Random downlight flickering

[Tom edison]

Hi
Ive never seen this issue in 35years in the trade and wondered if anybody has any idears.
The property is a new build and the installation fitted by myself. We have 26 Aurora cx7 downlights on 3 seperate circuits and controlled by various switching configurations. All dimmer switches are Varilight V- pro modules and the consumer unit is the new Click Elusian split load board with SPD.
The lights flickers very randomly sometimes not for a day or 2. I have checked everthing. No loose connections. Aurora have sent new fittings which i have fitted. I've changed the dimmer modules but the problem is still there. Has anyone got any idear what this could be or has any body seen this before? I've now hit a wall as to where to look next.
Thanks

 

[Dustydazzler]

I have LED lights in near every room at home all on Vpro dimmers and for most part all function fine.
However every now and then the flicker or fade for a second before returning to normal.
Like you have tried various makes of lamps and switched around modules but it still happens from time to time.
I have learned to live with it as a quirk

 

[suffolkspark]

Ive had the same with different combinations of vpro and light brands. Try different dimmers, maybe zano, varilight also do the vcom which may behave different

 

[Tom edison]

The ads on this site are ridiculous. So difficult to read or answer anything. Ive tried all the above solutions with no luck

 

[suffolkspark]

The ones that pop up that you have to press the cross top right pizz me off

 

[MJPD29]

The ads on this site are ridiculous. So difficult to read or answer anything. Ive tried all the above solutions with no luck

Ad blocker is your friend

 

[Bob Geldoff1234]

Ad blocker is your friend

Or use Brave browser.

 

[marconi]

https://www.varilight.co.uk/leaflets/VARILIGHT V-Pro Dimmer Instructions JP003.pdf

Take a look at the reference and the section called 'Overview' at the link above. It explains how to change between one of three modes of sine wave switching. The default setting is Mode 1 - trailing edge but there is an alternative trailing edge mode - Mode 3. You could also try Mode 2 which is leading edge.

Is the dimmer getting overly warm? Subjective I know . You could try it with the face plate adrift from the wall by a few mm to see if the increased convection air flow improves matters.

What csa have you wired the circuits in - the new 0.5mm2 T/E ?

 

[Tom edison]

I'm aware of the dimmer modes and have tried all of them. Thing is ghe lights on a standard rocker also havd the problem so its not the dimmers

 

[marconi]

I will have another think. Do your neighbours with LED lighting experience the same problem? You will need to ask at several homes to cover all three phases.

And a temperature factor?

 

[marconi]

Try putting the LED lighting mcb/rcbo right next to the mainswitch/rcd. If a dual RCD board put LED lighting mcb/rcbo on the side with lower loading. Voltage dips can cause LEDs and LEDs + DImmer to flicker.

 

[marconi]

Anti-Flicker LED Adaptor Module - https://www.ledkia.com/uk/buy-accessories/4468-flash-save-anti-flicker-led-module.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAic6eBhCoARIsANlox84KHdJbZD76O0-c7emY0nJBK3ZmOJHWyzuvx-7GU23aIxrw3NnQWucaAnO8EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Glowfix Load Regulator | Varilight (YAGF) - https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VLGF.html?source=adwords&ad_position=&ad_id=&placement=&kw=&network=x&matchtype=&ad_type=pla&product_id=VLGF&product_partition_id=&campaign=shopping_accessories&version=finalurl_v3&gclid=Cj0KCQiAic6eBhCoARIsANlox87ix-2AvpuHW7QP9Zzz2OGao4mnifJQePgAIRqEKRvWV88qt0tRWkMaAhd-EALw_wcB

Even though the technical spec' says there is no minimum load requirement for the VPro dimmer this may not always be the case with some LED lamps and/or lower illumination levels.

You could try one of these modules in parallel with one of the lamps controlled by a dimmer which may just ensure the minimum circuit current flow necessary to keep the triac/thyristor conducting so it does not occasionally turn of early in each half cycle and cause flicker, including during brief episodes of mains voltage dips.

 

[Tom edison]

Anti-Flicker LED Adaptor Module - https://www.ledkia.com/uk/buy-accessories/4468-flash-save-anti-flicker-led-module.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAic6eBhCoARIsANlox84KHdJbZD76O0-c7emY0nJBK3ZmOJHWyzuvx-7GU23aIxrw3NnQWucaAnO8EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Glowfix Load Regulator | Varilight (YAGF) - https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VLGF.html?source=adwords&ad_position=&ad_id=&placement=&kw=&network=x&matchtype=&ad_type=pla&product_id=VLGF&product_partition_id=&campaign=shopping_accessories&version=finalurl_v3&gclid=Cj0KCQiAic6eBhCoARIsANlox87ix-2AvpuHW7QP9Zzz2OGao4mnifJQePgAIRqEKRvWV88qt0tRWkMaAhd-EALw_wcB

Even though the technical spec' says there is no minimum load requirement for the VPro dimmer this may not always be the case with some LED lamps and/or lower illumination levels.

