Many switches have a built-in very useful function - backlighting. With this function, searching for the switch in a dark room is eliminated. How does it work? The backlight is designed quite simply: a miniature light indicator is placed under the switch key, and a small window is made in the key through which you can see the status of the switch.

Switch with backlight in the interior of the room

A neon light bulb or LED is used as an indicator; each of them has its own characteristics. Many sources report that such switches can only be used with halogen and incandescent lamps, since energy-saving ones flash with such switches, and LED ones glow a little in the dark.

In order to understand these phenomena, you need to understand the mechanism of operation of each indicator.

neon indicator

Many switches use a neon light bulb as an indicator; it is most often a glass container filled with neon, in which two electrodes are placed at some distance from each other.

The gas pressure is very low - a few tenths of a millimeter of mercury. In such an environment, a so-called glow discharge occurs between the electrodes when voltage is applied to them - ionized gas molecules glow. Depending on the type of gas, the color of the glow can be very different: from red for neon to blue-green for argon.

The figure shows a miniature neon light bulb; in electrical engineering they are most often used as indicators of the presence of current.

Neon light bulb illumination

The illuminated switch on the neon light bulb is very reliable, the service life of the light bulb is more than 5 thousand hours, the indicator is clearly visible in the dark. The connection diagram is simple.

Neon light bulb connection diagram

The diagram shows the connection of a neon light to a switch. L1 is a neon lamp of type MH-6, current 0.8 mA, ignition voltage 90 V, this is data from the reference book. R1 – quenching resistor, S1 – light switch.

Calculation of the quenching resistor

The resistor resistance is calculated using the formula:

where R is the resistor resistance (Ohm);
∆U – difference (Uс – Uз) between the mains voltage and lamp ignition in volts;
I – lamp current (A).

R=(220-90)/0.0008=162500 OM.

The closest resistor value is 150 kOhm. In general, the resistor value can be selected in the range from 150 to 510 kOhm, while the light bulb works normally; with a higher value, durability increases and power dissipation decreases.

The resistor power is calculated using the following formula:

where P is the power (W) dissipated by the resistor;

P=220-90 × 0.0008 = 0.104 W.

The nearest higher resistor power rating is 0.125 W. This power is quite enough, the resistor heats up barely noticeably, no more than 40-50 degrees, which is quite acceptable. If possible, it is advisable to install a 0.25 W resistor.

Design

If you solder the resistor lead to any lamp lead, you can assemble a circuit.

DIY assembled lighting

All that remains is to connect the assembled circuit. To do this, with the switch housing removed, the resistor terminal is connected to one terminal, and the light bulbs to the other.

Scheme of neon lighting operation

Now, when the key is in the off position, the current will flow through the circuit (bottom figure), and since the current is limited by resistance, its strength will be enough to light the backlight, but not at all sufficient to operate the lighting lamp. When turned on, the terminals of the backlight circuit are short-circuited, and current flows through the switch, bypassing the backlight, to the lighting lamp (top picture).

Such illumination can be installed in a switch in which it was not provided by the manufacturer, and it is not necessary to drill a hole in the power button. The material from which the keys are made is easily translucent, and in the dark the switch is quite clearly visible, so drilling a hole for the light bulb is not necessary.

LED lights

Often you can find LED backlighting, which is a semiconductor device that emits light when electric current flows through it.

The color of a light-emitting diode depends on the material from which it is made and, to some extent, on the applied voltage. LEDs are a combination of two semiconductors of different conductivity types p And n. This connection is called an electron-hole junction; it is at this junction that light emission occurs when a direct current passes through it.

The occurrence of light radiation is explained by the recombination of charge carriers in semiconductors; the figure below shows an approximate picture of what is happening in an LED.

Recombination of charge carriers and the appearance of light radiation

In the figure, a circle with a “–” sign indicates negative charges; they are located in the green area, which is how area n is conventionally designated. A circle with a “+” sign symbolizes positive current carriers; they are located in the brown zone p, the boundary between these areas is the p-n junction.

When, under the influence of an electric field, a positive charge overcomes a p-n junction, then right at the border it connects with a negative one. And since during the connection there is also an increase in energy from the collision of these charges, part of the energy goes to heating the material, and part is emitted in the form of a light quantum.

Structurally, an LED is a metal, most often copper, base on which two semiconductor crystals of different conductivity are fixed, one of them is the anode, the other is the cathode. An aluminum reflector with a lens attached to it is glued to the base.

