Is your light bulb flickering? Does it switch on and off intermittently? Here are possible causes and solutions to the problem.
Have you noticed that, even after switching off the light, the bulb remains lit, perhaps flickering slightly? In this case, don’t worry: there are simple solutions to solve this problem once and for all. Let’s look together at what you can do.
Index:
- Why is the light bulb flickering
- What types of bulbs can flicker
- What to do when a switched-off bulb flickers?
- Light bulb flickers when switched on: what you can do
- What is a capacitor and how does it work?
Why is the light bulb flickering
The flickering of a light bulb is generally caused by a voltage leakage within the system. Once the problem has been detected, it is necessary to find out where in the system to intervene in order to eliminate the problem.
What types of bulbs can flicker
The flickering only occurs in LED and energy-saving bulbs.This is because these bulbs are composed of small boards or resistances, whose operation can be affected by current leakage in the system.
Older filament light bulbs cannot flicker as they do not ‘warn’ the user, but stop working instantly.
What to do when a switched-off bulb flickers?
To solve the flickering of a switched-off bulb, one must first analyse the system.
Let us look at the possible cases below:
A system consisting of a button and a relay: you must check upstream which relay is fitted. If you have a Finder Relay 2701 or a relay 2705 (the most common), you must choose the Finder 02700 capacitor.
This type of capacitor is attached directly to the switch by means of special clips.
If you have a Finder Relay 2601 or a relay 2604 instead, you still need to use a capacitor, but you need to choose model 02600. In this case, the poles of the capacitor must be matched to the phase and neutral pole of our relay.
For more information on how to install a system with a Finder Relay you can read our post: “Switch on more lights with relays“.
A system consisting of a switch, a multiway switch or intermediate switch can be operated in two ways.
1) The capacitor 02600 can be mounted directly on the two poles reaching the lamp holder of the bulb. Thus, matching the phase and neutral of the capacitor to the phase and neutral arriving at the lamp holder.
2) Disconnect or replace the LED indicator light behind the light switches. Very often, the old generation of plug-in LED lights cause a voltage leakage, which then causes the flickering.
Light bulb flickers when switched on: what you can do
If a LED or an energy-saving light bulb flickers while it is switched on, it is probably a lamp of a low-quality standard, or particularly worn.
In fact, energy-saving light bulbs are composed of a special gas that circulates inside glass ducts and very often wear and tear does not allow the gas to circulate freely inside the ducts.
What does this lead to? Obviously, the flickering of the bulb. In this particular case, we strongly recommend changing the bulb and buying a new one.
Should this occur and you are looking for a new light bulb, you can find LED or energy-saving bulbs here.
What is a capacitor and how does it work?
In this post, the capacitor has often been mentioned in paragraphs as a special product to solve the problem of flashing bulbs. The capacitor, is in fact a fundamental device for ensuring safety within electrical system, which must therefore be examined in depth.
Below you will find our post offering a detailed overview of how a capacitor works, ready to dispel any doubts you may have about this super-efficient product.
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