Why is the off LED spotlight on. Why LED lamps are on when the switch is off: causes and solutions. Reason # 3 - incorrect connection of the lamp

The device of LED lamps differs significantly from the device of conventional incandescent lamps. This is often the explanation for the burning of LED lamps when the switch is off.

Device of LED lamps

Despite the variety of models and the difference in technical solutions depending on the manufacturer, each LED lamp has the main components:

  • plinth;
  • frame;
  • LEDs;
  • driver.

As in conventional lighting fixtures, the plinth is used for fastening, and the body for placing the main elements. Some of the lamps are equipped with radiators for cooling. Lighting sources are LEDs - semiconductor elements that convert electrical energy into light radiation. The voltage they consume is much lower than the usual 220 V, and therefore the power is much less than that consumed by ordinary light bulbs. This is the basis for the savings in the operation of LED lamps. But to create the desired voltage, it is necessary to use special converters (drivers) that lower it to the required value. This is where the main differences come in. The converter is a complex device consisting of electronic components: a diode bridge, resistors, transistors, capacitors, chokes, and sometimes transformers.

Why do LED lamps work after turning off?

The glow of the device when it is turned off can be caused by several reasons.

The operation of the capacitor included in the driver

The property of the LED lamp to continue to work when the light is off for many consumers is quite a logical surprise. Electricity is not supplied, but the device is functioning. Then the next question arises: where does the food come from. Some electronic components are capable of storing electrical energy. The capacitor is one of them. It is part of the LED lamp. During its glow from the network, it accumulates electricity. When the electricity is completely turned off, the capacitance gives off the accumulated energy and acts in this case as a source of voltage. It is because of this detail that LED lamps can burn for a short time after being turned off.

The capacitance is considered reactance, since it is able to return the consumed power to the network. If it were not an integral element of LED lamps, then they could not shine when the electricity was turned off. Similar to how ordinary lamps stop working after being turned off, because they are very simple devices that do not contain reactive elements. When the electricity accumulated by the capacitor runs out, it ceases to be a power source and produce voltage, as a result of which the LED lamps cease to receive energy and go out. In this case, the accumulated charge is only enough for a few seconds to keep the device running after it has been turned off.

It is unlikely that this couple of moments of glow needs to be eliminated. Moreover, capacitance plays an important role in power conversion: it smooths out voltage ripples after a decrease.

LED switch

If the LED lamp glows for a long time after turning off, then the reason is different. Perhaps the lighting device is used in conjunction with a switch. Very often, an LED switch is used, which, in addition to the main function of disconnecting the electrical circuit, also performs an additional one: it shines when the lamp is turned off. To do this, it is equipped with an LED, which is energized at the moment when the light bulb is not working. Due to the parallel connection, no power is supplied to the lamp. That is, at this moment, an electric current passes through the switch LED, which charges the aforementioned capacitor. When the latter accumulates a sufficient amount of electricity, it begins to give it to the network, acting as a power source. LED light bulbs receive this electricity and glow. After the reactive element is discharged, there is no energy, and the light bulb stops burning. The capacitor is then charged again and the process is repeated. It will then shine, then go out, which visually looks like a blink.

Important! This disadvantage disrupts the normal operation of the device, increases the amount of electricity consumed, and shortens the service life.

It is necessary to consider what can be done in order to eliminate the described defect.

Ways to eliminate blinking

  1. The easiest way out is to replace the switch with another one that does not light up. After opening the entire circuit, it will not glow, so during the disconnection no voltage is required, and the current that recharges the capacitor will not flow. The advantages of this method are speed and simplicity, but its disadvantage is the additional financial cost of a new switch.
  2. Self-removal of the backlight from the switch. In this case, you will need to disassemble the lamp housing, unscrew or bite off with wire cutters the wire that goes to the resistor and the LED.
  3. Adding a shunt resistor. This method is suitable for those who want both the LED bulb not to blink and the switch to glow in the dark. But for its implementation, some technical actions are required. First of all, you will need to purchase a resistor with a resistance of about 50 kOhm and a power of 2-3 W, this can be found in any radio parts store. Then you need to remove the lamp cover, and plug the wires extending from the resistor into the terminal block to which the network wires are connected.

    Important! Before starting work, the circuit should be de-energized by turning off the machine, and safety precautions must be observed during work. Do not do this work yourself if you are not confident in your abilities. Working with high voltage is life-threatening!

    As a result, the resistance will be connected in parallel with the lamp, and when it is turned off, the current flowing through the switch LED will also pass through the resistor, and not through the driver capacitor, so it will not get a chance to recharge. As a result, the LED lamp will not light when the switch is off.

If the owner does not want to deal with electrics, as the described methods suggest, then you can simply additionally screw in an ordinary incandescent lamp if there is a free cartridge in the chandelier. The disadvantages of this method is that it will shine when the LED lamp is turned off. Thus, the blinking will be replaced by a constant one. Also, the disadvantages include the fact that a screwed-in light bulb will consume electricity at those moments when lighting is not required at all.

Errors when connecting electrical wiring to the switch

If the LED lamp continues to work even when it is turned off, and the person does not use the backlit switch, then the reason may be incorrect wiring: a zero was connected to the switch instead of a phase. In this case, when the circuit is opened, zero is turned off, and not the phase, as a result of which the wiring is energized. As a result, the lamp is lit when the switch is off. This situation must be corrected by connecting the wires correctly. Otherwise, during the planned replacement of the lighting device, even when everything is turned off, there will be a danger of getting an electric shock, because the wiring will be energized.

Whichever way you choose to eliminate the flashing, compliance with safety regulations is mandatory, and error-free wiring to the switch is the key to the normal operation of the device.

If you encounter the problem that the LED lamp is on when the switch is off, do not be surprised. This means 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 can be used as a night light. 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;
  • wiring faults;
  • features of the power supply.

The most common cause of a lamp glowing after being switched off is illuminated switches.

Inside such a switch 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 pass through them.

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

The power consumption of LEDs is ten times lower than that of an ordinary incandescent lamp. But even a small current flowing through the backlight diode is sufficient for a weak glow of the LEDs in the lamp.

There are two lighting options. Either the LED lamp burns 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 low for a constant glow, but it recharges the smoothing capacitor in the power circuit circuit.

When sufficient voltage gradually accumulates on the capacitor, the stabilizer microcircuit is triggered and the lamp flashes for a moment. With such a flashing, it is necessary to unambiguously fight, wherever the lamp is.

In this mode of operation, the resource of the components of the power board will be significantly reduced, since even the number of operation cycles for a microcircuit is not infinite.