As you can understand from the figure below, a lot of attention is paid to heat removal in the design; this is no coincidence, since semiconductors work well in a narrow thermal corridor, going beyond its boundaries disrupts the operation of the device until it fails.

LED device diagram

In semiconductors, as the temperature increases, unlike metals, the resistance does not increase, but, on the contrary, decreases. This can cause an uncontrolled increase in current and, accordingly, heating; when a certain threshold is reached, a breakdown occurs.

LEDs are very sensitive to exceeding the threshold voltage; even a short-term pulse disables it. Therefore, current-limiting resistors must be selected very accurately. In addition, the LED is designed for current flow only in the forward direction, i.e. from the anode to the cathode, if a voltage of reverse polarity is applied, this can also damage it.

And yet, despite these limitations, LEDs are widely used for lighting in switches. Let's look at the circuits for switching on and protecting LEDs in switches.

The figure below shows the backlight diagram. It contains: quenching resistor R1, LED VD2 and protective diode VD1. The letter a is the anode of the LED, k is the cathode.

LED backlight circuit

Since the operating voltage of the LED is much lower than the mains voltage, quenching resistors are used to reduce it; depending on the current consumed, its resistance will be different.

Resistor resistance calculation

The resistance of the resistor R is calculated by the formula:

where R is the resistance of the quenching resistor (Ohm);

Let's calculate the quenching resistor for the AL307A LED. Initial data: operating voltage 2 V, current from 10 to 20 mA.

Using the above formula, R max = (220 – 2)/0.01 = 218 00 ohms, R min = (220 – 2)/0.02 = 10900 ohms. We find that the resistor resistance should be in the range from 11 to 22 kOhm.

Power calculation

where P is the power dissipated by the resistor (W);

U c – network voltage (here 220 V);

U sd – operating voltage of the LED (V);

I LED – operating current of the LED (A);

We calculate the power: P min = (220-2)*0.01 = 2.18 W, P max = (220-2)*0.02 = 4.36 W. As follows from the calculation, the power dissipated by the resistor is quite significant.

Of the resistor power ratings, the closest larger one is 5 W, but such a resistor is quite large in size, and it will not be possible to hide it in the switch body, and it is irrational to waste electricity.

Since the calculation was carried out for the maximum permissible current of the LED, and in this mode its durability is greatly reduced, by reducing the current by half, you can kill two birds with one stone: reduce power dissipation and increase the service life of the LED. To do this, you just need to double the resistance of the resistor to 22-39 kOhm.

Connecting the backlight to the switch terminals

The figure above shows a diagram for connecting the backlight to the switch terminals. The phase wire of the network goes to one terminal, the wire from the light bulb goes to the second, the backlight is connected to these two terminals. When the switch is open, current flows through the backlight circuit and it lights up, but the light bulb does not light up. If the switch is closed, the voltage will flow through the circuit, bypassing the backlight, and the lighting will turn on.

Factory backlit switches most often use the circuit shown in the figure above. The resistor value is from 100 to 200 kOhm; manufacturers deliberately reduce the current through the LED to 1-2 mA, and therefore the brightness of the light, because at night this is quite enough. At the same time, power dissipation is reduced; you don’t have to install a protective diode, because the reverse voltage does not exceed the permissible value.

Application of capacitor

A capacitor can be used as a damping element; unlike a resistor, it has reactance rather than active resistance, so no heat is generated when current passes through it.

The thing is that when electrons move along the conductive layer of the resistor, they collide with the nodes of the crystal lattice of the material and transfer part of their kinetic energy to them. Therefore, the material heats up, and the electric current experiences resistance to movement.

Completely different processes occur when current flows through a capacitor. A capacitor, in its simplest form, consists of two metal plates separated by a dielectric so that no direct electric current can flow through it. But a charge can be stored on these plates, and if it is periodically charged and discharged, then alternating current begins to flow in the circuit.

Calculation of the quenching capacitor

If a capacitor is connected to an alternating current circuit, it will flow through it, but depending on the capacitance and frequency of the current, its voltage will decrease by some amount. For calculation use the following formula:

where X c is the capacitance of the capacitor (OM);

f – frequency of current in the network (in our case 50 Hz);

C – capacitance of the capacitor in (μF);

For calculations, this formula is not entirely convenient, so in practice they most often resort to the following - empirical, which allows for the selection of a capacitor with sufficient accuracy.

