Bulb pulsing after light switch change.

[ericmark]

I have fitted light switches which can be controlled from outside so I can turn on lights when I arrive home.

My bedroom has three GU10 bulbs, all LED, with new Energenie switch they started to pulse, though OK fit on tungsten bulb, turns out bulb was dud, but with only two lights, no pulsing, so took the one bulb and swapped if for a bulb used in kitchen same make but different colour temperature. So now no pulsing.

Two things, one why should an on/off switch cause lights to pulse, switch can be heard to click when switching off/on, and two why did swapping a bulb stop it?

If it had been a dimmer switch OK, but just a on/off wifi switch.

Also for G9 LED bulbs how does one know if they will flash, the 3 watt x 5 in wife's bedroom flash or pulse maybe better word when switched off, I suspect they are non dimmable and I need dimmable but is non dimmable written on the bulb.

Found bulbs this one is dimmable but this one the odd one out is not I had expected to find problem was non dimmable bulb and the switch has a small let through current to work electronics, but if dimmable then not sure what will cure problem? Think they have plastic covers on bulbs so tungsten not an option.

 

[JohnW2]

... why should an on/off switch cause lights to pulse .... If it had been a dimmer switch OK, but just a on/off wifi switch....

I was going to say that even if is is "just an on/off wifi switch" but, like the dimmer, might well do its switching/controlling 'electronically' - but then you go on to say ....

... switch can be heard to click when switching off/on ....

... which seems to indicate that it does its switching with a relay ... so I'm down to saying "don't know"!

Kind Regards, John

 

[ericmark]

This morning now I can turn off lighting power swapped the Energenie switch from wife's bedroom to office, it worked fine with tungsten bulb BA22d so swapped bulb for 12 watt LED still works fine.

So it seems down to bulbs, although they say dimmable it seems they don't have the bleed resistor or capacitor normally included in a dimmable bulb to allow enough current to power the lamps. I know I could fit a suppressor in the ceiling rose to bleed away the small current causing them to flash, but then when bulbs changed could be doubling up on the bleed device so not keen on that work around.

But how do you know if a replacement bulb has the bleed included if I had other lights that used G9 bulbs I would get a set of 5 watt and try them, but that is only fitting with those bulbs, so not so keen on swapping just to test.

 

[bernardgreen]

why should an on/off switch cause lights to pulse, switch can be heard to click

As JohnW2 said the click indicates a relays switching, relays need power to operate. So unless the switch has a battery it will need a Neutral eiter a "real" Neutral of a pseudo Neutral via the lamp when lamp is not lit. The small amout of current the the pseudo Neutral supplies is not going to affect a filament lamp but an LED lamp with a driver in the lamp or fitting is likely to store the energy that small current produces. When the stored energy is anough to light the LED then the stoe energy will be dumped into the LED causing it to light up for a very short period of time.

 

[JohnW2]

As JohnW2 said the click indicates a relays switching, relays need power to operate. So unless the switch has a battery it will need a Neutral eiter a "real" Neutral of a pseudo Neutral via the lamp when lamp is not lit.

Yes, you're right - and, indeed, it's not just the relay - all the electronics also need power.

I think that my subconscious dismissed this possibility because it assumed (very dangerously) that the switch would have a 'real' neutral - but, having just had a quick look, it seems that the Energenie products do not require a neutral connection - so what eric is experiencing is probably no different from the problem which often arises with 'no neutral required' dimmers etc.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ericmark]

so what eric is experiencing is probably no different from the problem which often arises with 'no neutral required' dimmers etc.

Correct, what I need to work out is how to get around the problem.

I could use Sonoff in loft where there is a neutral, but that means original light switch is not integrated.
I could use a Danlers capload but then if I change bulbs using more power than required.
I could find bulbs which have the Danlers capload built in.

Or some other method, open to ideas.

 

[bernardgreen]

I use the following

Capacitor 0.047uF micro Farads 250 volts AC in series with a resistor 100 ohms

Which come pre-packaged as a contact suppressor from RS Components

RS Stock No. 206-7847
Manufacturer Evox-Rifa
Manufacturers Part No. PMR209MB5470M100

I have fitted them in ceiling roses between neutral and switched live

There are other sources of the contact suppressor