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

The easiest is to remove from the backlight switch. To do this, we disassemble the case and unscrew or bite off with wire cutters the wire going to the resistor and the 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 not more than 50 kOhm. Then the current will flow through it, and not through the power driver of the lamp itself.

You can buy such a resistor at any radio store. Installing a resistor is not difficult. It is enough to remove the cover 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 “get into” the wiring yourself, another way to “fight” with illuminated switches can be to install an ordinary incandescent lamp in the chandelier. When turned off, its spiral will act as a shunt resistor. But this method is possible only if the chandelier has several cartridges.

Wiring faults

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

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

Such a situation must be immediately eliminated, since even with a planned replacement of the lamp, a sensitive electric shock can be received. Any minimal contact with the "ground" in this situation will cause a weak glow of the LEDs.

Features of the power scheme

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

You do not know why the LED lamps are on when the switch is off, but this situation disturbs the harmony in the room and causes irritation? Agree that problems in the functioning of the lighting system will please few people. Do you prefer to find the cause of the glow of the LEDs yourself without involving an electrician, but do not know where the weak point is?

We will show you how to cope with this task - the article shows the most common situations that cause the lamps to glow after they are turned off. Ways to eliminate problems are considered and recommendations are given for choosing a reliable light source from a trusted manufacturer.

The material of the article is also provided with thematic photos and video recommendations on how to get rid of the glow of LEDs after turning off.

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

LED lamp design

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

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

  • Chips (diodes). The main element of the lamp, providing the emission of a stream of light.
  • printed aluminum board on the thermal mass. This component is designed to remove excess heat to the radiator, so that the temperature in the device is maintained, which is necessary for the correct operation of the chips.
  • Radiator. A device that is supplied with heat energy diverted from other nodes of the LED lamp. Usually this part is made of anodized aluminum alloy.
  • Plinth. Lamp base designed to be connected to the lamp socket. As a rule, this element is made of brass, covered with a nickel layer on top. The deposited metal counteracts corrosion while facilitating tool-to-cartridge contact.
  • Base. The lower part adjacent to the plinth is made of polymer. Thanks to this, the housing is protected from electric shock.
  • Driver. A node that ensures stable uninterrupted operation of the device even in the event of a sharp change in the indicators of voltage drops in the electrical system. The functioning of this node is similar to a galvanically isolated modulator of the electric current stabilizer.
  • Diffuser. Glass hemisphere covering the device from above. As the name implies, 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.

The principle of operation of the equipment

Specific schemes of LED-devices manufactured by different manufacturers can differ significantly from each other. However, they are all based on a general principle of operation, which can be schematically displayed as follows.

The scheme of the LED lamp. To create a greater p-n-junction effect, semiconductors are used in designs, the surface of which is doped with various materials

When you turn on the 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 p-n-junction - the contact of two semiconductors with different types of conductivity - the particles are converted into photons, due to which light emission occurs.

Additional devices, such as different types of resistors or current-limiting elements, can also be used to optimize the process.

Pros and cons of LEDs

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

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

Environmental safety is also an important advantage. LED fixtures do not emit ultraviolet waves that can harm living organisms. They do not use hazardous materials in their construction, making them easy to dispose of.

A detailed image of the structure of the LED lamp with the designation of all elements, as well as informative captions that tell about the purpose of the nodes

The disadvantages of LED-devices in the first place include the high cost. It should also be noted 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 current creates a continuous glow.

How harmful are burning lamps?

As mentioned above, one of the most common violations in the operation of LEDs is the impossibility of completely turning off the light source. Lamps continue to burn using approximately 5% of normal power for several minutes or even hours.

Sometimes dim lighting tires the inhabitants of the apartments, but some use dimly burning lamps as nightlights.

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

All manipulations with the wiring, including disconnecting the wire, connecting or replacing parts, must be carried out only after turning off the power supply

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

Main Causes of Afterglow

The reasons that provoke the burning of LEDs can be different. The most common include:

  • Problems associated with electrical wiring, which is laid in the apartment. This may be an idle section of the electrical circuit or a violation of the insulation of one of the wires.
  • Incorrect connection 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, and others.
  • The low quality of the devices used or the individual features of the models.

Below we will consider each of the causes in detail, also indicating measures that contribute to solving problems in various cases.

Reason #1 - switch with backlight option

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

The light switch with backlight function does not allow you to completely break the circuit, so the lamps will glow dimly for a long time. If this option is disabled, the system will warm up and the LED device will turn off.

In this case, the devices come into conflict: even the switched off switch cannot completely open the electrical circuit due to the backlight, which is powered through the 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.

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

These may be the following options:

  • switch replacement;
  • turn 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 large power rating.

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

The persistence of the lamp burning after the switch is turned off can also be associated with the use of a high-capacity capacitor in the device, where the charge remains sufficient for a weak glow

If the presence of a backlight on the switch is not important, you can simply bite with wire cutters on the resistance that sets the power supply for it.

To achieve turning off the LED while maintaining the backlight, adding a shunt resistor will help. A device with a resistance greater than 50 kΩ and a power of 2-4 W can be purchased from a specialized store.

To connect it, you need to remove the lamp cover, and then attach the wires leaving the device to the terminal block with network cores, which will allow you to connect in parallel with the lamp.

In this case, the current passing through the LED will not flow through the driver capacitor, but through the newly connected node. This will stop charging the reactance and turn off the LEDs when the switch is turned off.

To correct the operation of a multi-track 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-track chandelier, you can install an incandescent lamp with a minimum power in one of the departments, 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 cartridges. At the same time, when using this method, a faint glow of one bulb will still be maintained.

The desired result will also be obtained 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 - Electrical Wiring Faults

Quite often, the source of non-switching lamps is a failed wiring. If an insulation fault is suspected, high voltage should be applied to the instrument for several minutes to simulate conditions that cause breakdowns in the mains.

You can also use home-made or professional products designed for this purpose to search for a hidden cable fault.

If the problem is really worn-out insulation, the apartment must be partially or completely replaced with electrical wiring. With open cable laying, the process will take a minimum of time and effort.

More difficult work lies ahead if hidden wiring was installed in the housing, immured in the walls.

Poor insulation can cause malfunctions in the operation of LED lighting fixtures. A similar factor is often found with a long service life of electrical wiring.

In this case, decorative finishes, such as wallpaper, as well as plaster, will have to be removed from vertical surfaces. After opening the strobe where the wires are placed, the entire cable or the damaged section is replaced.

In conclusion, 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 gives an 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 regulates the operation of LED devices: the light goes out immediately after the switch is turned off. The newly connected element will also not function due to the low resistance value.