C=(4.45*I)/(U-U d)

Initial data: U c –220 V; Usd –2 V; I sd –20 mA;

We find the capacitance of the capacitor C = (4.45 * 20)/(220-2) = 0.408 µF, from the range of nominal capacitances E24 we select the nearest smaller one 0.39 µF. But when choosing a capacitor, it is also necessary to take into account its operating voltage; it must be no less than U c * 1.41.

The fact is that in an alternating current circuit it is customary to distinguish between effective and effective voltage. If the current shape is sinusoidal, then the effective voltage is 1.41 times greater than the effective voltage. This means that the capacitor must have a minimum operating voltage of 220 * 1.41 = 310 V. And since there is no such rating, the nearest higher one will be 400 V.

For these purposes, you can use a film capacitor of the K73-17 type; its dimensions and weight allow it to be placed in the switch housing.

The switch is working. Video

You can learn about the joint operation of an LED lamp and an illuminated switch in this video.

All calculations made in the article are valid for the normal glow mode; when using them for switches, the resistor values ​​can be adjusted to increase by 2-3 times. This will reduce the brightness of the LED, neon and the power dissipation of the resistors, and therefore their dimensions.

If a capacitor is used as a damping resistance, then its value must be adjusted downwards to reduce brightness, as well as dimensions, but the operating voltage of the capacitor cannot be reduced.

Reducing the current through the backlight reduces the likelihood of energy-saving lamps flickering in the dark, since the charge level of the input capacitor in the pulse converter of these lamps does not reach the start threshold.

In view of the fact that recently we have seen a gradual increase in tariffs for housing and communal services, people are striving to save money and are switching to energy-saving lighting sources.

Compared to conventional incandescent lamps, energy-saving and LED lamps have a huge number of advantages. And one of the big advantages is low energy consumption. But there is also one drawback. A man bought an LED light bulb in a store, came home, screwed it in instead of Ilyich’s light bulb and observed an unusual effect that he had never seen before. The switch is turned off and the light starts flashing.

Many people mistakenly think that the lamp is faulty or defective and take them back to the store demanding replacement or a refund. However, do not panic, since the problem does not lie with the lamp. And today we will look at why this happens and how this problem can be solved.

Flashing LED lamps how to get rid of the problem

Greetings to all visitors to the site "Electrician in the house". Today I want to look at the question of why the LED lamp blinks when it is turned off and how to get rid of the problem, which, as it turns out, worries many users. The question seems to be simple, but for some reason many people have difficulty solving it. This article will be an addition to one previously published on the same topic. If you remember, in the last article we looked at the reason why energy-saving lamps blink. To solve the problem, a resistor was used. It was connected in parallel with the lamp, which in turn solved the problem with the blinking energy saving light.

On my YouTube video channel there is even a video on how to fix the problem. But there are a lot of comments. It is clear that people do not understand how to get rid of the problem. Some liked the solution using a resistor, others did not. Many people are looking for a solution in dismantling the backlight on the switch. Some people advise placing a regular incandescent lamp parallel to the LED lamp. This will certainly solve the blinking problem, but this option is not suitable for everyone.

Today, energy-saving lamps are being replaced by LED analogues. But the problem remains; when the switch is turned off, the effect of blinking LED lamps occurs; we will discuss how to get rid of this problem in this article.

I want to say right away that the effect flashing lamp when off observed regardless of whether the energy-saving lamp or LED. Therefore, this solution method can be applied to any types of lamps.

Higher quality LED lamps do not blink, but such specimens are correspondingly more expensive. Not everyone can afford to buy a light bulb for $10. And if you consider that 5-6 such light bulbs are required per apartment, then the price generally turns out to be unaffordable for the family budget.

LED lamp blinks after turning off - problem solution

As you remember, the reason for the blinking of energy-saving and LED lamps when they are connected through a backlit switch lies in the electronic circuit of the lamp. Or rather, in a smoothing capacitor. When the lamp is connected via an illuminated switch, current flows through the backlight diode when the switch is off. This current is small, hundredths of an ampere, but it is enough to recharge the smoothing capacitor in the lamp circuit.

As soon as this capacitor gains enough charge, it tries to start the power circuit, but the charge is only enough for a short pulse, the lamp flashes and goes out. As the capacitor charges, the process repeats, resulting in a flashing lamp.

