Do you know…..LED light bulbs are the only type of bulb that can stay glowing after turning it off?
Yeah, that’s true.
But ever wonder- why do LED Bulb Stays on After You Turn It Off?
This happens because of the integrated power supply unit. The LED bulb’s resistance is higher than an incandescent bulb or halogen lamp. As a result, the circuit gets blocked due to the LED lamp’s serial connection. SO, even after the switch is turned off, it provides a low voltage drop throughout the LED driver and blurs the LED bulb.
And the good news is……….
The solution to this is not a troublesome task. Let’s dig into the root cause of why the led bulb does not turn off completely and, of course, then the solution to this issue.
Why Do LED Bulb Stays on After You Turn it off & on – Most Possible Reasons
Apart from the bulb resistance & circuit issue, there are a bunch of other reasons that affect it.
Low-Quality Bulb
The LED bulb’s quality matter (Always)
A low-quality bulb will buzz, flick or glow even after you turn it off.
LED Bulb Preserves Energy (aka luminescent layer)
Every LED bulb has a phosphor or luminescent layer. This layer preserves energy for a while after turning the bulb off. And sometimes, the LED driver stores energy as well.
Get it?
If the bulb glows a little, check if this happens due to the stored energy in the luminescent and phosphor layer or LED driver.
Yeah, It could happen sometimes.
You already know, LEDs use less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs (also the filament light). Wanna know the actual figure?
75%.
Yep, you heard that right. LED bulbs use 75% less energy than incandescent lamps. Make sense now?
Improper Electrical Circuit Installation
So, if you don’t find that the after glowing of the LED bulb does not belong to the phosphor or luminescent layer or LED driver, be sure, improper electrical circuit installation is the culprit.
Here, you will find the LED bulb after-glows without interruption. It means, whenever you turn the light off, the LED will glow.
Here are some closest reasons that are maybe responsible for the scenario.
- The inaccurate bond between the neutral wire and the earth wire.
- High resistance of the earth wire.
- If the LED is connected with an incorrect switch
How do I stop my LED from glowing when off?
I know the whole situation is a lil annoying but………
The good news is:
The solutions are so simple you can do it yourself (well, most of the time).
But here is the deal…….
If you are not familiar with different electrical terms, you need to educate yourself about these terms first. And if it’s not your thing, don’t hesitate to call a professional. Now let’s head to the main point- how to stop led lights glowing when off.
Change the LED
As a low-quality bulb can be the reason for this problem, replacing the LED with a good quality one will help you get rid of this problem.
Remember to choose a better option. Hopefully, after doing so, the issue will be solved eventually.
Earth the Neutral Wire
As we stated earlier………
If the neutral wire is earthed imperfectly, after-glow can happen. So, the problem can easily be solved once you earthed the neutral wire perfectly.
For this, make an appointment with an electrician. Let the electrician check the wiring. After connecting the neutral wire to the earth correctly, the LED will never glow after turning the switch off for sure.
Zener Diode Installing
Residual voltage of the wire causes electric induction, which is responsible for the after-glow of the LED bulb. In this case, by installing a Zener diode, you can solve the problem.
Zener diode blocks residual voltage to pass to the LED. As a result, the LED will turn off immediately just after turning the switch off.
But first warning:
Don’t forget to use a soft towel to avoid an accident.
Bypass Capacitor Installing
Generally, LEDs on the ceiling work via 2-way connections.
In this case, what usually happens is that some of the conductor’s positions are out of the way from the switch. A conductor that carries voltage can often induce its voltage with other conductors.
In order to avoid this type of situation, installing a bypass capacitor would be helpful. This capacitor will reduce the coming voltage effectively.
Neon Detector Installing
This option is ideal if you are confused about whether the residual current is responsible for the issue. Finding a neon detector is not a troublesome task. Every electrical shop has this device.
After buying a neon detector, you need to install it in a place where the neutral earth wire is available.
Instead of the lamp, you will get a glowing neon detector. Now, if you are wondering, how does the neon detector glow?
Here, the fact is, due to the unwanted remaining current, the neon detector glows. Thus, the issue can be dealt with.
LED Dimmers Updating
While you replace the LED, don’t forget to update the dimmers as well.
Characteristically, old dimmers’ functionality is good for halogen lamps, but they don’t perform efficiently according to their specifications for the LED lamps.
Dimmers are sensitive to the current. LED bulbs are economical, and because of this nature, dimmers remain functioning with minimal current. Even in the minimal current flow, dimmers provide output voltage when the power supply stays turned off. Thus, the LED bulb glows.
That is why to avoid any kind of trouble; it is advisable to update the old dimmers.
Go back to old-fashioned incandescents
Since the day of Thomas Edison, it’s a gem.
Though it’s banned in some countries, light recycling is still an excellent option. The efficiency of traditional incandescent stripes is between 2% and 3%; other bulb-like fluorescents are offering between 7 to 13 percent. On the other hand, LEDs are in between 5 and 15 percent.
Final Thoughts?
LED bulbs are an economical option (Undoubtedly)!!!!
And if the question drives you nuts- Is it dangerous for LED lights to glow when off? Then I can assure you it won’t do much harm, just a little annoying sometimes.
Compared to its rivals like fluorescent or halogen bulbs, they are cost-efficient also. Yeah, there are some issues like the LED bulb stays on after you turn it off – but as you can see, the solutions are so simple.
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