Reason # 3 - incorrect connection of the lamp

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

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

Doing so is wrong! Scheme of incorrect connection to the switch lamp on the neutral wire. Reverse polarity during wiring causes a constant current supply, which causes the LED devices to glow even 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 get an electric shock.

To correct the situation, it is necessary to turn off the power supply, then disconnect the wires, and then mount them in the correct way.

Reason #4 - poor quality light bulb

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

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

LED lamps are available in a wide range. When choosing them, you should pay attention to both the appearance and the technical characteristics and operating conditions.

So, when an electric current is supplied, thermal energy can accumulate in the device, due to which the LED will burn even after turning it off, however, for a short time.

Companies are struggling with this phenomenon by using in the manufacture of equipment resistors made of materials that prevent the accumulation of excess heat.

One of the important factors for the smooth operation of LED lamps is the choice of products of proper quality.

In this case, one should take into account the features under which they will have to operate devices, as well as their compatibility with other equipment connected to the mains.

Please note that a number of popular devices such as dimmers, timers, photovoltaic modules can cause LED malfunctions.

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 must adjoin the main part reliably and without any defects.

In the presence of scratches, dents or a sloppy seam, the likelihood of problems with the glow increases significantly.

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

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 counterparts also have high performance.

Also important is the size of this part, which is responsible for the removal of thermal energy, the release of which can occur even when the light is off.

For the correct operation of a high-power LED, it is necessary to use a large radiator, while for a weak device, a compact one will be enough.

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

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

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

The video reveals the two most common causes of LED lamps burning even after turning off the power.

Detailed instructions for their elimination are also offered:

The glow of the lamps when the switch is turned off is not only unpleasant for the eyes, but also drastically reduces the life of the LEDs. To fix 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, it will take a minimum of time and effort to correct the situation. The necessary work can be done independently, using elementary tools.

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Why does the LED lamp glow after turning off, we are looking for solutions

There is such a phenomenon as a slight glow of the diode lamp after the power has been turned off. There are several explanations for this, some of the factors relate to electrical safety, some to the features of the functioning of a light source of this type.

In any case, in order to understand why the LED light is on when there is no load, it is necessary to consider the operating conditions of the lighting device and determine the cause in each specific situation.

Device Features

The design of a lamp of this type is more complicated than that of an analogue with an incandescent filament. Main elements: base (screw, pin), board with emitters, diffuser, driver. The principle of operation is based on the recombination of electrons and holes with transfer to another energy level, resulting in a glow, which is a consequence of the release of photons. These processes are aided by the use of certain LED semiconductor materials.

A current-limiting element is used to ensure acceptable operating conditions for the lamp. In simpler circuits, a resistor is used for this purpose.

Diagram of a diode lamp

Higher quality light sources operate on a different principle: the circuit is based on a diode bridge that rectifies the mains voltage and supplies it to the LEDs connected in series.

Lighting of the lamp when the load is off

There are several likely factors that could explain why the lighting element is still lit after being turned off from the power source, albeit dimly:

  1. Problems with electrical wiring, in particular, poor-quality insulation in one of the sections of the circuit.
  2. The LED lamp is connected to a backlit switch.
  3. Poor quality emitters used in the design of the light source.
  4. Functional features of the lamp.

If the emitters burn when the switching device is off, it is recommended to first consider all other factors except the first one, since it is problematic to determine a section of hidden wiring that is weak in insulation.

For this, conditions are created under which a breakdown of the circuit occurs (high voltage is applied for 1 minute). The problem area, due to which the diode lamps glow after the load is turned off, will have to be opened: the integrity of the wall is violated if the wiring is laid by the gating method.

Very often there is a situation when energy-saving light sources function differently when connected to a backlit switching device. The problem here lies in the fact that the lighting element installed in the switch closes the circuit, which means it passes a small current. It also feeds the diode lamps when the light is off.

The problem of cheap LED products is no less common. If a product of poor quality at an affordable price was chosen, and usually the relationship between these factors is direct, then there is a high probability of an error in the soldering board. But it happens that the emitter, although dimly, burns due to the functional features of the design.

In particular, we are talking about the processes that occur in the resistor when a load is applied to the lamp: this element accumulates energy as the current passes through the circuit, and after the load is turned off, it maintains the glow in the emitters.

How to solve dim light problem

  1. If a cheap LED lamp was originally purchased, then it is possible to eliminate the glow only by installing a product from a reliable manufacturer and of high quality.
  2. When the problem lies in the backlit switch, there are many ways to fix it. The simplest solution is to change the switching device to a model without illumination. And you can cut off the corresponding backlight power wire, this is done after opening the switch. But in some cases it is important to keep this function. Then it is necessary to install a resistor in parallel in the desired section of the circuit.
  3. The hardest thing to fix is ​​the wiring problem. To do it right, of course, it is recommended to find the source of the leakage current. But, as already mentioned, this will entail other difficulties. But as a result, when the light is turned off, the diode lamps will not burn. But you can go the other way, easier. To do this, a load (an incandescent lamp, resistor or relay) is connected in parallel with the diodes that glow. It is important that the resistance of this element is less than that of LED emitters. As a result, the leakage current will go, for example, to an incandescent lamp. But due to the small resistance, it will not burn.

As you can see, there are many ways to solve the problem of emitters based on diodes, which, although dimly, still shine when turned off. It is necessary to determine, if possible, the most probable cause of this phenomenon.

The main advice is to pay attention to the lighting products of reliable and trusted manufacturers. It is important to remember that high-quality diode light sources cannot be cheap. This will avoid a number of problems, among the most common of them is a dim glow when the load is off, a short service life.

Colorful temperature

Effective lighting, among other things, is also based on the compliance of the main parameters of the light bulb with the conditions in which it will work. When choosing, the power of the product, luminous flux, color temperature, color rendering index, glow angle are taken into account.

If the light source burns with the load disconnected due to a rather poor quality, then when choosing a new product, its dimensions should be taken into account. In particular, we are talking about the size of the radiator.

This is an auxiliary design element that contributes to a more efficient removal of heat from the light source. Before buying, you need to pay attention to the correspondence between the dimensions of the radiator and the power of the lamp. If the product is characterized by a small cooler with significant power, then this design option should not be taken.

The most reliable radiators are made of graphite, ceramics, aluminum. Moreover, it is important that this element is not type-setting.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the quality of the connection between the base and the lamp body. It is important that there are no notches along the edge of the holder and, in general, it should be characterized by the complete absence of play. Another key point is the level of light pulsations. High-quality lighting elements emit a uniform glow.

The difficulty in checking the lamp for light quality lies in the fact that the pulsations are invisible to the eye. But the craftsmen came up with a way to solve this problem: you need to use the included camera of a mobile phone or camera. Ripple will be visible because the image will start flashing.

