Recently, a new electrical element has appeared in every house – an energy-saving lamp. It is considered economical compared to incandescent lamps. Someone is happy with the innovation, and someone still cannot get used to its features. For example, such lamps often “blink” when the light is off. This phenomenon first alarms and surprises, and then makes you look for a way to eliminate it. Let’s figure out why the energy-saving lamp blinks and how to eliminate this problem.
The device and principle of operation of an energy-saving lamp
The solution to the problem of light pulsation when the energy-saving lamp is turned off lies partly in its internal structure. What does an economical lamp consist of?
The energy-saving lamp externally consists of two parts:
- flask;
- starting regulating device.
The bulb is the same place that “burns” when the lamp is turned on. It is filled inside with mercury vapors, therefore it is called gas-discharge. Due to the interaction of these pairs with electrons, ultraviolet is formed. The outside of the bulb is completely covered with a special substance – phosphor. Due to it, ultraviolet radiation turns into visible light.
The starting regulating device is a device consisting of semiconductors that converts a voltage of 220 volts into 400 volts.
Internally, the structure of an economical lamp includes spirals, there are two of them and they are soldered into the bulb from two ends. When current is applied to them, they heat up and emit electrons. These electrons “bomb” gaseous mercury atoms as they move, and this process produces ultraviolet light. It is imperceptible to the human eye, but due to phosphor, it becomes visible. However, what is it in the internal structure of an energy-saving lamp that provokes blinking?
What affects the possible pulsations of the light of the switched-on lamp
If we delve into the internal structure of the lamp in more detail, it has a diode bridge and a capacitor for smoothing voltage ripples to supply alternating voltage. He is the internal cause of the flickering. When turned off after work, the current accumulated on it continues to impulsively provoke the lamp to flicker.
Under certain conditions, this phenomenon occurs and ceases. When a switch with illumination and an energy-saving lamp are combined, it is observed to blink in the vast majority of cases.
Causes of flashing in the off state
The main feature of the new type of lamps is that even if the contact is broken by the switch, which has a backlight, the current accumulates on the capacitor. It is this accumulation that gives rise to periodic charges that appear before the eyes as a “flickering effect”. This effect haunts the user with a lamp even when the light is off. This is how the new generation lamp construction system is arranged. In fact, this accumulated current reserve is regardless of which lamp is screwed into the cartridge. It’s just that Ilyich’s lamp is not so sensitive and does not respond to such minor pulsations. This is the most common reason why an energy-saving lamp blinks.
Others may be:
- low-quality, cheap lamp;
- significant length of the wire to the switch;
- improper organization of the apartment’s electricity supply system;
- low-quality insulation, etc.
Elimination of flickering
The problem is solved depending on the reason for which it arose. Several options for eliminating the causes of the flickering of an energy-saving lamp.
Add another lamp. If there are several more cartridges in the place where the lamp is screwed in (for example, a chandelier designed for 2 or more lamps), insert an ordinary Illich bulb into at least one of them. The simplest method that does not require special knowledge. The combination of two lamps eliminates the flickering of the energy-saving lamp. This method gives a positive result in other parameters as well:
- no waiting for the lamp to turn on. People who are used to good old incandescent lamps are often annoyed by the long “warm-up” of energy-saving ones. When combining two types of lamps, this moment is compensated by the instant inclusion of an incandescent lamp;
- an unusual color emitted by an energy-saving lamp. Another factor that not everyone could come to terms with. The glow of this type of lamp has a special color that not everyone likes. The combination of two types of lamps will eliminate this problem.
Get rid of the backlight . The ideal solution is to completely disable it. When the contacts in the system open, the current path to the capacitor is cut off. Thus, blinking is eliminated.
Add a resistor . When the backlight cannot be separated or disconnected, you need to add an element of additional resistance – a resistor, parallel to the lamp. This situation occurs if the backlight is an integral part of the switch, for example, an element of decor. The essence of its operation is simple: with the light off, when the backlight is turned on, it takes over the accumulated current, and it does not flow to the capacitor. As a result, this current does not reach the starting mechanism of the lamp, and it does not blink.
Swap the phase with zero in the shield. Such an action will eliminate the cause of the lamp blinking, when when it is turned off, NOT the phase is opened, but the zero.
Buy a high-quality lamp. According to user observations, cheap lamps blink more often. High-quality ones rarely flash, but they are more expensive.
Provide a separate neutral wire for the backlit switch. The most reliable method, it always works. Disadvantages of the method:
- the backlight is constantly on;
- extra wire and insulation in the switch.
Thus, the pulsation of an energy-saving lamp is often encountered during its operation. The reason for this is the specific device of the lamp in combination with certain factors. The most common factor is controlling the operation of an electrical appliance with an economical lamp with a switch with backlight.
The solution to the problem of a flashing lamp is to eliminate the causes that provoke this phenomenon:
- turning off the backlight;
- transfer to a separate neutral wire;
- adding a resistor;
- solving problems of the general energy supply system;
- purchase of a high-quality energy-saving lamp and others.