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Alright lads, new here as looking for some advice on a fault I've never come across and can't pinpoint..
Basically Got LED LIGHTS on compatible dimmers etc...problem I have is now and again they flicker....and I can hear a sound in fuse board as if there's an arc? But there are no loose connections whatsoever etc.. any body had any similar issues...might go down earth leakage route? It's doing my nut.
 
The leds flickering might be the result of another issue such as loose incoming connections or possibly the effect of other equipment being switched on: shower, cooker, etc..?
 
If you can hear arcing this needs addressing and could also be the probable cause.
 
I don't see what earth leakage has to do with this.

If something in the DB is arcing, then it's not surprising that the lamps flicker. But, it could be that there is a fault in the dimmer, or one or more lamp drivers that is causing instability resulting in current spikes that produce sounds from the MCB. Just as you can hear an MCB buzz with a leading-edge dimmed load near its rating, so any odd little inrush surges at each flicker can make the magnetic tripping coil rustle and click.

I did once demonstrate using an MCB as a speaker, you could hear faint recognisable music from it when connected in a very high power audio output circuit. So just because you can hear something doesn't mean there is any actual arcing or fault in the DB, but the possibility of an intermittent there, e.g. between MCB and busbar where it might have been overlooked, needs to be eliminated.
 
I don't see what earth leakage has to do with this.

If something in the DB is arcing, then it's not surprising that the lamps flicker. But, it could be that there is a fault in the dimmer, or one or more lamp drivers that is causing instability resulting in current spikes that produce sounds from the MCB. Just as you can hear an MCB buzz with a leading-edge dimmed load near its rating, so any odd little inrush surges at each flicker can make the magnetic tripping coil rustle and click.

I did once demonstrate using an MCB as a speaker, you could hear faint recognisable music from it when connected in a very high power audio output circuit. So just because you can hear something doesn't mean there is any actual arcing or fault in the DB, but the possibility of an intermittent there, e.g. between MCB and busbar where it might have been overlooked, needs to be eliminated.
Hi there's definitely no loose connections...it just happens randomly..
There is a separate feed into a grid configuration switch,4 summers on it controlling 8 lights at 6.7w each...now what's happening is now n again they'll flicker...and also I can hear like I said an arcing in the board but not necessarily when the lights actually flicker!!!
 
How may LED lamps and dimmers? Are they all supplied by the one MCB - what rating and type? What else does this MCB supply and is/are it/they on when the LED flickering and buzzing happens? Could you measure mains voltage when flickering and when not flickering please. Any high kW resistive or motor loads being turned on/off correlated with lamp flickering? If you have say only half the number of LED lights on does the flickering stop? Does flickering occur at all dimmer knob settings? Please confirm the buzzing is from an MCB and not an RCBO or RCD. What do LED and dimmer manufacturer instructions say about number of LEDs which can be controlled at same time by a dimmer?
 
Hi - picking up from @Lucien Nunes post #10 - I've seen a number of MCB with conductors on the wrong side of the clamp o_O ... I've got an inspection 'mirror on a stick' to check for this now.

For fun - here's a pic of two mcb lower clamps, both fully closed up. One will slip over the busbar and never clamp it. The other has a guard so this installation error can't be made.

LED Flicker earth leakage problems IMG_1397.JPG - EletriciansForums.net
 
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How may LED lamps and dimmers? Are they all supplied by the one MCB - what rating and type? What else does this MCB supply and is/are it/they on when the LED flickering and buzzing happens? Could you measure mains voltage when flickering and when not flickering please. Any high kW resistive or motor loads being turned on/off correlated with lamp flickering? If you have say only half the number of LED lights on does the flickering stop? Does flickering occur at all dimmer knob settings? Please confirm the buzzing is from an MCB and not an RCBO or
How may LED lamps and dimmers? Are they all supplied by the one MCB - what rating and type? What else does this MCB supply and is/are it/they on when the LED flickering and buzzing happens? Could you measure mains voltage when flickering and when not flickering please. Any high kW resistive or motor loads being turned on/off correlated with lamp flickering? If you have say only half the number of LED lights on does the flickering stop? Does flickering occur at all dimmer knob settings? Please confirm the buzzing is from an MCB and not an RCBO or RCD. What do LED and dimmer manufacturer instructions say about number of LEDs which can be controlled at same time by a dimmer?
Hi,its the correct dimmer switch, only 60W eorth of dimmers on a 150 w dimmer...it has a complete separate feed supplying only this...no loose connections...it just happens randomly and the arc sound is in the fuseboard...alll connections are sound...ive swapped the rcds and MCBS but still happening! Really starnge...voktage etc is bang on...the whole I installation is brand new and only drawing 28 amps with everything on...
 
If I understand the situation you have a 4 gang grid with 4 dimmers flush to the wall controlling 4 sets of lights (All LED?). It may be the dimmers are becoming too warm because of mutual heating and little cooling. So, what I would do is unscrew the securing screws and lift the switch plate away from the wall to allow some air to flow and see if it has any beneficial effect on stopping the flicker. The situation would be exacerbated of the 4 dimmers are stacked vertically rather than in a row horizontally - so you could try rotating through 90 degrees . I leave it to you to do this safely so fingers cannot touch live parts - maybe use a surface box as a spacer which has some small holes drilled regularly into the top/bottom/left/right sides. The long term solution can follow if overtemperature is the cause.

I wonder/muse whether the dimmer electronics start to miss some LED drive cycles in a burst - so to the eye the LEDs do go off completely and on again repetitively - ie: flicker - as a way of indicating overload/overheat or perhaps because a safety feature starts to kick in to reduce thermal runaway leading to complete failure of the electronics.

The CU 'arcing' noise is perhaps then the lower than mains frequency buzz made by the mcb's solenoid as it responds magnetically to the burst of on/off LED drive current through it.
 
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