The LED lamp shines dimly. Why does the LED lamp burn dimly?

The situation when LED lamp shines dimly, often comes as a surprise to consumers. They purchased a light source using advanced technology and expected it to produce a bright and powerful stream of light. We will look at the main reasons why an LED lamp shines less brightly than expected, and suggest ways to change this.

The LED lamp began to shine dimly due to low voltage

The first thing you should check when looking for an answer to why an LED lamp is dim is whether the voltage level in the network is sufficient. The lighting device is powered by an alternating current network, so when the voltage drops, even a high-quality lamp with good working light does not shine at full strength.

This is easy to check - just connect another device to the AC mains. If this one The LED light became dim, then the reason is low voltage. This problem is typical for suburban housing. This can be solved by installing a stabilizer on the light and socket.

Natural degradation process of LEDs

Any LED lamp or LED lamp with a built-in light module at a certain moment begins to shine less brightly. This is due to the degradation of LEDs - a natural process when the elements technically cannot work at full capacity. This is checked using the information on the product packaging, where the manufacturer indicates the probable degradation period of the LED components. If the period coincides with the period when the lamp began to shine dimly, it needs to be replaced.

LED light is dim due to incorrect wattage selection

This happens when replacing an old lamp in a lamp with an LED light source, but with the wrong power selection. Like other light sources, an LED lamp is selected for the lighting fixture according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. If the LED light is dim and the lamp was installed recently, you need to check the information on the device. This problem can be solved by replacing the LED lamp with a similar one, but with the correct characteristics.

A lamp with incorrect assembly or low-quality components

If the voltage in the network is correct, the lamp power is selected correctly, and it is too early to talk about the natural degradation of LEDs, most likely the problem is in the quality of lighting products. Therefore, when purchasing an LED lamp or light source, it is important to pay attention to products from trusted manufacturers - for example, . They are manufactured in accordance with international standards, certified and have a warranty period.

If you are faced with the problem that the LED lamp is on when the switch is off, do not be surprised. This indicates that current is flowing through the LEDs. The brightness of the glow depends only on its strength.

On the one hand, this phenomenon has a positive side, if the lighting is in the toilet or corridor it can be used as night lighting. What if it's in the bedroom? It is possible that the light does not smolder, but flashes periodically.

There may be several reasons for this phenomenon:

  • Use of illuminated switches;
  • electrical wiring faults;
  • features of the power supply scheme.

The most common reason for a lamp to glow after being turned off is backlit switches.

Inside such a switch there is an LED with a current-limiting resistor. The LED lamp glows dimly when the light is turned off, because even when the main contact is turned off, voltage continues to flow through them.

Why does an LED lamp burn at full heat and not at full power?? Thanks to the limiting resistor, the current flowing through the electrical circuit is extremely insignificant and insufficient to light an incandescent electric lamp or ignite fluorescent lamps.

The power consumption of LEDs is tens of times lower than the same parameters of an ordinary incandescent lamp. But even a small current flowing through the backlight diode is sufficient for the LEDs in the lamp to glow weakly.

There can be two lighting options. Either the LED lamp lights up continuously after turning off, which means that sufficient current flows through the LED backlight of the switch, or the light flashes periodically. This usually happens if the current flowing through the circuit is too small to cause a constant glow, but it recharges the smoothing capacitor in the power supply circuit.

When sufficient voltage gradually accumulates on the capacitor, the stabilizer chip is triggered and the lamp flashes for a moment. Such blinking must be definitely combated, no matter where the lamp is located.

In this operating mode, the lifespan of the power board components will be significantly reduced, since even the microcircuit does not have an infinite number of operation cycles.

There are several ways to eliminate the situation when the LED light is on when the switch is off.

The simplest is to remove it from the backlight switch. To do this, we disassemble the housing and unscrew or bite off with wire cutters the wire going to the resistor and LED. You can replace the switch with another one, but without such a useful function.

Another option would be to solder a shunt resistor in parallel with the lamp. According to the parameters, it should be designed for 2-4 W and have a resistance of no more than 50 kOhm. Then the current will flow through it, and not through the power driver of the lamp itself.

You can purchase such a resistor at any radio store. Installing the resistor is not difficult. It is enough to remove the lampshade and fix the resistance legs in the terminal block for connecting the network wires.

