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The switched off LED lamp is lit. LED lamp glows when switch is off

Often, from customer reviews, you can hear complaints that when you turn off the lights in the house, the LED lamp either begins to flicker or continues to burn very weakly. Troublesome eye blinking problem. But in connection with why the LED lamp burns dimly after turning off the light and how to get rid of it, you will learn from this article.

Switch light problem

The most common question is “Why do LED bulbs continue to light when the switch is off?” people are using illuminated switches indoors. A miniature neon light bulb (sometimes an LED) located inside the housing does not affect the operation of the lamp when the light source is an incandescent or halogen lamp. If you screw an LED light bulb into a lamp, it will often continue to burn dimly even after the voltage is removed.

The problem of dimming or flickering after turning off the light switch is also common with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). The essence of the problem and methods for solving it are similar to those with LED lamps.

Why this happens becomes clear if you carefully look at the diagrams for turning on a light bulb through an illuminated switch, given below. From the diagrams it follows that at load L1 after turning off the lighting there is still a small potential that penetrates through the circuit of the neon light bulb (Fig. 1) or LED (Fig. 2) HL1. In some cases, this is enough to start the LED lamp power circuit. As a result, the switched off LED lamp does not go out completely. It either glows faintly or glows at half-glow, or flickers spontaneously.

Designations on the diagrams:

  • HL1 – LED or neon backlight;
  • D1 – diode limiting reverse voltage;
  • L1 – LED main lighting lamp;
  • S1 – illuminated switch.

There are three ways to fix this problem:

Design feature of the LED lamp

The second most common reason why an LED lamp lights up dimly when the switch is off is hidden in its driver. And this is not surprising, because every manufacturer of LED products uses dozens of types of driver circuits, constantly changing and improving them. But often such changes are made with one goal - to reduce the cost of the finished product. But as a result, due to the use of low-quality components and errors made when assembling the driver, the LEDs remain lit even when the lights are turned off. Such a malfunction does not reduce the service life of the LED lamp, but it cannot be eliminated.

Poor quality wiring

Another common reason why LED bulbs light up when the switch is off is faulty wiring. You should seriously think about repairing it if:

  • aluminum wires have been in use for more than 30 years;
  • problems arise with LED lamps from different manufacturers;
  • the switch that opens the circuit with the LED lamp does not have a built-in backlight.

Electrical wiring can affect the operation of an LED lamp in two cases:

  1. The phase and zero are swapped, that is, the phase wire goes directly to the cartridge, and the zero wire goes directly to the switch. In this case, the LED spotlight driver or bulbs are constantly energized, causing the LEDs to either dim or flash despite the electrical circuit being open. The problem is solved by reconnecting the wires in the junction box so that the “phase” goes to the switch, and the “zero” goes to the lamp.
  2. Another malfunction is a violation of the integrity of the hidden wiring, or rather the insulation of one of the wires. As a result, a small leak occurs inside the reinforced concrete wall, and the LED lamp continues to glow after the light is turned off. Using a megohmmeter, you can measure the insulation resistance and make sure that its value is underestimated. But it will not be possible to determine the location of the breakdown. Therefore, there is only one way out - to replace the section of wiring from the junction box to the chandelier.

Today, LED lamps have become the most popular light sources and there are many explanations for this: they are economical, fireproof, have the longest service life and also create the most comfortable lighting for vision. However, as with other alternative light sources, LEDs have their own problems. The most common is when the LED lamp glows after being turned off. We discussed the reasons for this phenomenon and ways to eliminate the glow in this article.

Review of causes of glow

What to do if the LED lamp is on? There are several reasons why, after turning off the lighting device, the LED lamp continues to burn, even dimly or weakly:

Is this glow dangerous? This problem does not pose any danger to the wiring, but the service life of LED bulbs will be noticeably reduced if they constantly flicker or glow dimly.

If the switching device is in the off position, and the emitter still glows and burns, then it is best to check the last three factors first. This is explained by the fact that it is very difficult to find weak insulation areas in electrical wiring.

In order to do this, it is necessary to create special conditions, as a result of which a high voltage is applied to the circuit for one minute to cause a breakdown. The section of the circuit that causes the lighting element to glow after the switch is turned off will need to be opened. Moreover, if the electrical wiring was installed in a hidden way, then opening it will lead to damage to the integrity of the wall.

It is important to know! There are many situations where when LED light sources are connected to a backlit switch, they function differently. This occurs due to the fact that the lighting element, which is installed in the switching device, closes the circuit and, accordingly, passes a small current. This is what charges and allows the light bulb to glow when the switch is off.

Another problem why an LED lamp glows in the dark is the low cost of the product. If you purchased a poor quality LED light bulb, this can also lead to a similar phenomenon. This is due to the fact that there is some kind of error in the board. But it also happens that the emitter burns dimly due to the fact that it has its own peculiarity in the functioning of the structure.