Here I will give the most common options that lead to blinking lamps and ways to solve them.

1) Single-key switch with backlight

The simplest connection diagram is one illuminated switch and one LED light bulb. There can be more light bulbs (for example, a three- or five-arm chandelier), the main thing is that they are all connected via a single-key switch.

So, blinking LED lamps, how to get rid of the problem with such a scheme? As I mentioned above, in the previous article, a 2 W resistor with a resistance of 50 kOhm was a way to solve the problem of flickering energy-saving lamps. Today we’ll look at another way to solve this problem using a capacitor.

I apply capacitors for voltage 630 V and capacity 0.1 µF. Many people advise using 220 Volt capacitors. I think this is not entirely correct, since such a capacitor may not withstand the mains voltage and will one day fail. It is not necessary that this will happen immediately after connection; it may take some time (it all depends on the quality).

Why do I think this? Everyone knows that the voltage in the network is 220 Volts. What voltage is this? Correct action! What is the effective voltage? The maximum voltage value (amplitude) divided by the root of two. And the amplitude value of the voltage, in turn, is equal to: the root of two multiplied by 220 V. That is, during normal operation in a 220 Volt network, the amplitude value of the voltage is 311 Volts. And a capacitor that is designed for a voltage of 220 V can simply burst at this amplitude voltage value.

So, if you have one way to solve the problem, a 630 Volt, 0.1 µF ceramic capacitor may be.

We connect the capacitor in parallel with the lamp. For convenience, you can solder wires to the legs. The capacitor has no polarity, so it doesn’t matter how you connect it (phase - zero), the main thing is that it is connected in parallel with the lamp.

This can be done directly on the lampshade if it is a spotlight, if it is a chandelier then under the decorative plate of the chandelier, in the junction box, etc. That is, the main task is to hide it from view, but how you do it makes no difference.

For clarity, I decided to show how you can connect a capacitor in a junction box and directly in a lampshade (chandelier). The first option is to place the capacitor in the junction box.

When the switch is turned on, the lamp works without any problems, the capacitor does not heat up - everything is fine.

The second option is to connect the capacitor directly in the lampshade:

We check the functionality of the entire circuit, everything works:

2) Two-key switch with backlight

The next option is to consider a connection diagram when the lighting is divided into several groups. For example, when LED spotlights are divided into two groups and controlled via a two-key switch. Or simply a double switch controls the lighting in two different rooms.

Most users solve the problem connecting a capacitor to one lamp (group), forgetting that there are two lights. Then they wonder why the LED lamp blinks when it’s off, did I install a capacitor?

If, with this connection scheme, you screw an LED light bulb into each group, they will start blinking, regardless of each other. This happens because each light bulb (each group) is affected by its own backlight indicator in the switch.

The switch is two-key, so as you understand, there are also two light indications. Accordingly, you need to install not one capacitor, but two, each in its own group.

3) Incorrect connection diagram

Another reason Why does the LED lamp blink when turned off?, the connection diagram may be incorrect. Moreover, such a problem can arise even if the switch is without backlight. What do I mean by the expression incorrect scheme.

We all know that when connecting wires in a junction box, the circuit is assembled in such a way that the switch receives a phase. Zero is directly connected to the light bulb (chandelier). This is done for security reasons. If the connection is made the other way around, so that it is the phase wire that is connected directly to the luminaire, a flashing effect may occur when the switch is off.

Due to the fact that the lamp base is always at potential, the capacitor is constantly charged and when the switch is turned off, we observe the same effect as with a backlit switch.

It happens that a person deliberately puts switches without backlight, to get rid of blinking LED lamps, and after installation it gets the opposite effect. This confuses many people as to why this happens. This can often be observed especially in houses with old electrical wiring. Previously, when assembling distribution boxes, they were not very worried about this.

4) Induced voltage in electrical wiring

And one more option that can cause LED lamps to blink is induced voltage in the electrical wiring.

When several electrical wiring lines are laid in a groove, and even with a good load, induced voltage can occur in disconnected sections of the wiring. Its value may be quite enough for the lamp to start blinking. Moreover, this can happen even if the switch is not backlit and the connection diagram is correct.

Or, as it happens, some craftsmen, in order to save on cable costs, lay one four or five-core cable and connect two wires (phase and zero) to one consumer, and the remaining wires to another. It turns out that two consumers are powered by one cable. In this case, if one of the consumers is working and the other is disconnected, induced voltage may occur at its contacts.

