Snubber for led's

[soulman]

Hi, Anyone help me with this please, I replaced GU10 halogens with GU10 5w led's in my hallway and the led's are flashing when switched off. I have installed these many times & never had this problem. I have searched the internet and it would appear that this happens with two way switching, which would explain why i have never had this happen before, as i generally install these in plastic clad ceilings within the bathroom area where the lighting is 1 way. My first question is does anyone know why this happens with 2 way switching? Also i need some help with the snubber what do i need? As i have a few different answers, such as a 240v rc suppressor, a capacitor & a resistor together, a capacitor on its own.

Cheers

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Do a search here for inductive. With standard household 2 way wiring, When the light is off, that switchline cable is running in parrallel with the live cables.This acts like a transformer and can induce a current (very very small) into the circuit. A normal tungstan lamp discharges this through the element but with low energy or some led's this small current is enough to charge up components like a capacitor and try to strike the lamps. Its not enough so they flicker.

 

[Steve3948]

A Danlers CAPLOAD across load is cheapish at about

 

[revjames]

or leave one of the GU10's with halogen in.

 

[soulman]

Thank you for your replies, slip that is an excellent post & has helped me get my head around what is happening. Cheers Steve i shall the suppressor and capload & see what works. I have heard of the resload, i thought these were just for dimming problems.

Cheers

 

[soulman]

Hi, Just to let you know how i got on, i purchased an rc supressor from maplins

 

[revjames]

Quite simple really. Inductive reactance XL is cancelled out by Capacitive reactance XC. thats what I remember from BTEC days

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

And in English that means .............. ? I will guess, the capacitor stores up the small inductive charge and the resistor slows the flow down even more so its not noticable.

 

[Sherlock Ohms]

Where exactly in the circuit did you fit the device???

 

[soulman]

Thank you, the device was fitted at the first downlight.

 

[robvanveen]

Hi,

I posted a separate topic (which is very close to this topic) elsewhere on this website, and was encouraged to read and add to this topic, and I did.

I understand the logic of side-by-side wires creating a capacitor, which unloads using the (LED)-light: fine.

I fitted two 4W 240V LED GU10 lights in the downstairs hall (replacing two 240V CFL GU10 lights. Lights can be switched on/of from both upstairs and downstairs. So that ticks all the boxes of long parallel wires: and indeed, my lights flash to no end.

4W 240V lights means (I think) just under 17mA which is very little. Adding a gadget to be connected to both connectors of the lamp would fix the problem when the lamp is switched off, but would surely increase the energy consumption when it is on. And I would have thought that would then (partially) defeat the purpose of having low energy lamps.

Is this true, or is this additional current marginal compared to the 17mA?

Thanks,

Rob

 

[Ash]

I always found the idea of leaving one with a halogen in counter-productive. We're installing LEDs so lighting is a fraction of the cost. leaving 1 50W bulb in when one set of LEDs can match that wattage, means you're effectively doubling your electricity usage on that set.

To think most small bedrooms would be lit by a 60W incandescent.

 

[NozSpark]

I would have thought that a 100k ohms resistor fitted across the l&n of the lamp would sort it

 

[Steve3948]

0.5 Watt so not too much to worry about, I don't think you will need to increase your direct debit to Electricity Supplier.

Cheaper than Danlers http://www.maplin.co.uk/contact-suppressor-498

 

[robvanveen]

I re-phrased it: 12.5% increase. "so not too much to worry about"

Doesn't sound right, does it?

That is exactly the issue I was trying to flag-up: 0.5W increase IS a lot when compared to 4W.

Is there not a more energy efficient way?

Rob

 

[NozSpark]

Yes there is,,, but it will only work with 1 way switching with loop at the switch

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Or wire via a relay/contactor, but that will cost more than any energy savings

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Or wire via a relay/contactor, but that will cost more than any energy savings

 

[steptoe]

I have one for you clever folks,

when the lights are on, 10 x 4w LEDs , or even if its just half the bank,

when the mrs is using her hair straighteners they will flicker off every so often, I guessing when the thermostat kicks,

whats the problem?

does anyone have a simple fix or do I need to get a proper sparky in,? :|

 

[Sharpend]

She shouldn't be using the light circuit to plug her straighteners in!