Thus, if the lighting system immediately after installation gives a weak glow of diode-based lamps, it is recommended to check the circuit, switch, and other factors. The fact is that when, with the load disconnected, the lighting elements still burn, albeit dimly, this may indicate problems with the wiring, which is already quite serious. To pinpoint the cause, all possible factors should be considered.

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The LED lamp glows after turning off - what should I do?

To date, 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 the eyes. 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. The reasons for this phenomenon and ways to eliminate the glow, we examined in this article.

An overview of the causes of the glow

What should I 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 if it is dim or weak:


Is this glow dangerous? For wiring, this problem does not pose any danger, however, the life of the LED bulbs will be noticeably reduced if they constantly flash 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 due to the fact that it is very difficult to find a section that is weak in insulation 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, due to which the lighting element glows after the switch is turned off, will need to be opened. At the same time, if the electrical wiring was laid in a hidden way, then the opening will damage the integrity of the wall.

It is important to know! There are a lot of situations where when you connect LED light sources to a backlit switch, they function differently. This is due to the fact that the lighting element, which is installed in the switching device, closes the circuit, respectively, passes a small current. That's just what it charges and allows the light bulb to glow when the switch is off.

Another problem why the LED lamp glows in the dark is the cheapness of the product. If a poor quality LED bulb was purchased, 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 take place in capacitors at the moment a load is applied to the lighting element. When an electric current passes through the circuit, the capacitor accumulates energy, and then, after the load is stopped, continues to maintain the glow in the elements.

Another fairly common reason for the glow of LED lamps 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 is on when the light is off, how to fix it? Solutions are different. 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 fix this problem, you need to replace it with quality products from a trusted manufacturer.
  2. If the lighting element is lit due to the fact that a backlit 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 lighting. You can simply cut off a certain wire that powers the backlight. This can be done after the switching device has been opened. But there is another way out - to maintain such a function, it is enough to put 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, it is necessary to find the place of current leakage. But this can lead to certain difficulties. But when the light is turned off, the bulbs will not burn. About what are the faults in the wiring, we talked about in a separate article. There is another way, more simple. When the lighting element is lit, it is necessary to connect a load (relay, incandescent lamp or resistor) in parallel with it. It is only necessary to take into account the fact that the resistance in the connected load must be lower than in the light emitter. And as a result, the leakage current will go to this load, but due to the fact that the resistance is insignificant, it will not glow.

Another effective way to eliminate the glow of LED bulbs is to add a capacitor to the circuit. This is explained in detail in the video tutorial:

A variety of methods makes it possible to solve the problem of the glow of emitters with diodes so that they will not glow at full intensity when the switch is turned off. The main thing is to understand the root cause of the problem. We hope that now it has become clear to you why the LED lamp glows after turning off and what to do to correct the situation!

samelectrik.ru

Why LED lamps are on when the switch is off

If you encounter the problem that the LED lamp is on when the switch is off, do not be surprised. This means 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 can be used as a night light. 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;
  • wiring faults;
  • features of the power supply.

Illuminated switch

The most common cause of a lamp glowing after being switched off is illuminated switches.

Inside such a switch 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 pass through them.

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

The power consumption of LEDs is ten times lower than that of an ordinary incandescent lamp. But even a small current flowing through the backlight diode is sufficient for a weak glow of the LEDs in the lamp.

There are two lighting options. Either the LED lamp burns 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 low for a constant glow, but it recharges the smoothing capacitor in the power circuit circuit.

When sufficient voltage gradually accumulates on the capacitor, the stabilizer microcircuit is triggered and the lamp flashes for a moment. With such a flashing, it is necessary to unambiguously fight, wherever the lamp is.

In this mode of operation, the resource of the components of the power board will be significantly reduced, since even the number of operation cycles for a microcircuit is not infinite.

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

The easiest is to remove from the backlight switch. To do this, we disassemble the case and unscrew or bite off with wire cutters the wire going to the resistor and the 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 not more than 50 kOhm. Then the current will flow through it, and not through the power driver of the lamp itself.

You can buy such a resistor at any radio store. Installing a resistor is not difficult. It is enough to remove the cover 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 “get into” the wiring yourself, another way to “fight” with illuminated switches can be to install an ordinary incandescent lamp in the chandelier. When turned off, its spiral will act as a shunt resistor. But this method is possible only if the chandelier has several cartridges.

Wiring faults

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

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

Such a situation must be immediately eliminated, since even with a planned replacement of the lamp, a sensitive electric shock can be received. Any minimal contact with the "ground" in this situation will cause a weak glow of the LEDs.

Features of the power scheme

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

svetodiodinfo.ru

Why is the LED lamp dimly lit after turning off?

Often, from customer reviews, you can hear complaints that when the lights are turned off in the house, the LED lamp either starts to flicker or continues to burn very weakly. The problem with unpleasant eye blinking was discussed earlier. But in connection with what the LED lamp burns dimly after turning off the light and you will learn how to get rid of it from this article.

Switch light problem

Most often with the question "Why do LED lamps continue to burn when the switch is turned off?" are addressed by people using indoor switches with backlight. A miniature neon 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 bulb into the lamp, then often it will continue to burn dimly even after the voltage is removed.

The dim or flickering problem after the light switch is turned off is not uncommon with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). The essence of the problem and how to solve it are the same as with LED lamps.

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

Designations on the diagrams:

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

There are three ways to fix this problem:

  1. Replace the existing switch with a regular one or remove the backlight from it with your own hands.
  2. Install a resistor (fig. 3) or a capacitor (fig. 4) in parallel with the load. The radio element can be placed in the junction box, in the lamp socket itself, or on the back of the switch, if both the phase and neutral wires pass through it. In the first case, you will need a resistor R2 with a rating of 50 kOhm and a power of 2 W or a power of 0.5–1 W, but with a resistance of 1 MΩ. The compactness and cheapness of the resistor, in this case, is an indisputable plus. But there is also a negative point - active power consumption and slight heating. The second option with capacitor C1 is devoid of the negative moments of the resistor and is able to compensate for mains interference from other electrical appliances in the room. Installation requires a non-polar capacitive element. It is recommended to use a capacitor with a capacitance of 0.1 to 1 uF, capable of withstanding a voltage of 630 volts.
  3. It is not difficult to remove the barely noticeable glow of several LED lamps if they are powered from one switch. To do this, one of the LED-lamps must be replaced with a low-power incandescent lamp. The tungsten filament will act as a shunt resistor, passing harmful current from the backlight through itself. As a result, none of the lamps connected in parallel will glow when the switch is off, since there is not enough current to ignite the filament.