And that’s all for today, I think I’ve considered all the options in which blinking LED lamps how to get rid of this problem, I also hope it’s clear. I am sure that this article will help you or has already helped you resolve this issue.

Many modern switches are equipped with a backlight function. Thanks to her, you will not need to look for a device in a dark room. How does this option work? Under the switch housing there is a special light indicator. A window is made in the device key through which the owner can see the status of the device. An LED lamp with an illuminated switch is often sold in a single set. More details below.

For high-quality operation of the indicator, an LED or a special light bulb is used. The last one is neon type. Switches differ in at least this indicator. Many buyers note that only incandescent or halogen lamps should be used with these switches. Energy-saving models burst, and LED ones glow in the dark.

To understand how backlit lamps work, you need to disassemble the mechanism and all the subtleties of functionality.

neon indicator

Most switch models work with a neon type bulb. How does she look? The light bulb looks like a glass container containing neon. Electrodes are located at a distance. There is little pressure in the device. If you measure it, it will hardly reach a few tenths of a column. In such an environment, a glow discharge occurs between parts when electric current is applied. What does this phrase mean? Gas molecules are highlighted. If we take into account that the models differ from each other in the color of this filler, then the options can be very different: red, blue-green, and so on.

LED lights

Switches are often made with backlighting provided by LEDs. The shade appears immediately as electric current begins to flow into the device. The color directly depends on what the diode is made of, as well as on the voltage supplied to the switch.

What are LEDs? They are the result of combining two semiconductors. Moreover, they are necessarily of different types. This transition is called electron-hole transition. The tint appears immediately after the direct current begins to flow. The emission of light is the result of the recombination of charges in conductors.

Every person knows that any device has negative and positive current charges. When an electric field is applied, the latter overcome the transition and connect with the former. After this, energy is supplied, part of which is necessary to obtain the color effect. If we talk about the design of the LED, it is metal. Often devices are made of copper. Semiconductors are fixed to the base - one anode, the second cathode. There is also a reflector made of aluminum. There is a lens on it. Manufacturers make sure that excess heat can be freely removed from the case. In this case, the “thermal corridor” should be small in size. The semiconductors working in it do not go beyond its boundaries, otherwise the LED lamp with a backlit switch will quickly break and be unusable.

Technical features

These parts decrease their resistance as the temperature increases when compared to metal components. Unfortunately, this has disadvantages - the current strength can increase to uncontrollable levels. The same thing happens with heating; accordingly, after a while after operating at such a peak, the diode fails. Also, such a part is very sensitive to an increase in voltage, so even the smallest impulse can break it. Accordingly, the manufacturer must select resistors as accurately as possible. Moreover, the diode may break if the voltage is reversed polarity. It should be noted that this component only copes with the passage of current in positive sequence.

Even with such disadvantages, switches with diodes are in demand.

Application of capacitor

The damping element is considered to be a capacitor. If you compare it with a resistor, then it has received reactance. Accordingly, when using such an element, excess heat will not be generated in the device. During the movement of electrons through the resistor, or rather, its front side, the molecules of the parts collide with each other. Because of this, kinetic energy is transferred. This is what causes the heating. The current receives strong resistance. If an LED lamp is connected to a backlit switch, it can quickly fail.

Other processes occur while the capacitor is in use. Its design differs significantly from the version described above. Capacitors have two metal plates that are separated by dielectrics. Thanks to this solution, the charge can be maintained for a long time. At the same time, it can be charged and discharged. After such manipulations, alternating current is present in the circuit.

Compatibility

For LED lamps, backlit switches are often installed. As was already clear, such devices are popular and convenient. Although it is used with the model described above, problems may still arise with most modern light sources. An LED lamp with a backlit switch often breaks.

Manifestation of incompatibility

How can incompatibility manifest itself? After a long period of operation, the lamp can flash on its own, glow evenly or chaotically. Moreover, this nuance applies to any LED-type lamps. Flickering can also be a cause of high power, especially if it is 100 W or more. Why are such lamps incompatible with switches? Often the problem arises from energy conservation. The lamps operate on constant voltage. Accordingly, any such device will have a rectifier and an alternating voltage network. Compatibility of LED lamps and backlit switches is a rather complex issue.

It must be said that the capacitor has a rectifier. It is necessary to smooth out pulsations. If the lamp is turned off, current will still flow, albeit in small quantities. Therefore, the lamp will flicker or glow even at night.

