Geekzone: technology news, blogs, forums
Guest
Welcome Guest.
You haven't logged in yet. If you don't have an account you can register now.


kiwifidget

"Cookie"
3640 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1969

Lifetime subscriber

#312823 21-May-2024 08:17
Send private message

Yesterday one of 4 LED lightbulbs (Philips brand) in the office started flickering.

 

While I was marvelling at such a thing, all 4 went dim instantly at the same time.

 

And dim they remain.

 

I know LED bulbs will get dimmer with age, but surely not with synchronised swimmer precision.

 

Before I go to Mitre10, something I can do during todays outage, and buy new bulbs, is this likely to be an electrician thing?





Delete cookies?! Are you insane?!


Create new topic
johno1234
3352 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2843


  #3232882 21-May-2024 08:56
Send private message

So strictly speaking they are now "dimbulbs"?

 

 




qwertee
735 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 259

Lifetime subscriber

  #3232903 21-May-2024 10:21
Send private message

Maybe try removing the flickering one that you observed first. A dim chance. (Pun intended.)
Yes,  havent seen such synchronicity in LED bulbs.


tehgerbil
1110 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 884

ID Verified
Subscriber

  #3232905 21-May-2024 10:29
Send private message

Are you able to reseat them in another (known good) socket around the house and are they still dim? 
Can you check the circuit breaker for that room isn't partially dislodged? (ASAP)


I'd unplug any electrical equipment such as PC's or printers until those lights work again imo. I don't trust bad electricity :D




muppet
2642 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1660

Trusted

  #3232909 21-May-2024 10:40
Send private message

In my experience, this is caused by Aliens.


kiwifidget

"Cookie"
3640 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1969

Lifetime subscriber

  #3232991 21-May-2024 12:21
Send private message

Well that was weird.

 

Reseated all the lightbulbs in another room and they all worked fine. 

 

Put new lightbulbs in the office and they all work fine.

 

Definitely aliens.





Delete cookies?! Are you insane?!


BMarquis
465 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 577

Trusted
Chorus
Lifetime subscriber

  #3232992 21-May-2024 12:30
Send private message

Damn, Was hoping you would find the answer
I've had this happen with LEDs I retrofitted into a halogen fitting. I put it down to the transformer and filed it somewhere at the back of my mind with a bunch of other household tasks....
I don't have another of the same fitting in the house, so any testing means potentially buying pointless bulbs or a transformer.

I guess the answer is to randomly swap the bulbs around while balancing on my left leg, then turn the switch off and on 4 times and hope for the best.


 
 
 
 

Shop now for Lenovo laptops and other devices (affiliate link).
kiwifidget

"Cookie"
3640 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1969

Lifetime subscriber

  #3232995 21-May-2024 12:39
Send private message

BMarquis:

 

I guess the answer is to randomly swap the bulbs around while balancing on my left leg, then turn the switch off and on 4 times and hope for the best.

 

 

Yes, that was the answer. Also, just standard light fittings, no transformer.





Delete cookies?! Are you insane?!


richms
29098 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10208

Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #3233013 21-May-2024 12:55
Send private message

Is there a dimmer on the switch? 

 

Otherwise perhaps there was a brownout for a bit and these are low quality lamps and have no regulation in them. I know that the awful filament style lamps I got are very sensitive to voltage shifts changing the brightness on them below a certain amount, when I fire up the circular saw they dim right now, but nothing else is affected. They are the green tinted Philips filament style ones that I banished to the lights in the garage as they are unusable for house lighting with the zombie green tint they put out.





Richard rich.ms

kiwifidget

"Cookie"
3640 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1969

Lifetime subscriber

  #3233015 21-May-2024 12:56
Send private message

No dimmer on the switch. And just the one room affected.





Delete cookies?! Are you insane?!


gregmcc
2173 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 836

ID Verified
Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #3233128 21-May-2024 16:31
Send private message

sounds like a loose wire somewhere, time to get an electrician involved.....

 

 


MadEngineer
4591 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2570

Trusted

  #3234004 24-May-2024 00:09
Send private message

Dimmed LED lights that aren’t supposed to be dimmed will get very hot and eventually burn or pop. Definitely get an electrician




You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

 
 
 

Shop now at Mighty Ape (affiliate link).
rumpty
66 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 1


  #3235229 27-May-2024 13:41
Send private message

I've had the same experience with LED light bulbs flickering. It turned out to be the wall switch in that particular room. The contacts in the switch needed to be cleaned. I used a Points File.
My reasoning is that the LED bulbs don't draw enough current to give the contact a little cleaning arc at switch on.

Make sure that the switchboard fuse for that room light is removed before cleaning!!

Create new topic








Geekzone Live »

Try automatic live updates from Geekzone directly in your browser, without refreshing the page, with Geekzone Live now.



Are you subscribed to our RSS feed? You can download the latest headlines and summaries from our stories directly to your computer or smartphone by using a feed reader.