Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have an LED light installed and it always flickers around 6:30pm to about 8:00pm every single night. If it is on during the day there is no problem. Any ideas as to what might be causing this. Fluorescent and incandescent lights have no problem.

Are you busy in the bedroom at that time of night Mac??

This light happens to be in the kitchen Charlie...

Isn't the kitchen the best place ?

Yeah all the bumping and shaking about could cause a loose wire to move around a little, causing the flickering.

A long shot but maybe there is some significant noise generated nearby at that time such as large electrical motors etc that upset the power supply... certainly a long shot though.

You could be on the right track Super Veg... 6:30pm to 8 is about when everyone starts to turn on electrical stuff. So could it be that because so many people are turning stuff on it is causing a disruption in the power supply and the LED light is sensitive to it?

Would there be any way to fix it?

Are you running off a normal downlight power supply?
Some of them don't run properly with LEDs.

I am in no way convinced that would be it, but its a possibility.

It depends on the type of noise. If it is conducted noise (through the wires) adding a ferrite choke or other inductor to the mains side of the power supply could help.

If it is radiated noise...dunno, wrap some foil or other metal around the whole power supply...

Do you only have one LED setup or do you have more than one power supply, and are the both doing it ?

Put a capacitor across the DC power lines*



*Should only be attempted by someone who understands full well what they are doing, and doesn't need me to tell them that a capacitor will fix this issue



btw a ferrite core wouldn't do much in this situation.

Thanks guys I will pass your thoughts on to the electrician who at the time was not sure.

Werda there used to be a fluorescent tube in the kitchen and it has been replaced with an LED one. The fluro tube ballast was of course removed and the equivalent LED replacement was installed.

Probably not, that's why I said a long shot. High frequency noise on AC line then somehow getting into the control loop for the switch mode power supply. It makes a good line for Dr Who though...

A capacitor could very well fix it/help, but why only at that time ? Why dammit !!!??

Could it be there is a mad scientist in my street who powers up Tesla Coils and Van de Graaff generators at that time?

Yes, yes that is exactly what it is !

It's this guy



I can go to bed now

Seriously though it would be good to know what is causing it.

Sorry, I assumed LED downlight, not replacement fluro.

I would also assume that seen as it was a replacement fluro there is no dimmer connected?

There is no dimmer connected.