You could try one of these modules in parallel with one of the lamps controlled by a dimmer which may just ensure the minimum circuit current flow necessary to keep the triac/thyristor conducting so it does not occasionally turn of early in each half cycle and cause flicker, including during brief episodes of mains voltage dips.

This also happens with other dimmer modules and also with lights on a standard rocker switch. What i have done now is connect one of these circuits to a separate bg rcbo and it seems to of sorted the problem on that circuit.??

 

[marconi]

It would be interesting to know what happens when:

a. All the LED final circuits are supplied by the new BG RCBO;

b. you swap back the current BG LED final circuit to the original mcb and connect up one of the other LED finals to the BG RCBO;

c. you supply all the LED finals via a new Click Elusian mcb.

Could you tell me whether the BG RCBO is electro-mechanical or electronic - or just send me the part number of it.

How is the BG RCBO wired in please to the mains supply?

Does the click elusian mcb make a noise/vibrate when all LEDs are on? ( I noticed at a recent job that an Mk B20A mcb was making a mains buzzing noise and I could feel its vibration while it was supplying, by erroneous wiring, two 3kW immersion elements. This would be caused by the electromagnetic coil which trips the contact holding mechanism for short circuit events. I wonder if somethig similar is happening in your click mcb which is disturbing its contact interface).

 

[Markyd]

What Lamps have you fitted...

 

[Aube Electricians]

Hi
Ive never seen this issue in 35years in the trade and wondered if anybody has any idears.
The property is a new build and the installation fitted by myself. We have 26 Aurora cx7 downlights on 3 seperate circuits and controlled by various switching configurations. All dimmer switches are Varilight V- pro modules and the consumer unit is the new Click Elusian split load board with SPD.
The lights flickers very randomly sometimes not for a day or 2. I have checked everthing. No loose connections. Aurora have sent new fittings which i have fitted. I've changed the dimmer modules but the problem is still there. Has anyone got any idear what this could be or has any body seen this before? I've now hit a wall as to where to look next.
Thanks

Hi
I had a client call me recently because of flickering lights. It turned out to be a fault in the supply from the street. So not their issue at all. UK Power sorted out a loose connection and the flickering went away. So flickering can be an indication of an issue on a different circuit or the supply. The other issue I have found with V-pro dimmers is that they can affect each other. So turning one on can it seems send a pulse to another dimmer and turn that on as well. I changed dimmers to a simple model and the problem went away.

 

[Tom edison]

So update on lights. I've changed evey affected circuit to rcbos. Still doing it. I've fitted rc snubbers as suggested and still doing it. I really have nowhere else to go.??

 

[marconi]

Do you have or can you borrow a generator and use it to supply just the lighting to see if the cause is outside your home? It now strongly suggests something outside your home. Helpful things to try to find out are if anyone in your street is using occasionally high current equipment causing a voltage drop and/or equipment with high and long duration switch on current surge. Examples would be storage heaters, arc welders, car lifts, large refrigeration compressors, 10.5kW showers, heat pumps, EV chargers*.....

* Some EV chargers have power factor correction but I think I am right not all do. The nature of converting AC to DC means the power factor is reduced thus for a given real power output the current the charger draws is higher eg 0.8 PF and 7.5kW charger the current will be 0.8 = 7.5/Apparent kVA, App kVA = 7.5/0.8 so I = 7500/(0.8 x 240) = 39A cf 7500/240 = 31A. The current waveform is also 'peaky' so 39A mean current is lower than the peak current. This could be a problem ie increased inverse peaky voltage drop if several are being used on the phase which also supplies your home - see:

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/EV-charger-AC-voltage-and-current-waveform_fig1_271288791

Quite a few reports come up by googling 'LED lamps flicker when EV charger is charging'. Tesla chargers get several mentions.

https://www.diychatroom.com/threads/led-light-bulbs-slightly-flicker-when-ev-is-charging.748958/

Lights in house flicker while charging new Model 3 - https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/lights-in-house-flicker-while-charging-new-model-3.149841/