Design feature of the LED lamp

The second most common reason why an LED lamp is dim when the switch is turned off lies in its driver. And this is not surprising, because each manufacturer of LED products uses dozens of types of driver circuits, constantly changing and improving them. But often such changes are carried out with one goal - to reduce the cost of the finished product. But in the end, due to the use of low-quality element base and errors made during the assembly of the driver, the LEDs remain lit even when the light is off. Such a malfunction does not reduce the life of the LED lamp, but it cannot be eliminated.

Poor wiring

Another common reason why LED lights are on when the switch is off is a wiring problem. You should seriously think about its repair if:

  • aluminum wires have been in operation for more than 30 years;
  • problems arise with LED lamps from different manufacturers;
  • The circuit breaker with LED light does not have a built-in light.

Wiring can affect the operation of the LED lamp in two ways:

  1. The phase and zero are reversed, that is, the phase wire directly goes to the cartridge, and the zero wire goes to the switch. In this case, the driver of the LED spotlight or bulbs is constantly energized, resulting in the LEDs either dimly lit or flashing, despite the fact that the electrical circuit is open. The problem is solved by reconnecting the wires in the junction box so that the “phase” goes to the switch, and “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 to determine the location of the breakdown will not work. Therefore, there is only one way out - to replace the wiring section from the junction box to the chandelier.

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

Read also

ledjournal.info

Why does the LED lamp glow after being turned off?

The device of LED lamps is significantly different from conventional ones. This is often the explanation for why LED lamps continue to burn when the switch is turned off.

Device of LED lamps

Despite the variety of models and differences in technical solutions depending on the manufacturer, each LED lamp has the main components:

  • plinth;
  • frame;
  • LEDs;
  • driver.

As in conventional lighting fixtures, the base is used for mounting, and the housing for placement. Some of the lamps are equipped with radiators for cooling. Lighting sources are LEDs. These are semiconductor elements that convert electrical energy into radiation. The voltage they consume is much lower than the apartment's 220 V, and therefore the power is much less than that consumed by ordinary light bulbs. This is the basis for the savings in the operation of LED lamps. But to create the desired voltage, it is necessary to use special converters (drivers) that lower it to the required value. This is where the main differences come in. The converter is a complex device consisting of electronic components: a diode bridge, resistors and capacitors (capacitors).

Why do LED lamps work after turning off?

The glow of the device when it is turned off can be caused by several reasons.

The operation of the capacitor included in the driver

The property of the LED lamp to continue to work when the light is off for many consumers is quite a logical surprise. Electricity is not supplied, but the device is functioning. Then the next question arises: where does the food come from. Some electronic components are capable of storing electrical energy. The capacitor is one of them. It is part of the LED lamp. During its glow from the network, it accumulates electricity. When it is completely turned off, the capacitance gives off the accumulated energy and acts in this case as a source of voltage. It is because of this detail that LED lamps can burn for a short time after being turned off.

The capacitance is considered reactance, since it is able to return the consumed power to the network. If it were not an integral element of LED lamps, then they could not shine when the electricity was turned off. Similar to how ordinary lamps stop working after being turned off, because they are very simple devices that do not contain reactive elements. When the electricity accumulated by the capacitor runs out, it ceases to be a power source and produce voltage, as a result of which the LED lamps cease to receive energy and go out. In this case, the accumulated charge is only enough for a few seconds to keep the device running after it has been turned off.

It is unlikely that this couple of moments of glow needs to be eliminated. Moreover, capacitance plays an important role in power conversion: it smooths out voltage ripples after a decrease.

LED switch

If the LED lamp glows for a long time after turning off, then the reason is different. The lighting device is used together with the switch. Very often, an LED switch is used, which, in addition to the main function of disconnecting the electrical circuit, also performs an additional one: it shines when the lamp is turned off. To do this, it is equipped with an LED, which is energized at the moment when the light bulb is not working. Due to the parallel connection, no power is supplied to the lamp. That is, at this moment, an electric current passes through the switch LED, which charges the aforementioned capacitor. When the latter accumulates a sufficient amount of electricity, it begins to give it to the network, acting as a power source. LED light bulbs receive this electricity and glow. After the reactive element is discharged, there is no energy, and the light bulb stops burning. The capacitor is then charged again and the process is repeated. It will then shine, then go out, which visually looks like a blink.

Important! This disadvantage disrupts the normal operation of the device, increases the amount of electricity consumed, and shortens the service life.

It is necessary to consider what can be done in order to eliminate the described defect.

Ways to eliminate blinking

  1. The easiest way out is to replace the switch with another one that does not light up. After opening the entire circuit, it will not glow, so during the disconnection no voltage is required, and the current that recharges the capacitor will not flow. The advantages of this method are speed and simplicity, but its disadvantage is the additional financial cost of a new switch.
  2. Self-removal of the backlight from the switch. In this case, you will need to disassemble the lamp housing, unscrew or bite off with wire cutters the wire that goes to the resistor and the LED.
  3. Adding a shunt resistor. This method is suitable for those who want both the LED bulb not to blink and the switch to glow in the dark. But for its implementation, some technical actions are required. First of all, you will need to purchase a resistor with a resistance of not more than 50 ohms and a power of 2-4 watts. It is sold at any radio parts store. Then you need to remove the lamp cover, and plug the wires extending from the resistor into the terminal block to which the network wires are connected. As a result, the resistance will be connected in parallel with the lamp, and when it is turned off, the current flowing through the switch LED will also pass through the resistor and not through the driver capacitor, so the reactance will not get a chance to be recharged. As a result, the LED lamp will not light when the switch is off.

If the owner does not want to deal with electrics, as the described methods suggest, then you can simply additionally screw in an ordinary incandescent lamp if there is a free cartridge in the chandelier. The disadvantages of this method is that it will shine when the LED lamp is turned off. Thus, the blinking will be replaced by a constant one. Also, the disadvantages include the fact that a screwed-in light bulb will consume electricity at those moments when lighting is not required at all.

Errors when connecting electrical wiring to the switch

If the LED lamp continues to work even when it is turned off, and the person does not use the backlit switch, then the reason may be incorrect wiring: a zero was connected to the switch instead of a phase. In this case, when the circuit is opened, zero is turned off, and not the phase, as a result of which the wiring is energized. As a result, the lamp is lit when the switch is off. This situation must be corrected by connecting the wires correctly. Otherwise, during the planned replacement of the lighting device, even when everything is turned off, there will be a danger of getting an electric shock, because the wiring will be energized.

Whatever way a person chooses to eliminate the flashing of LED lights after turning off, compliance with safety regulations is mandatory. And an error-free wiring connection to the switch is the key to the normal operation of the device.

simplelight.info

Why do LED lights stay on when the switch is off?

