conductors, which as a result causes permanent blinking.

Immediately it should be noted that the flicker of the energy-saving light bulb can occur not only in the off state, but also with the light on. In this case, you will need to make an audit, or better - replace the wiring in the house with a new one.

1. Disassemble the switch and the luminaire, check the quality of the connection of the conductors, perhaps the cause is in poor contact.
2. Check whether the wiring has been carried out at all.sometimes, the electricians fail to apply a zero conductor to the gap. In addition to the fact that it is very dangerous, there is also the possibility that the housekeeper will blink when turning on or after shutting down.

Rare exceptions

As you understand, sometimes there is a situation where both the wiring is OK and the switch is suitable, and the chandelier still flashes and cracks. In this case, the "culprits" of the problem can be the following reasons:

• A poor-quality product. If you chose Chinese products of questionable production, then it is possible that the "manufacturer" itself produced a defective product. As a rule, this happens very rarely, but still there are cases in life practice.
• The resource of work is over. If your housekeeper is already many years old, then there is a possibility that some element on the chip has failed, as a result of which the lamp does not turn on or periodically flashes. Although the manufacturers claim that modern LED and fluorescent lamps can burn more than 10 years, for inappropriate conditions of use no one guarantees. Perhaps in the network you have frequent voltage drops, or the product is installed in a room with a low / high temperature. Any, at first glance, not an important factor can be displayed on the resource of the work of the housekeeper.
• The starter failed. The part that is responsible for switching on the fluorescent light bulb is called the starter. Sometimes a starter goes out of order and provokes a flashing energy-saving lamp when it is turned on. Replace this part will not be difficult even an electrician-beginner, especially since it costs a penny.

In conclusion

Finally I would like to tell you about the importance of timely troubleshooting. If you are too lazy to immediately correct the flicker, the light bulb will very quickly fail. When we considered the technical characteristics of different light sources, one of the numbers - the number of inclusions - was indicated. Each housekeeper has his own individual value, and every blink is considered an inclusion. The result - the warranty period of service can be reduced by tens of times and the product simply fails.

We also advise you to take an interest before buying which energy-saving lamps do not blink if you plan to connect the lamp to the switch with illumination. A small overpayment will simplify your life and no longer have to understand why the energy-saving lamp flickers in the dark.
Also read:

• Surge Protector
• How to connect a light switch?
• How do I replace the wiring in the apartment?