If you are not particularly friendly with electricians and are afraid to “interfere” with the wiring yourself, another way to “fight” backlit switches can be to install a regular incandescent lamp in the chandelier. When turned off, its spiral will act as a shunt resistor. But this method is only possible if the chandelier has several sockets.

Problems with electrical wiring

Why does the LED lamp glow after being turned off even if the backlit button is not used?

Perhaps, when installing the electrical wiring, an error was initially made and zero is supplied to the switch instead of a phase, then after the switch is turned off, the wiring still remains “under phase”.

This current situation must be eliminated immediately, since even with a scheduled replacement of the lamp, you can receive a sensitive electric shock. Any minimal contact with ground in this situation will cause the LEDs to glow dimly.

Features of the power supply

To increase the brightness of the glow and minimize lighting ripple, high-capacity capacitors can be installed in the power driver circuit. Even when the power is turned off, there is enough charge left in it to light up the LEDs, but it only lasts for just a few seconds.

In recent years, LED strips have gained widespread popularity, increasingly displacing other lighting sources. The main secret of their success is design flexibility. With a minimum of knowledge, tapes can be cut into pieces of different lengths, pasted over various structures and soldered together in complex configurations. This is very convenient, but often certain errors are made during assembly, leading to various problems. The most common of them is that the LED strip lights up dimly.

Reasons for the low brightness of the LED strip

Typically, reduced brightness is a consequence of a voltage drop. In fact, there can be only three reasons for such a drawdown:

  1. Poor contact or too thin power wires.
  2. Significant current leakage on some element.
  3. Insufficient power supply.

The cause of poor contact may be a manufacturing defect or poor-quality soldering of individual tape elements to each other. On long wires at currents of several tens of amperes, the voltage can also drop quite significantly (this is the most common reason for reduced brightness, since many people underestimate losses in wires). Leaks can also occur in places of poor-quality soldering or on failed (broken) LEDs.

The power supply may cause reduced brightness if its power is incorrectly calculated. Typically, devices are selected that provide approximately 20 percent power reserve. But even if the source was initially of sufficient quality and could cope with the load, over time its characteristics could deteriorate significantly. Let's figure out how to fix the listed breakdowns.

Diagnostics and troubleshooting

The main rule of any repairman is that fault diagnosis should be carried out consistently and methodically. Therefore, to begin with, let’s divide the entire system into main functional blocks:

  • power supply;
  • dimmer or RGB controller;
  • RGB amplifier;
  • LED Strip Light;
  • wires and other connecting elements.

Repairs should begin by checking the power source. Only after making sure that the voltage we need is present at the output of the driver or power supply can we look for other faults. Similarly, you should check dimmers, regulators and amplifiers, which are functional analogues of the main power supply.

1. Diagnostics of the power supply and control devices

It is not difficult to check the functionality of the power supply; the simplest and most inexpensive tester is enough. All measurements should be carried out under load (by connecting a lighting structure that has brightness problems). We check the voltage at the output, then connect the tester in series and measure the current in the circuit (do not forget to rearrange the probes and switch the multimeter mode).

By carrying out these simple measurements, you can clearly understand whether the power supply meets the declared characteristics. By multiplying the obtained values ​​of voltage and current, we obtain the power they produce. If this power is lower than declared, and a significant voltage drop is observed, then the problem is in the power supply, and it should be solved by replacing or repairing the device.

The same goes for dimmers and RGB controls. By measuring the voltage at their output, you should make sure that they are working and functioning correctly. At this stage, it may turn out, for example, that there is no breakdown at all, and the reason is that the brightness of the glow has been reduced in the controller settings.

2. Diagnostics of LED strip and connecting elements

If the voltage on the power supply is normal, but the current is significantly lower than the calculated one, it means that the contact is broken somewhere or wires that are too thin and long are used that simply cannot transmit the required power. Poor contact can be caused by poor-quality soldering or a frayed track (very often happens on moving elements). The same tester will help to localize the fault, which should measure the voltage in different sections of the tape.

If the voltage at the output of the power supply is underestimated, and the current exceeds the calculated one, then there is a leak somewhere. Its cause may be poor-quality soldering, contamination and flux residues on which a current bridge occurs. In conditions of high humidity, individual elements may oxidize (even if the tape itself is protected with silicone, solder points and connectors are susceptible to oxidation). Oxidized contacts can lead to both open circuits and leaks.