Electrical fittings

One of the most common problems with LED bulbs is that the LED bulb stays on when the switch is turned off. There are several reasons for the manifestation of such a glow, ranging from the features of the functioning of a particular device to the poor quality of the device. To accurately determine the cause of the light bulb after turning off, you need to become more familiar with how it works. This will allow us to understand where the failure occurred.

LED lamps - device features

LED bulbs are very popular and in demand, they are gradually replacing similar devices with an incandescent filament from the market. Despite the significant cost, many apartment owners tend to purchase diode lamps, since they have a significantly longer service life, efficiency and reliability.

Compared to incandescent lamps, the design of diode devices is somewhat more complicated. Let's highlight the main elements and describe their purpose:

  • Base - made of brass and plated with nickel, which prevents corrosion and promotes reliable contact with the cartridge.
  • The polymer base of the socle part is coated with polyethylene terephthalate to protect the instrument case from electric shock.
  • Driver - is performed according to the scheme of a galvanically isolated modulator of the electric current stabilizer. The main purpose of the driver is to ensure stable, uninterrupted operation even during mains voltage fluctuations.
  • The radiator is made from anodized aluminum alloy. It is required for the effective removal of thermal energy from the remaining elements of the light bulb.
  • An aluminum printed circuit board on a heat-conducting mass guarantees the necessary temperature conditions for the operation of the chips by removing heat to the radiator directly from the chips.
  • Chips - in fact, this is the lighting mechanism, in other words - diodes.
  • The diffuser is a glass hemisphere, the level of light dispersion of which tends to a maximum.

LED lamp device

The principle of operation of LED lamps for a simple layman is rather complicated and confusing. In short, the glow occurs as a result of the release of photons due to the constant change and recombination of electrons, followed by a transition to other energy layers. The uninterrupted flow of the process is ensured by the semiconductor materials of the chips. To ensure optimal operating conditions for the entire device as a whole, various resistors or current-limiting mechanisms are used.

Some manufacturers today are trying to introduce improved technologies for creating a glow, in particular, they use special diode bridges. The cost of such light bulbs is slightly higher compared to other LEDs, but the quality is fully consistent with the price.

Glow when turned off - the main reasons

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

Very often there is a dim glow, even if the light in the room is completely turned off.

There are several main reasons why LED lamps are lit when the switch is off:

  • Problems related to electrical wiring in the apartment. For example, in 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 the light source.
  • Functional features of the LED device.

The biggest problems arise when the cause is poor-quality insulation. Therefore, to begin with, it is required 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. Within a minute, a large voltage is applied, that is, conditions are simulated that contribute to the occurrence of breakdowns in the electrical circuit. If the problem is really isolation, correcting the situation will be problematic. This is very laborious, because you have to destroy the wall, peel off the wallpaper, since the wiring is usually installed by chasing the wall. After replacing the insulation, you will need to ditch it, close up the wall and return the wallpaper to its original place.

Fortunately for homeowners, poor insulation problems are relatively rare. A much more common 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 is passed, albeit in very small quantities. However, this is more than enough to keep the LED lamps dimly illuminating the room after turning off.

When purchasing cheap lighting fixtures, be prepared for the fact that there can be much more problems with them than when buying 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 electricity.

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 take place in resistors, for example, when an electric current is applied, there is a slight accumulation of thermal energy by 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. As a rule, such a phenomenon is observed for a very short period of time. In addition, manufacturers are trying to make resistors from special materials that prevent the accumulation of excess thermal energy.

The lamp is on after turning off - options for solving the problem

Having decided on why the LED light is on when the light is off, you can proceed to solving the problem. The following is a list of the main recommendations, depending on the causes of this phenomenon. If the dim light is associated with the purchase of a product at an affordable price, but of low quality, then the advice here is very simple - you need to go to the nearest store and buy a high quality light bulb from a reliable manufacturer.

If the problem is the backlight in the switch, there may be several solutions. You can act logically and, following the example of the first paragraph, go to the store for a switching device in which the backlight is not provided. Another option is to cut off the power wire that is responsible for the backlight. To do this, you need to open the switch, which is done quite simply and quickly, even beginners in this business will be able to disassemble and assemble the device on their own in a few minutes. If you cannot do without backlighting, then you can just install another resistor in the circuit, which will prevent the accumulation of energy.

The main thing is to find the cause of this glow, after which you can proceed to action.

Isolation, as noted earlier, causes the greatest difficulty in solving the problem. If you do not want to violate the integrity of the wall, then you can try to go the other way. Its essence lies in connecting an additional load (relay, resistor, incandescent lamp) in parallel with diodes that do not stop burning. The only condition is that the resistance of the connected additional device must be less than that of the LED lamp. Due to the low resistance, the connected element will not burn, and due to the redirection of the current, the LED lamps will also not glow after turning off.

So, we told you why the LED lights are on when the switch is off, and also that it is not so difficult to solve such a problem. The main thing is to find the cause of this glow, after which you can proceed to action.

In order to avoid problems with LED lamps during operation, we recommend purchasing products from trusted and reliable manufacturers. You always have to pay for quality, so these bulbs can be very expensive. However, thanks to high-quality products, you will be able to avoid many problems in the future, including when the LED lamp is on when the switch is turned off. Be sure to read the instructions that come with the product package. They indicate how to properly use LED lamps, as well as what is not recommended.

As a rule, it is reported there that the use of certain devices is highly undesirable for high-quality lamp lighting. For example, various timers, dimmers, photocells, illuminated rocker switches can cause malfunctions. To achieve the greatest effect when lighting, it is necessary to take into account the compliance of the lamp indicators with the conditions where it will function. You should buy those models that suit you, based on the angle of light, color rendering index, temperature light, luminous flux, and, of course, lamp power.

Pay attention to the radiator, and to be more precise, to its dimensions. It is designed to quickly and efficiently remove the thermal energy released during lighting directly from the light sources themselves. Be sure to check the compliance of the lamp power and the dimensions of the radiator. If the power is large, while the cooler does not differ in large dimensions, we do not recommend buying a lighting device of this model, since problems may appear in the future, including the LED may light up after turning off. The instructions usually indicate what material the radiator is made of. Preference should be given to aluminum, ceramics or graphite.

Another important point is the joint between the lamp body and the base. It should be checked for nicks or other mechanical defects along the edge of the holder. The base must be tightly and securely attached to the body, without any play.

