Flickering LED Bulb
This is a led bulb flicker possibility. Not all LED bulbs play well with dimmer switches. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter
LED Bulb Flicker
Each week someone asks me, "Why do LED lights flicker?" or "Why do my LED lights flicker?"
The answer is very straightforward if you remember one or two classes from your high school physics class.
What Causes LED Lights to Flicker?
LED lights flicker because the actual LED is instant on and off. The light-emitting diode (LED) is not like a traditional light-bulb filament that gets white-hot from the electricity flowing through it. A traditional bulb filament will not cool down fast enough for your eye to see slight variations in power fluctuations.
LED Lights Flicker on Dimmer
LEDs will flicker on a dimmer because of the way the electricity flowing through the dimmer is regulated. In many new dimmers, the regulation of the power is a tiny microchip that turns the power on and off many times in a second. Once again, the LED can flicker because the on/off cycle is too long and your eyes can sense the LED is actually turning completely off.
Remember, traditional dimmer switches didn't cause this issue with old bulbs because the white-hot filament couldn't cool fast enough for your eye to see any flicker.
- do you have dimmer switches
- does led bulb flicker happen with the dimmer set at halfway?
- did led bulb packaging say it was okay to use with a dimmer switch?
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Mary Christy is trying to understand why she has flickering led lights.
She was trying to save energy in her Seminole, FL home and installed LED lights.
But in doing so, she's created a problem with flickering LED bulbs.
Here's the timeline of events at Mary's house:
"Hi, I have had recessed lights in my kitchen for about ten years since house was built.
I have replaced the bulbs with LED's.
Several of the lights are immediately flickering as soon as installed.
Do I need to upgrade to the newer recessed (6") fixtures for the LED bulbs? Thank you!"
This is the side of an led bulb. The slots are to dissipate heat. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter
Do LED Bulbs Work With Dimmer Switches?
Many LED bulbs don't work with modern dimmer switches.
My guess is you have dimmer switches. If so, turn the switch to the highest light output and the flickering should disappear.
If you want to be able to dim the LED bulbs, you need to find ones that play well with dimmer switches.
What LED Dimmers Work With My LED Bulbs?
Because LED bulbs are not all the same, you need to use an online tool to match the bulb manufacturer and model with the correct dimmer that will be compatible.
Use a helpful matching tool by Lutron.
Can You Get a LED Down Light With a Speaker?
Yes, you can get an LED downlight with a Bluetooth speaker. I have one in my own home.
Here's the one I installed at my home. It was made by Lithonia.
This bulb replaces a standard recessed light bulb. All you have to do is remove the existing bulb and the simple trim. The new bulb and speaker can be installed by you in just minutes.
This is a LED bulb with a Bluetooth speaker. It replaces almost all common recessed bulbs in minutes. Easy to install.
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