Specific cases

If a separate segment of the LED strip shines dimly, the cause of the breakdown is not difficult to find, but it is usually easier to completely cut it out than to repair it. The remaining tape can simply be soldered or the faulty segment can be replaced with a new one (if the tape is already glued to some surface).

Difficulties may arise with a 220-volt strip connected directly to the network. It uses a series connection of 60 LEDs, and deterioration in the performance of one diode can disrupt the performance of the entire strip. To identify a faulty LED, you can short-circuit each of them in turn with tweezers (but be careful and do not forget that the strip is connected to a 220 V network). As soon as the faulty diode is closed, the others will flash at full brightness.

Today's safe driving regulations require that drivers turn on low beam headlights in their cars, even when driving in the daytime. Using these headlights more frequently may result in a slightly higher chance of breakdowns.

Dim headlights are very difficult to see in city conditions

That is why today we will look at a problem that concerns the situation when the low beam is dim on any modern car. The fact is that the main device of the car will be the same, so the recommendations can be called general.

Determining the causes

Check to see if the headlight glass is worn

An electrical problem that causes the low beams to turn on dimly should be checked last, as it is the most complex. Initially, you need to exclude all other options.

Just remove the headlight glass and look at the light. If the sunlight does not pass through it well, then the light from the lamp will not penetrate well enough. The glass does not dim suddenly, but gradually, so it’s difficult to make a mistake with it. This problem can be eliminated by replacing the glass or grinding the glass itself. For this purpose, any low-abrasive substances, even toothpaste, can be used. But, nevertheless, it would be preferable to use polishing pastes that are specifically designed for this purpose ().

The problem may lie in the lamps themselves.

As for problems with lamps, they are typical only for models operating on inert gases and for those that use LED elements. In the case of halogen and other “gas” lamps, the problem may be poor sealing of the device. As a result, deterioration in the characteristics of the lighting device will occur in the shortest possible time.

If we are talking about LED headlights, then they tend to degrade.

But, it is almost impossible to wait for the moment of their natural failure, since the service life reaches one hundred thousand hours while maintaining ninety percent of the original brightness. If the LEDs were initially defective, then they may fail.

When one diode element is installed, its failure will completely turn off the light, but in a situation with several dozen weak diodes, it may well happen that one diode breaks. As a result, the voltage on the remaining lighting elements will increase, rising above the standard one. This will lead to very rapid wear and tear. After this, several more diodes may break, increasing the rate of their natural damage.

It would be optimal to replace the defective diode with a new one. Its characteristics can be found on the markings located directly on the lighting fixture.

Electrical problem

But here we have looked at the simplest options that are easy to diagnose and detect. If we have dismissed them, then we need to turn to further testing methods that will help us find out why the low beam headlights are dim.

Checking the entire mass

First of all, it is necessary to check the entire “mass” that is under the hood. Also, do not forget about a similar check for the console, under which there are many places for a possible problem to arise. Most often, special fasteners come off the headlight terminal, which leads to deterioration in performance. In addition, the mass itself inside the headlight tends to naturally oxidize. So, you will have to clean the mass all the way from the generator and battery to the headlights.

Don't forget about voltmeters

Mounting block

And, of course, do not forget that the mounting block contains a number of fuses and relays that can fail. Each of them must be verified. In addition to a visual inspection, you can use a multimeter (or just a tester), taking into account the necessary parameters.

Oxidation

If we talk about the causes of oxidation themselves, then there is only one answer - moisture.

Its source must be found and eliminated. And while you are searching, you need to clean the contacts and treat them with a special silicone grease, which is intended for use in electrical circuits. The key task of this lubricant is to displace moisture.

Lamp connector

Additionally, it would be a good idea to check the lamp connector itself. Quite rarely, but it happens that drivers check all elements of the circuit, forgetting that oxidation can also occur on the lamp itself.

Video about disassembling the headlight

And here you can see exactly how low beam headlights are disassembled.


LED lamps have such a feature that their operation is based on constant voltage. Many people think that LEDs simply work by supplying alternating voltage, but have no idea that these lamps have a rectifier inside. An alternating voltage is supplied to its input, and a rectified voltage is obtained at the output. Let's look at the main factors for flickering LED lamps after turning off the lights.

Reasons why a lamp burns when the lights are off

Often many people have a question - why does the lamp light up when the light is off?