Is it worth connecting them together and how to do it correctly

The flicker discussed above is not entirely suitable for rooms such as a bedroom or children's room. In addition, if the operation is carried out incorrectly, a person may encounter the fact that the backlight stops working in a short time. This problem can be fixed. It will be enough to turn off the flickering. How to do it? It is necessary to install the switch so that the backlight is excluded. Buyers note that the method is not very convenient, since the highlighting is quite useful. It can help you easily turn on the lights in the room yourself. If the backlit switch and LED lamp are blinking, then you should pay attention - most likely the contact is damaged.

Nuances of use

If the installation is carried out incorrectly, the diode may stop working almost immediately. In addition, leaving it in this form is prohibited. It is not safe. If during operation the switch does not cut off the phases, then this should be done immediately. It is best to entrust the installation to a knowledgeable person if there is no experience in this field. If desired, you can put a regular incandescent lamp together with an energy-saving model. If the installation is done in this way, then the current passes through the indicator circuit. After this, you should continue to use the device. The current will flow through the channel thread. The disadvantage of this method of application is that this method has a bad effect on energy saving.

The same principle of operation is used when shunting a resistor. The connection is parallel. The device will not inject a person in any way. The desktop, lighting and so on are charged through a resistor. In this case, the latter should have a power of 2 W and a resistance of 50 kOhm.

Lamps that run on LEDs have also been created. Buyers like such devices due to the fact that there is a backlit remote control included. The device turns on for about 2 seconds.

Flaw

There is another disadvantage of backlit switches and LED lamps (they blink - this is not the only disadvantage), it lies in the price category. Their power and other indicators may be approximately the same, but the cost is not. When a person chooses a switch, it should be understood that not all lamps and lamps are capable of working with it. In addition, all models and their compatibility issues can be subject to small manipulations that allow you to troubleshoot. Accordingly, there is no need to abandon the indicator, switch or lamp itself. There are a large number of instructions on this matter.

Results

As is already clear, LED lamps with backlit switches are not the same. They may be the same or similar, but the designs and parts used are different. This is worth paying special attention to.

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Switches with an indicator (backlit) are convenient devices that allow you to quickly find the switch in a dark room. Illumination is carried out using a neon lamp installed in the switch housing.

With their appearance, the functionality of the switches has increased, but the problems have not decreased. After all, each mechanism has its own characteristics.

How does the switch work?

The phase coming to this switch is connected to the L - incoming contact (Fig. 2), and from the outgoing contacts it goes to the lighting lamps. The moving contacts are closed to each other.

A backlight circuit is installed, which includes a resistor and a “neon” - a neon light bulb, and is soldered to contacts L1 and L. Thus, when contacts L and L1 are open, the neon light bulb is lit, and when the light is turned on, these contacts are closed by a moving contact, which eliminates backlight circuit diagrams.

What should you pay attention to?

When choosing a switch with an indicator, it is necessary to operate with the power consumption of all lighting devices connected to the switch. The markings and rated current (maximum permissible) current are indicated on the inside of the switch. Basically, switches are manufactured for currents of 10 and 16 A and, accordingly, the maximum connection power for them is 2.2 and 3.5 kW.

It should also be noted that you should not use backlit switches to work with energy-saving (fluorescent) lamps. Because when turned off, the energy-saving lamp flickers, and this “behavior” of the lamp is unlikely to please anyone.

Currently, there are special types of lighting devices - a flickering candle lamp, which imitate the fluttering of a flame in the wind.

Why does the lamp flash when installing an illuminated switch?

Many users have problems with energy-saving lamps when installing a switch with an indicator, and the question arises as to why the energy-saving lamp is blinking. The fact is that when the switch is in the off state, the current passing through the signal circuit of the neon or LED light bulb charges the electronic ballast capacitor, which is located inside the lamp. This is a common reason why energy-saving lamps flicker - the voltage reaches the trigger value and the lamp flashes, after which the capacitor is discharged and the process is repeated again as it charges.

If the switched-off lamp blinks, you can remove the backlight from the switch or place a resistor or another capacitor in parallel with the lamp.

Currently, some lighting manufacturers have taken into account the problem when the lamp blinks after turning off, and solved it by shunting the lamps or increasing the turn-on delay time - soft start.

