Anyone know why this capacitor was installed?

[Quba101]

I'm currently working in a building that was completed in 2006. All the lighting is switched by wall mounted PIR and these capacitors seem to be installed at every PIR connection behind a blank plate. The capacitor is connected between the switched line and N Just wondering if these were needed for the old lights as every light is LED now?

 

[mainline]

I'm currently working in a building that was completed in 2006. All the lighting is switched by wall mounted PIR and these capacitors seem to be installed at every PIR connection behind a blank plate. The capacitor is connected between the switched line and N Just wondering if these were needed for the old lights as every light is LED now? View attachment 117801

There was probably a relay, inductive load involved, so used a capacitor for induction suppression.

 

[loz2754]

Looks to me like it's being used as a snubber to prevent the LEDs from glowing even when the switch is off, due to the effect of capacitance in the cables.

 

[freddo]

Caps were also required when the lights were a small load to operate correctly with some 2 wire PIRs and timer switches that have no neutral connection. The timers current draw would be enough to make some fluorescent lights flicker etc.

 

[mainline]

Looks to me like it's being used as a snubber to prevent the LEDs from glowing even when the switch is off, due to the effect of capacitance in the cables.

The op said it’s leds now so I assume it wasn’t before

 

[loz2754]

The op said it’s leds now so I assume it wasn’t before

Hence the addition of the snubber.

 

[Baddegg]

Have had the issue of led lamps still glowing gently when switched off, snubber worked a treat on more than one occasion