There can be many different reasons, but the most common are:

  • There are problems with the wiring;
  • Poor quality of the LEDs you use;
  • The glow of the diodes is maintained by a resistor (due to the accumulation of electricity in it, the diodes glow after turning off).

It often happens that this happens when the backlit switch is open. And if combustion is observed when the light is off, then accordingly a current flows through it, which immediately flows from the network to the backlight lamp (located in the switch), then to the chandelier and again to the network. It is very small and does not affect the network load at all.

The current that flows through the backlight performs the function of charging the capacitor. When charging reaches the desired level, the circuit starts up and this causes a flash, after which you should expect it to turn off, and then this process begins again.

The downside of all this is that the lamp circuit inside is initially designed for a certain period of time, which is measured by the number of starts. It will work for about 1-2 months, and after that it will simply fail.

A similar situation will occur with weak blocks of LED strips; they also have a rectifier and a capacitor installed at the input. Therefore, a small current will flow through the backlit switch, due to which the capacitor will be recharged in time. Therefore, the tape lights up dimly in this mode, and there are also periodic blinks.

How to purchase LED devices correctly?

If you are planning to buy LEDs, then remember that reliable manufacturers will always indicate instructions on the packaging that will help you understand the correct principle of their use. Usually, it is indicated that use is undesirable in conjunction with such devices as backlit key switches, photocells, brightness controls, timers, etc., they will interfere with their operation in normal mode.


It may also be that you simply cannot choose quality products. There are a lot of fakes on the market that are very difficult to distinguish. And if you have already come across a product that lights up after being turned off, then the reason for this may well be that the LEDs are simply installed incorrectly.

What should I do to make the lamp stop glowing or blinking when turned off?

  • Removing the backlight will be the easiest and fastest solution to this problem. To do this, it is necessary to disconnect the wires from which the backlight is powered, after first opening the switch cover. Alternatively, you can also cut off this wire, but first be sure to find out where the power wire is so you don't get confused.

Having done this, no current will flow to the charging capacitor, after which the lamp will no longer glow dimly or blink;

  • If you want to avoid this problem, then before purchasing a switch, pay attention to the presence or absence of backlighting. If it is not there, then the main problem will not appear;
  • A good option would be to connect a regular lamp in parallel; using this option will prevent the energy-saving light source from burning when turned off. This is achieved due to the fact that the current to recharge the capacitor will go to the filament (This method is not very good for just one reason. The purpose of purchasing LED lamps is to save energy and have a longer service life compared to incandescent and halogen lamps. When added to the circuit of a conventional lamp increases consumption, and accordingly all savings are lost. As a result, this solution is not ideal);

There are switches that have mandatory backlighting needed for some purpose. What to do in this case, and what actions to take?

A good solution to eliminate this problem would be to connect a resistor in parallel, which will help create additional resistance in the desired section of the electrical circuit. The main advantage of this method is its cheap price; you can purchase a resistor in absolutely any radio equipment store.

It is worth noting that the resistor will not negatively affect the normal operation of the LEDs. But when the switch is turned off, the backlight will work, and accordingly the resistor will consume current, which goes to charge the capacitor. Also don't forget to insulate the resistor, the best way to do this is to use heat shrink tubing.

You can connect it under the ceiling in a lampshade or in a lamp socket. For a more convenient connection of the resistor, a good option would be to use special Wago terminal blocks (in the image below).

The final step is to place the resistor in the box, after which you can enjoy the absence of blinking of the LED lamp after turning off.


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LED lamp design

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.

When you turn on an LED lamp connected to the mains, a chaotic movement of electrons begins inside the cylinder.

Colliding with each other and holes in the region of the pn junction - the contact of two semiconductors with different types of conductivity - the particles are converted into photons, due to which light radiation occurs.

To optimize the process, additional devices can also be used, for example, different types of resistors or current-limiting elements.

Pros and cons of LEDs

Such products have gained popularity among the population due to a number of positive qualities.

Their main advantage is their efficiency: the lamps have a long service life, which is confirmed by a three-year warranty. In addition, they require a minimal amount of energy to function.


Environmental safety is also an important advantage. LED devices do not emit ultraviolet waves, which can harm living organisms. They are designed without hazardous materials, making them easy to dispose of.

The disadvantages of LED devices include, first of all, their high cost. It should also be taken into account that their operation has specific features: sometimes the LEDs blink or do not turn off even after the switch is turned off.

