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LED light question

mendozer

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Oct 2, 2015
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141
For you electrical people out there... why would a ceiling LED fixture flicker if there's no dimmer switch?

I switched out the old ceiling fixtures with LED fixtures and in all three rooms, they flicker slightly all the time. I know it's not a load issue pulling more current or something like that. None of the rooms have dimmers. What the heck? connections are the usual twist connectors.
 
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Bert_

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Dec 24, 2016
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NW Iowa
How fast of a flicker?

Some cheap fixtures don't really have a driver and have noticable 60hz flicker. Nothing wrong with it other than the design if that's the case.
 
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mendozer

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Oct 2, 2015
Messages
141
How fast of a flicker?

Some cheap fixtures don't really have a driver and have noticable 60hz flicker. Nothing wrong with it other than the design if that's the case.

It's subtle but I notice it and it can get stronger. The switches shouldn't be bad if the cfl fixtures were fine before
 

cybrdyke

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Sep 9, 2014
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It's subtle but I notice it and it can get stronger. The switches shouldn't be bad if the cfl fixtures were fine before

The CFL's had a ballast that would have corrected this, so you wouldn't have noticed.
Either your switch is getting carbon-ed up (which is my bet), or you have a loose connection somewhere, or you have very low quality fixtures. You can easily test the switch by jumpering it. Plus, it's only a buck to get a new one.
CD
 
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mendozer

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Oct 2, 2015
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141
it was from costo, one of the FEIT products

https://supersale-99.myshopify.com/products/feit-led-15-round-adjustable-flush-mount

as for the previous fixture, I had CFLs in there, but it was your standard style black and white wire fixture, el cheapo. For jumping it, would I just clamp wire from line to line on the side of the switch? And FWIW i was planning upgrading my switches to the nicer Decora style anyways, so maybe I'll do that and see
 
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mendozer

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Oct 2, 2015
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141
I found a spare switch just I just swapped it out. So far it seems ok. I'm going to give it a full evening to really tell. But if that was the case then hot dang that was easy
 

CJ7VFR

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Jan 13, 2015
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Location
Central New Jersey
LED lamps,IMHO, are very sensitive to voltage fluctuations.

Oh yah!

I replaced the BR30 CFL bulbs that were in the kitchen recessed light fixtures to new BR30 LED bulbs, and they have a slight flicker whenever our washing machine is running!

It is not too bad, but bad enough I notice it out of the corner of my eyes, and it drives me crazy.

These light fixtures are controlled by older dimmer switches that were never meant to control LED bulbs, but they work anyway. What someone here had suggested to do to cut down on the flickering was to dim the light switches down just a hair under full bright in order to stop the flickering.

I thought what the hell, I will give it a try. And it works! Why it works I have no idea, but it does.

Jim
 
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