The next step in checking the quality of a light bulb is to determine the level of pulsation. The glow should be constant and uniform, without flashing and trembling. Due to the fact that the ripples are invisible to the naked eye, we turn to the help of a mobile phone or camera. By shooting the switched on LED lamp on a video camera, we will be able to see the blinking, if they, of course, have a place to be. Manufacturers of high-quality lighting fixtures have a minimum level of pulsation, it is problematic to see it even through a phone camera.

Replaced the light bulbs in the chandelier with LEDs. But one of the bulbs illuminates even when the switch is off. Changing the bulbs didn't help. What to do?

Today, LED lamps are one of the most popular light sources, as they are economical, long-lasting and fireproof. Why is there a problem when the LED lamp glows when the switch is off. We will deal with this issue in this article, and also consider methods for eliminating the glow.

Such lamps operate on constant voltage, and inside they have a rectifier. LEDs produce light by applying an alternating voltage.
Before understanding the reasons for the burning of the LED lamp after turning off the power, you need to consider the principle of its operation and the features of the lamp.

The design of a lamp of this type is more complicated than that of an analogue with an incandescent filament. The principle of operation is based on the recombination of electrons and holes with transfer to another energy level, resulting in a glow, which is a consequence of the release of photons.

These processes are aided by the use of certain LED semiconductor materials.

To understand why LED lamps are on when the light is off, you need to look into its structure. The stores offer illuminators of different sizes and shapes. The internal structure is also different.

Probably, everyone noticed big differences in the price category of this product, from 100 rubles to a thousand. It is the features of the device that determine such a wide range.

A current-limiting element is used to ensure acceptable operating conditions for the lamp. In simpler circuits, a resistor is used for this purpose.

Higher quality light sources operate on a different principle: the circuit is based on a diode bridge that rectifies the mains voltage and supplies it to the LEDs connected in series.

One of the main differences between modern lighting and conventional incandescent lighting is a constant current supply, such circuits are called rectified.

    The LED lamp has the following components:
  • glass diffuser;
  • a board with diodes attached to it;
  • radiator;
  • ballast with capacitor;
  • plinth.

A capacitor that converts and stores energy is located on the driver. Then the current is fed through the circuit to the board, from it to the chips and diodes. A high quality LED lamp has a slightly different principle of operation.

The basis is a diode bridge, it supplies energy to the LEDs in series connection. Such sources will not bother with a dim glow after the switch is turned off.

Do not confuse an LED lamp with a fluorescent lamp. It is luminescent light emitters that are called energy-saving. Most often, they can be distinguished by spiral flasks. They gradually gain light when turned on, and there are no problems with glowing when the switch is off.

The effect of a burning light bulb after turning off

For those who have a slight night glow that does not cause discomfort, another question arises, but is it safe? And how does this affect energy consumption? There is no danger in smoldering light. The lamp will not burst in the middle of the night, will not crack. Burnout is possible, but it is extremely rare.

The main disadvantage of the fact that LED bulbs glow when the switch is off is the illuminator's rapid depletion. The fact is that the circuit is designed for a certain number of start-ups and burning time. Therefore, after two months of almost continuous glow, the light bulb becomes unusable.

So that in the future the problem of smoldering light does not bother, you need to choose the right lighting fixtures and switches. First of all, you should focus on well-known and trusted manufacturers.

Pay attention to the proportionality of the power and the radiator of the light emitter. If the radiator is small, and the production of light is quite powerful, then you should not take this one. Preference should be given to aluminum radiators. If the question is not fundamental, then it is better to take the switch without backlight.

    What should I 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 if it is dim or weak:
  1. poor-quality insulation in the section of the electrical circuit or any other electrical wiring malfunction;
  2. the switch to which the LED lamp is connected has a backlight;
  3. low-quality emitters are used in the design of the light source;
  4. special functionality of the lighting element.

Is this glow dangerous? For wiring, this problem does not pose any danger, however, the life of the LED bulbs will be noticeably reduced if they constantly flash 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 due to the fact that it is very difficult to find a section that is weak in insulation 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, due to which the lighting element glows after the switch is turned off, will need to be opened. At the same time, if the electrical wiring was laid in a hidden way, then the opening will damage the integrity of the wall.

It is important to know! There are a lot of situations where when you connect LED light sources to a backlit switch, they function differently.

This is due to the fact that the lighting element, which is installed in the switching device, closes the circuit, respectively, passes a small current. That's just it and charges, and allows the light bulb to glow when the switch is off.

Another problem why the LED lamp glows in the dark is the cheapness of the product. If a poor quality LED bulb was purchased, 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 take place in capacitors at the moment a load is applied to the lighting element. When an electric current passes through the circuit, the capacitor accumulates energy, and then, after the load is stopped, continues to maintain the glow in the elements.

Causes of the lamp burning when the light is off

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

    There can be many different reasons, but the most common are:
  • There are wiring problems.
  • Poor quality of the LEDs you are using.
  • The glow of the diodes is maintained by a resistor (due to the accumulation of electrics in it, after turning off, the diodes glow).

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

The current that goes through the backlight performs the function of charging the capacitor. When the charging reaches the desired level, the circuit starts up and this causes a flash, after which you should expect a shutdown, and then this process starts 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 be 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 illuminated switch, due to which the capacitor will be recharged in time. Therefore, the tape burns dimly in this mode, and there are also periodic flashes.

The most common cause of a lamp glowing after being switched off is illuminated switches.

Inside such a switch 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 pass through them.

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

The power consumption of LEDs is ten times lower than that of an ordinary incandescent lamp. But even a small current flowing through the backlight diode is sufficient for a weak glow of the LEDs in the lamp.

There are two lighting options. Either the LED lamp burns 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 low for a constant glow, but it recharges the smoothing capacitor in the power circuit circuit.

When sufficient voltage gradually accumulates on the capacitor, the stabilizer microcircuit is triggered and the lamp flashes for a moment. With such a flashing, it is necessary to unambiguously fight, wherever the lamp is.

In this mode of operation, the resource of the components of the power board will be significantly reduced, since even the number of operation cycles for a microcircuit is not infinite. There are several ways to eliminate the situation when the LED light is on when the switch is off.

The easiest is to remove from the backlight switch. To do this, we disassemble the case and unscrew or bite off with wire cutters the wire going to the resistor and the 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 not more than 50 kOhm. Then the current will flow through it, and not through the power driver of the lamp itself.

You can buy such a resistor at any radio store. Installing a resistor is not difficult. It is enough to remove the cover 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 “get into” the wiring yourself, another way to “fight” with illuminated switches can be to install an ordinary incandescent lamp in the chandelier. When turned off, its spiral will act as a shunt resistor. But this method is possible only if the chandelier has several cartridges.