We are talking about the processes that occur in capacitors when a load is applied to the lighting element. When electric current passes through the circuit, the capacitor stores energy, and then after the load is stopped, it continues to keep the elements glowing.

Another fairly common reason why LED lamps glow when the switch is off is incorrect connection. You can learn more about this from the video:

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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 a place. But this may entail certain difficulties. But when the light turns off, the bulbs will not light up. We talked about this 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.

LED lamps are increasingly being installed instead of conventional “Ilyich bulbs”. Their advantages are undeniable. And very often problems arise with these light bulbs - they glow weakly, “smolder” or flicker when the switch is off. In this review, we will look at the causes and ways to eliminate such defects, but most importantly, we will try to reproduce this phenomenon specifically. After all, a weak glow, without flickering, can be very effective in some cases, it would be a sin not to take advantage of this and turn a bug into a feature.

Why does the lamp glow or blink?

The situation when the switch breaks zero is ubiquitous in Soviet-era wiring. This phenomenon is so common that sometimes it seems as if it was done on purpose. Let me remind you that in the “correct” electrical wiring, the switch must break the phase. A broken zero, by the way, causes the indicator screwdriver attached to it to light up. Similar to an indicator screwdriver, a light bulb sometimes only needs a fraction of a milliamp to produce a faint glow.

Why do some lamps glow dimly and others flicker? This is usually due to the design of the lamp driver, which is hidden in the base. It is believed that a flashing lamp has a higher quality driver, while a smoldering lamp has a cheaper driver. It’s difficult to say about reliability here; both burn out.

How to eliminate smoldering/blinking

Regardless of the cause, this phenomenon is quite easily eliminated. To do this, you should connect a capacitor in parallel with the lamp; it is more convenient to do this on the terminal block of the chandelier. When using backlit switches, a capacitor capacity of about 0.1 µF is needed, in other cases 0.047 µF is sufficient. In all cases, the voltage for which the capacitor is designed must be at least 400 V, and for greater reliability it is better to set it to 600 V.

On the Internet, some recommend using a 100 kOhm resistor instead of a capacitor with a power of at least 1 W. I didn’t have to try it, but I think it’s also a suitable option. However, it is still better to install a capacitor - unlike a resistor, it does not dissipate useless power and there is no heating at all.

Using the glow for good

Let me make a reservation right away: only “smoldering” lamps will do; it’s unlikely that it will work with blinking ones. I personally witnessed the long operation of lamps in this mode, but I do not rule out that these experiments can significantly shorten the life of the lamps. There are too many different lamp designs and not enough data to make clear conclusions.

So, a weak glow can be used as a feature, an additional lighting option. A night light in the corridor, a romantic twilight in the room - “smoldering” can be used effectively. The main thing is to learn how to properly control this glow.

A good result will be achieved by proper “correct” wiring and switches without backlights. That is, when the lamp is turned off, it does not glow at all.

The same capacitor, but connected in parallel with the switch, can make it glow. Also, capacitors of 0.047-0.1 µF for 400-600 volts are suitable. Here you may have to select a container for the desired glow. For convenience, you can use a two-key switch instead of a single-key switch: the first key must be connected according to the standard circuit, and the second through a selected capacitor. You will get two modes - normal and night light!

If the lamp glows initially, you can try connecting a capacitor in parallel with the lamp to eliminate it, and another capacitor, but of a larger capacity, to the second switch key. In general, you will have to experiment. But overall, I think this idea is quite interesting.

In all my experiments with the "night light" I used not dimmable lamps. The photo below shows two types of cheap lamps that “smolder”.

Does the meter shake due to the "smoldering" of LED lamps?

The current consumption when the lamp “smolders” is several milliamps; as a rule, meters do not respond to such currents. But in principle this is not important: energy consumption is so negligible that it is not noticeable against the background of the overall energy consumption of a house or apartment. Theoretically, to consume 1 kWh, the lamp will have to smolder for several months.

This concludes the essay, good luck with your experiments with lamps.

Do you know why LED lights stay on when the switch is off? Agree: problems in the functioning of the lighting system will not please anyone. Do you prefer to find the cause of the LEDs on your own without involving an electrician? However, you don’t know where the weak point is?

We will show you how to deal with a difficult problem. The article describes the most common situations that cause lamps to glow after they are turned off. Ways to solve the problem are considered, recommendations are given for choosing a reliable light source from a trusted manufacturer.

The measures we recommend will allow you to avoid a number of difficult situations during the further operation of such devices. The special design of LED lamps guarantees economical electricity consumption and a long service life.

In order to find out the reason for the device to glow after turning it off, you need to carefully examine the design of the LED device, and also find out the principle of its operation.