These disadvantages are caused by the conservation of charge that accumulates in the capacitor. A weak pulsating current leads to flashing, and a stronger one creates a long-lasting glow.

How harmful are burning lamps?

As mentioned above, one of the most common problems with LED operation is the inability to completely turn off the light source. The lamps continue to burn at approximately 5% of normal power for several minutes or even hours.

Sometimes dim lighting tires apartment dwellers, but some use dimly lit lamps as night lights.

It is worth adding that the defect does not have a harmful effect on the condition of the wiring, and energy consumption increases extremely slightly, since LEDs consume a small amount of electricity.

However, experts advise eliminating the problem as soon as possible, since the residual glow of LEDs significantly reduces their service life. In addition, the reasons that cause this phenomenon can lead to serious troubles.

Main causes of residual glow

The reasons that cause LEDs to burn can be different. The most common ones include:

  • Problems related to the electrical wiring installed in the apartment. This may be a broken section of the electrical circuit or a violation of the insulation of one of the wires.
  • Incorrect connection diagram of the device to the switch or electrical panel.
  • The use of a backlit switch, as well as the use of other difficult to compatible devices: sensors, modules, timers, etc.
  • Low quality of the devices used or individual features of the models.

Below we will look at each of the reasons in detail, also indicating measures that can help solve problems in various cases.

Reason #1 - switch with backlight option

If you have a problem with constantly burning lamps, you should first look at the switch. According to electricians, the most common cause of this phenomenon is the use of a backlit switch.

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, motion and light sensors.

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 easiest way is to replace the backlit switch with a standard model without an additional function. However, such a solution is associated with additional monetary costs, as well as with reinstallation of the device.

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 lamp shade, 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.

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.

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.

This situation is quite dangerous for the inhabitants of the apartment: since the device is energized, even if it is turned off, you can accidentally receive an electric shock.

To correct the situation, you need to turn off the power supply, then disconnect the wires, and then mount them in the correct way.

Reason #4 - poor quality of the light bulb

Quite often the cause of the malfunction is the poor quality of the LED used, which must be replaced with a working one.

However, persistence of glow can also be observed in devices manufactured by reputable manufacturers. It may be caused by functional features in the operation of lamp resistors.

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.

It should be noted that a number of popular devices, such as dimmers, 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.

An element such as a radiator is important. It is best to choose an LED where 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.

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.

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Glow when turned off - the main reasons

Despite the excellent consumer properties and reliability, sometimes consumers complain about certain problems. So, very often there is a dim glow, even if the lights in the room are completely turned off. Naturally, this phenomenon has a negative impact on efficiency, because energy for the glow is still consumed. In addition, it interferes with sleep. The lamp may emit dim light from a few minutes to several hours. So you should definitely sort out the problem so as not to overpay extra money.

There are several main reasons explaining why LED lamps light up when the switch is off:

  • Problems related to electrical wiring in the apartment. For example, on one of the sections of the electrical circuit there is poor-quality insulation.
  • The lighting device is connected to a switch equipped with a backlight.
  • The light bulb uses low quality emitters as a light source.
  • Functional features of LED devices.

The biggest problems arise when the cause is poor-quality insulation. Therefore, first you need to work out and discard all other possible causes of this phenomenon. If it is necessary to check the insulation, then this is done as follows. A high voltage is applied for a minute, that is, conditions conducive to the occurrence of breakdowns in the electrical circuit are simulated. If the problem really is isolation, it will be difficult to correct the situation. This is very labor-intensive, because you will have to destroy the wall and peel off the wallpaper, since the wiring is usually installed by chipping the wall. Once you've replaced the insulation, you'll need to shingle it, caulk the wall, and return the wallpaper to its original location.

Fortunately for homeowners, problems with poorly executed insulation are relatively rare. Much more often, the reason why an LED lamp glows after being turned off is the connection of light sources to a switch equipped with a backlight. In this case, the lighting mechanism located directly in the switch closes the electrical circuit. As a result, current passes, albeit in very small quantities. However, this is more than enough so that after switching off the LED lamps continue to dimly illuminate the room.

When purchasing cheap lighting fixtures, be prepared for the fact that there may be significantly more problems with them than when purchasing high-quality LED lamps. The low quality of the finished product very often affects the presence of errors in chips and boards. Therefore, you should not save much, because by paying a little more money, you will get a high-quality device that will work reliably and without interruption for a very long time, saving energy.