Wiring faults

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

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

Such a situation must be immediately eliminated, since even with a planned replacement of the lamp, a sensitive electric shock can be received. Any minimal ground contact in this situation will cause the LEDs to glow faintly.

The reason for the incessant burning of the lamp may be hidden in errors. If a zero was connected instead of a phase during the installation of the switch, it will turn off when the circuit is opened. At the same time, due to the preserved phase, the wiring will still be energized, due to which the device will glow when the switch is turned off.

Doing so is wrong! Scheme of incorrect connection to the switch lamp on the neutral wire. Reverse polarity during wiring causes a constant current supply, which causes the LED devices to glow even 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 get an electric shock. To correct the situation, it is necessary to turn off the power supply, then disconnect the wires, and then mount them in the correct way.

Low quality bulb

Quite often, the cause of the malfunction is the poor quality of the LED used, which must be replaced with a serviceable one. However, the persistence of luminescence can also be observed in devices made by reputable manufacturers.

It can be caused by functional features in the operation of lamp resistors. So, when an electric current is supplied, thermal energy can accumulate in the device, due to which the LED will burn even after turning it off, however, for a short time.

Companies are struggling with this phenomenon by using in the manufacture of equipment resistors made of materials that prevent the accumulation of excess heat.

How to fix the problem

If the LED lamp is on when the light is off, how to fix it? Solutions are different. 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 fix this problem, you need to replace it with quality products from a trusted manufacturer.
  2. If the lighting element is lit due to the fact that a backlit switch is used, then this problem can be solved in different ways.
  3. For example, the easiest way out is to change the switch in the house to a regular one, without lighting. You can simply cut off a certain wire that powers the backlight. This can be done after the switching device has been opened. But there is another way out - to maintain such a function, it is enough to put a resistor in parallel on a certain section of the electrical circuit.
  4. 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, it is necessary to find the place of current leakage. But this can lead to certain difficulties. But when the light is turned off, the bulbs will not burn.

A variety of methods makes it possible to solve the problem of the glow of emitters with diodes so that they will not glow in full when the switch is turned off. The main thing is to understand the root cause of the problem. We hope that now it has become clear to you why the LED lamp glows after turning off and what to do to correct the situation!

Removing the backlight will be the easiest and fastest solution to this problem. In order to do this, it is necessary to disconnect the wires from which the backlight is powered, having previously opened the cover of the switch.

Alternatively, you can still cut off this wire, but first be sure to find out where the power wire is located so as not to confuse.

  • Having done this, the current charging the capacitor will not flow, after which the lamp will no longer glow dimly or blink;
  • If you want to avoid this problem, then before buying a switch, pay attention to the presence or absence of a backlight. If it is not, then the main problem will not appear;
  • A good option would be to connect a conventional lamp in parallel, using this option will prevent the energy-saving light source from burning in the off mode. This is achieved due to the fact that the current to recharge the capacitor will go to the filament;
  • There are switches that have a mandatory backlight needed for any purpose. How to be 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 buy a resistor in absolutely any radio engineering store.

It is worth noting that the resistor will not adversely 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 do not forget to insulate the resistor, for this it is best to use heat shrink tubing.

If you are going to buy LEDs, then remember that reliable manufacturers will always indicate instructions on the packaging, according to which you will understand the correct principle of their use.

Usually, it is indicated that the application is not desirable in conjunction with devices such as illuminated rocker switches, photocells, dimmers, timers, etc., they will interfere with their normal operation.

It may also be that you simply will not be able to 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 such a product that burns after being turned off, then the reason for this may well be that the LEDs are simply not installed correctly.

The main advice is to pay attention to the lighting products of reliable and trusted manufacturers. It is important to remember that high-quality diode light sources cannot be cheap.

This will avoid a number of problems, among the most common of them is a dim glow when the load is off, a short service life.

Effective lighting, among other things, is also based on the compliance of the main parameters of the light bulb with the conditions in which it will work. When choosing, the power of the product, luminous flux, color rendering index, glow angle are taken into account.

If the light source burns with the load disconnected due to a rather poor quality, then when choosing a new product, its dimensions should be taken into account. In particular, we are talking about the size of the radiator.

This is an auxiliary design element that contributes to a more efficient removal of heat from the light source. Before buying, you need to pay attention to the correspondence between the dimensions of the radiator and the power of the lamp. If the product is characterized by a small cooler with significant power, then this design option should not be taken.

The most reliable radiators are made of graphite, ceramics, aluminum. Moreover, it is important that this element is not type-setting.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the quality of the connection between the base and the lamp body. It is important that there are no notches along the edge of the holder and, in general, it should be characterized by the complete absence of play. Another key point is the level of light pulsations. High-quality lighting elements emit a uniform glow.

The difficulty in checking the lamp for light quality lies in the fact that the pulsations are invisible to the eye. But the craftsmen came up with a way to solve this problem: you need to use the included camera of a mobile phone or camera. Ripple will be visible because the image will start flashing.

Thus, if the lighting system immediately after installation gives a weak glow of diode-based lamps, it is recommended to check the circuit, switch, and other factors.

The fact is that when, when the load is off, the lighting elements still burn, albeit dimly, this may indicate problems with the wiring, which is already quite serious. To pinpoint the cause, all possible factors should be considered.

16.06.2014

Tell me, please, after turning off the switch, the lamps glow a little. How to fix this? I already turned off the backlight LED in the switch - it does not help. Thank you.

This sometimes happens with switches equipped with backlight LEDs that light up when off. It is this glow that usually causes smoldering or flashing of LED lamps in the off state - a small current that provides illumination of the switch gives smoldering in the lamps. We remove the backlight of the switch - we solve the problem, because now the power supply chain is completely broken.

If you have already removed the backlight, but the problem remains, then the situation is more complicated, and there may be two reasons.

1) The problem is in the switch itself - the current runs away through it. Disassemble and try to physically disconnect the wire. If the smoldering disappears, simply replace the switch with another model.

2) But if smoldering remains, then it is obvious that the switch is connected fundamentally incorrectly. Namely, he is hung on the wrong wire - he breaks zero (ground), but should break the phase. It turns out that the phase is constantly supplied to the lamps, which leads to smoldering. Actually, if installed correctly, even in this case they should not smolder, but apparently, the mass of your LED fixtures or lamps is not insulated (which, of course, is not very good), and this mass is in contact either with a metal suspended ceiling or with concrete of the supporting structure. You can fix this by swapping the current-carrying wires so that the switch breaks the phase. This is done either in the shield or in the transfer case.

You may also be advised to hang a simple filter on each lamp, which will take over the current leakage. But we do not recommend doing this categorically - in this case, you will have a constant current runaway.

We need to fix the wiring!

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