The design of such a lamp is quite complex; it consists of the following elements:

  • Chips (diodes). The main element of a lamp that produces a stream of light.
  • Printed aluminum board on a heat-conducting mass. This component is designed to remove excess heat to the radiator, thereby maintaining the temperature in the device that is necessary for the correct operation of the chips.
  • Radiator. A device to which heat energy removed from other components of the LED lamp is supplied. Typically this part is made of anodized aluminum alloy.
  • Base. A lamp base designed to connect to a lamp socket. As a rule, this element is made of brass, coated with a layer of nickel on top. The applied metal resists corrosion while promoting contact between the device and the socket.
  • Base. The lower part adjacent to the base is made of polymer. Thanks to this, the housing is protected from electric shock.
  • Driver. A unit that ensures stable, uninterrupted operation of the device even in the event of a sharp change in voltage drops in the electrical system. The operation of this unit is similar to a galvanically isolated modulator of an electric current stabilizer.
  • Diffuser. A glass hemisphere covering the top of the device. As the name suggests, the part is designed to maximize the dispersion of the light flux emitted by the diodes.

All components of the device are connected to each other, which ensures its reliable operation.

Operating principle of the equipment

Specific circuits of LED devices produced by different manufacturers may differ significantly from each other. However, they are all based on a general operating principle, which can be schematically depicted as follows.

Diagram of operation of an LED lamp. To create a greater p-n junction effect, semiconductors are used in structures, the surface of which is doped with various materials

A light switch with a backlight function does not allow the circuit to be completely broken, so the lamps will glow dimly for a long time. When this option is disabled, the system will warm up and the LED will go out.

In this case, the devices come into conflict: even a switched off switch cannot completely open the electrical circuit due to the backlight, which is powered through a resistance. Since the system remains open, a small voltage reaches the lamp, which causes a dim glow.

Similar problems can be caused when using other electrical devices: photocells, timers connected to lamps and lights.

How to solve this problem. Since such a defect with LED lamps that light up even when the switch is off is quite common, electrical specialists have accumulated a lot of experience in correcting the situation.

These may be the following options:

  • switch replacement;
  • turning off the backlight;
  • installation of an additional resistor;
  • replacing one of the lamps in the chandelier with a weaker analogue;
  • use of resistance with a high power rating.

The simplest way is to replace an illuminated switch with one without an additional function. However, such a solution is associated with additional monetary costs, as well as with reinstallation of the device.

The continued burning of the lamp after the switch is turned off may also be due to the use of a high-capacity capacitor in the device, where a charge remains sufficient for a weak glow

If the presence of backlighting on the switch is not important, you can simply use wire cutters to cut through the resistance that sets the power supply for it. Adding a shunt resistor will help turn off the LED while maintaining the backlight. A device with a resistance exceeding 50 kOhm and a power of 2-4 W can be purchased at a specialized store.

To connect it, you need to remove the lampshade from the lamp, and then attach the wires coming from the device to the terminal block with network conductors, which will allow you to connect parallel to the lamp.

In this case, the current passing through the LED will not flow through the driver capacitor, but through the newly connected node. As a result, reactance recharging will stop and the LEDs will go out when the switch is turned off.

To correct the operation of a multi-arm chandelier, it is enough to install one additional resistor. There is no need to connect such a part to each of the lamps

If a problem is identified in a multi-arm chandelier, you can install an incandescent lamp with a minimum power in one of the sections, which will collect all the current coming from the capacitor.

A similar solution can be applied to a single-arm chandelier by installing an adapter from one to two sockets. At the same time, when using this method, the weak glow of one bulb will still remain.

The desired result will also be achieved by replacing the usual resistance in the switch with its analogue with a large number of Ohms. However, to perform such a manipulation, you will need to consult an electrician.

Reason #2 - faulty electrical wiring

Quite often, the source of lamps that do not turn off is faulty wiring. If an insulation failure is suspected, high voltage should be applied to the device for several minutes to simulate the conditions that cause breakdowns in the electrical network.

To find the location of damage to a hidden cable, you can also use homemade or professional products designed for this purpose.

If the problem really lies in worn-out insulation, the electrical wiring in the apartment must be partially or completely replaced. With open cable routing, the process will take a minimum of time and effort. More difficult work awaits if hidden wiring was installed in the housing, walled up in the walls.

Poor insulation can cause problems with LED lighting. This factor often occurs when electrical wiring has been in use for a long time.

In this case, decorative finishing, such as wallpaper, as well as plaster, will have to be removed from vertical surfaces. After opening the groove where the wires are located, the entire cable or damaged section is replaced. Finally, it is necessary to seal the channels with plaster, and then plaster and refinish the walls.

An alternative temporary solution may be to connect a device to the network, for example, a resistor or relay, which provides additional load. Similar devices, the resistance of which is weaker than that of LEDs, are connected in parallel to luminous lamps.