In some cases, the reason why LED lamps glow when the lights are off is the functional features of the device itself. Even the most expensive and high-quality lamps can sometimes behave this way. A variety of processes occur in resistors, for example, when electric current is supplied, a small accumulation of thermal energy occurs in the resistor itself. And even when the light in the room is turned off, due to the accumulated energy, the glow is maintained in the light bulb. Typically, this phenomenon occurs over a very short period of time. In addition, manufacturers try to make resistors from special materials that prevent the accumulation of excess thermal energy.

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The most common reason for a lamp to glow after being turned off is backlit switches.

Inside such a switch there is an LED with a current-limiting resistor. The LED lamp glows dimly when the light is turned off, because even when the main contact is turned off, voltage continues to flow through them.

Why does an LED lamp burn at full heat and not at full power?? Thanks to the limiting resistor, the current flowing through the electrical circuit is extremely insignificant and insufficient to light an incandescent electric lamp or ignite fluorescent lamps.

The power consumption of LEDs is tens of times lower than the same parameters of an ordinary incandescent lamp. But even a small current flowing through the backlight diode is sufficient for the LEDs in the lamp to glow weakly.

There can be two lighting options. Either the LED lamp lights up continuously after turning off, which means that sufficient current flows through the LED backlight of the switch, or the light flashes periodically. This usually happens if the current flowing through the circuit is too small to cause a constant glow, but it recharges the smoothing capacitor in the power supply circuit.

When sufficient voltage gradually accumulates on the capacitor, the stabilizer chip is triggered and the lamp flashes for a moment. Such blinking must be definitely combated, no matter where the lamp is located.

In this operating mode, the lifespan of the power board components will be significantly reduced, since even the microcircuit does not have an infinite number of operation cycles.

There are several ways to eliminate the situation when the LED light is on when the switch is off.

The simplest is to remove it from the backlight switch. To do this, we disassemble the housing and unscrew or bite off with wire cutters the wire going to the resistor and LED. You can replace the switch with another one, but without such a useful function.

Another option would be to solder a shunt resistor in parallel with the lamp. According to the parameters, it should be designed for 2-4 W and have a resistance of no more than 50 kOhm. Then the current will flow through it, and not through the power driver of the lamp itself.

You can purchase such a resistor at any radio store. Installing the resistor is not difficult. It is enough to remove the lampshade and fix the resistance legs in the terminal block for connecting the network wires.

If you are not particularly friendly with electricians and are afraid to “interfere” with the wiring yourself, another way to “fight” backlit switches can be to install a regular incandescent lamp in the chandelier. When turned off, its spiral will act as a shunt resistor. But this method is only possible if the chandelier has several sockets.

Problems with electrical wiring

Why does the LED lamp glow after being turned off even if the backlit button is not used?

Perhaps, when installing the electrical wiring, an error was initially made and zero is supplied to the switch instead of a phase, then after the switch is turned off, the wiring still remains “under phase”.

This current situation must be eliminated immediately, since even with a scheduled replacement of the lamp, you can receive a sensitive electric shock. Any minimal contact with ground in this situation will cause the LEDs to glow dimly.

Features of the power supply

To increase the brightness of the glow and minimize lighting ripple, high-capacity capacitors can be installed in the power driver circuit. Even when the power is turned off, there is enough charge left in it to light up the LEDs, but it only lasts for just a few seconds.

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Reasons why the LED lights up when turned off

In fact, there are now many reasons why an LED lamp may burn after being turned off. It can burn dimly, flicker or shine at full power. There are several main reasons:


What does the LED lamp glow after turning off?

Typically, many people are afraid that turning off the light may cause harm. In fact, there is nothing terrible about this, since it does not harm the wiring. The only problem is the life of the lamp, which will certainly be reduced.

Please pay attention! There is another common reason - incorrect driver assembly. This problem is quite difficult to establish now. Therefore, buying Chinese lamps now is quite controversial.

There is also a problem with incorrect connection of light sources. There is a lot of information here, but this problem is extremely rare. To understand its causes and solutions, we recommend watching the following video.

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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.

If you are unable to solve the problem of the harmful glow of switched off LED lamps on your own, write about it in the comments - we will try to help with useful advice.