Many users have problems with energy-saving lamps when installing a switch with an indicator, and the question arises as to why the energy-saving lamp is blinking.

This solution to the problem when the LED lamp is blinking is optimal. Technologically, 1-2 seconds are allotted for increasing the power of these lamps, however, the disadvantages of these lamps include reaching full brightness only after 1-1.5 minutes.

Another reason why lamps flicker may be an incorrect connection, when zero and not phase goes through the switch. Thus, if the LED lamps flicker, you can reconnect the switch yourself or call a specialist for this. In addition, if a fluorescent lamp flickers, this may not depend on the quality of the lamp itself. In this case, you need to try turning off the indicator.

Thus, when purchasing a switch with an indicator, it is best to choose lamps with smooth switching on, and during installation, carefully check that the wires are connected correctly, in which case problems when the energy-saving lamp flashes after turning off will not be terrible.

Bath installation.

What should I do if I don’t know how to install bathtubs? There are 2 options - ask how, or come up with your own. I chose the second one. And I not only liked this option, but really liked it!

GO!

An acrylic or iron bathtub requires a frame. I have a thin-walled iron one. I wanted plastic, and a specific one, but I didn’t have time. When I thought about this frame, I felt so sick! Sales designs are somehow crummy and material-intensive. I limited myself to one 20x40 pipe under the edge and two levers.

Ceiling made of plastic panels

Towards the end of the renovation, money generally became tight)))) I calculated that a rack-and-pinion “superchrome” for the ceiling of my bathroom would cost about 4,000 rubles, but just plastic panels would cost 1.5 thousand. The difference is noticeable, after all)) But the ceiling is not a warm floor - it can be replaced later. My point is that I don't really like these panels at all. So, actually, the question is: I’m going to make a frame from PPN and PP, just like for gypsum boards. Only water for panels: WHAT AND WITH WHAT STEP???

• 26 answers

Now we in the cities are doomed to count everything. The crazy “craftsmen” immediately rushed to teach everyone how to twist water ones. And then a “standard scheme” for installing a water meter was born, which included a valve that prevented manipulation of the device. Because of these valves, problems with boilers began to arise and moans and panicked screams rushed across the forums - “Ahtung! The pressure in the heating pad is increasing! What should I do?” If there weren't this valve, there wouldn't be any problems. And manufacturers and traders began to profit from the so-called “security groups”. But that's another topic...

• 37 replies

Dear gentlemen builders. I would like to know the detailed process of CORRECTLY leveling walls (reinforced concrete), with a composition such as Knauf... I’m a novice in this matter, but I want to make my daughter’s bedroom beautiful, but I don’t have a lot of money to pay professionals for the work, and there’s no guarantee that I’ll get caught good pros... So I want to know what, how, and how much is worth a pound. Thanks in advance for your advice. The walls will be leveled for further painting with Sherwin Williams paint.

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Hello, brothers in repair! I haven’t written anything here for a long time, and in general I rarely come in, it’s all somehow too much time: either drinking, or partying, and now a new “attack” has attacked me. But knowing that, despite everything, you stubbornly do not forget me, I decided not to be a pig and tell you about my new hobby. I’ll start from afar: I have worked almost my entire adult life as an electronics engineer, moreover, as an engineer developing electronic and electrical devices of the widest class and purpose, and at the same time purely in the defense industry. It is clear that the scope of my amateur radio interests was limited only by my laziness, there were simply no restrictions on radio components for me, I had EVERYTHING! Well, following the trends of the amateur radio fashion of that time, my main focus was on radio receivers and amplifiers, of course, on transistors and microcircuits. I haven’t worked in this field for a long time, and I threw all the parts into the landfill a long time ago, but all this time I had a dream in my soul - to make a tube power amplifier, and not a simple one, but one that would make everyone gasp. But I must say that at work I spent most of my time dealing with electric vacuum devices, radio tubes, to put it simply, so this topic was very familiar to me. And then there’s this fashion for “warm tube sound”, which people are literally going crazy about. In short, a year ago I decided to make my dream come true. I immediately decided: the mainstream, ordinary tube amplifiers with an output transformer, are not interesting to me, this is not a royal matter! Shouldn't I invent a TRANSFORMER-LESS tube amplifier? Well, I well imagined the difficulties along this path, and I had some of my own thoughts on this matter, but still I decided to consult with the radio amateurs. I found a suitable group on Facebook, started publishing in it, and once asked a question