In this case, the current is redirected, which is why the operation of LED devices is regulated: the light goes out immediately after the switch is turned off. The newly connected element will also not function due to low resistance.

Reason #3 - incorrect connection of the lamp

The reason for the continuous burning of the lamp may be hidden in connection errors. If, when installing the switch, a zero was connected instead of a phase, it will turn off when the circuit is opened.

At the same time, due to the retained phase, the wiring will still be energized, which is why the device will glow when the switch is turned off.

Russian products from the brand and Era have proven themselves well. LED lamps are produced in a large assortment. When choosing them, you should pay attention to both appearance and technical characteristics and operating conditions

So, when an electric current is applied, thermal energy can accumulate in the device, which is why the LED will remain on even after it is turned off, albeit for a short time. Companies combat this phenomenon by using resistors in the manufacture of equipment made from materials that prevent the accumulation of excess heat energy.

One of the important factors for the smooth operation of LED lamps is the choice of products of appropriate quality. In this case, one should take into account the features under which the devices will have to function, as well as their compatibility with other equipment connected to the power grid.

Before purchasing, it is recommended to carefully read the instructions supplied with the LED devices, which indicate the operating rules. It should be noted that a number of popular devices, such as timers, photovoltaic modules, can cause problems with the operation of LEDs.

It is also important to carefully examine the appearance of the light bulb, paying attention to the joint between the body and the base, which should be securely adjacent to the main part without any defects. If there are scratches, dents or sloppy seams, the likelihood of problems with the glow increases significantly.

There are also advanced LED lamp technologies, such as those using LED filaments. Although their cost is slightly higher, it is compensated by their long service life and excellent quality.

An element such as a radiator is important. It is best to choose an LED in which it is made of aluminum, but ceramic and graphite analogues also have high performance. The size of this part, which is responsible for the removal of thermal energy, the release of which can also occur when the light is turned off, is also important.

For a high-power LED to operate correctly, it is necessary to use a large radiator, while for a weak device a compact one will be sufficient.

As a rule, in specialized stores, sellers test turn on the lamp. In this case, you need to try to check the flicker level: the lighting device should emit an even luminous flux without any pulsation.

Since it is quite difficult to assess this factor with the naked eye, it is better to film the device turned on with a mobile phone video camera. The recording will allow you to better evaluate his work.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

The video reveals the two most common reasons why LED lamps burn even after turning off the power. Detailed instructions for eliminating them are also provided:

The glow of the lamps when the switch is turned off is not only unpleasant for the eyes, but also sharply reduces the life of the LEDs. To eliminate the problem, you need to establish the cause that causes a malfunction in the functioning of the devices, and then eliminate it.

In most cases, correcting the situation will require a minimum of time and effort. You can do the necessary work yourself using basic tools.

Please leave comments in the block below. Share useful information that may be useful to site visitors. Ask questions, tell us about your personal experience in eliminating LEDs from collapsing after switching off, post photos related to the topic of the article.

Today, almost everyone knows how effective and attractive LED lighting sources are. After all, they are used, including in domestic conditions. Indeed, lighting equipment based on LEDs consumes electrical energy very efficiently. Also, let's not forget that very few competing lighting solutions can match the brightness of LEDs. But nothing is perfect! And LED household lighting has its drawbacks.

Many switches have a small indicator. It is necessary so that the switch can be easily found in the dark. So, the use of such switches often leads to the following technical malfunction - even in the off position of the switch, the LED light source still continues to light.

The reasons for this situation may include the following:

  • faulty electrical wiring;
  • presence of backlight at the switch;
  • the existence of a special design solution.

The first reason in this list is quite rare. After all, lighting requires very little power from the network. If indeed the reason is hidden in the electrics, then it is likely that it was installed with technical violations.

The second option (the presence of a backlight at the switch) is more common. The point is that lighting is inherently a closing element. Due to this, part of the current flows to the light source lamp. Because of this, the lamp does not light up correctly when the switch is turned to the “ON” position. However, the lamp glow is present.

It is strictly not recommended to leave such a situation unattended. This will not affect the electrical system in any way. And it will not lead to an increase in payments for electricity. However, the lamp life of the lamp expires quite quickly.

The glow of the lamp in the “OFF” position is more typical for cheap technical solutions. Often their boards are made with technical errors.

It happens that such a function is predetermined initially by the factory. There is a capacitor in the circuit, which, after turning off, slowly releases the accumulated energy (the lamp continues to glow after turning off, but dimly).

Fixing the technical problem is extremely simple - select a switch without backlight. You can use the existing one. But then cut the wire that powers the switch backlight. Or connect a resistor (resistance) in parallel with it.

The video shows the malfunction and how to solve it (the indicator on the switch blinks):