Why Do My Dimmable LED Lights Keep Flickering?

LEDs are a fantastic upgrade to any home or business. They reduce energy consumption by up to 90%, and there are modern options to suit every style.

Upgrading to LEDs is a pretty straightforward process. But there’s one problem we encounter frequently: flickering LEDs.

There are lots of things that can cause new LED lights to flicker. In this article, we’ll discuss the common causes and what you can to prevent unwanted flickering.

Why Do My Dimmable LED Lights Keep Flickering?

Here are some of the most common reasons for dimmable LED lights to flicker:

1. Dimmer Switch Compatibility

Dimmer switches work by reducing the amount of power that’s delivered to a resistive load, such as an LED or light bulb. But there are two types of dimmers on the market:

• Leading-edge dimmers – These are an older style of dimmer that works with incandescent bulbs. They are typically incompatible with LEDs and fluorescent lights.
• Trailing-edge dimmers – These are a newer type of dimmer that’s compatible with LEDs, fluorescent lights and incandescent bulbs.

The important thing to know is that your dimmer switch and LED bulbs may be incompatible. This is often the case where incandescent bulbs are replaced with LED lights but the dimmer switch isn’t updated.
You’ll need to upgrade your dimmer switch to get rid of the LED flickering.

2. Ripple Control

Ripple control is a type of power management that’s common in Australia. Ripple control reduces the energy supply to your home. Because LED lights have very low energy requirements already, ripple control can cause them to flicker.

Ripple control is usually active at peak times of the day. This is 7-10am and 5-10pm in most areas.

You can tell that flickering is caused by ripple control if it occurs at the same time every day. If the flickering happens all day or at random times, it’s probably being caused by something else.

Ripple control can be frustrating to deal with. An electrician can install an inline filter to reduce LED flickering and other issues associated with ripple control.

3. Not All LEDs Are Dimmable

Not all LED lights are dimmable.

When you use a dimmer switch and a non-dimmable LED, the LED simply runs at full brightness until there’s not enough energy to run the light, at which point it switches off.

Dimmable LEDs use a special type of driver that interprets the electrical signal coming from the dimmer switch.

The driver reads the signal and uses a technique called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) to switch the LED on and off hundreds of times per second. This gives the impression of the light being dimmed.

You can avoid this issue by making sure that the LEDs you’re buying are dimmable and that they’re compatible with the dimmer switches in your home.

4. Too Few or Too Many LEDs On the Same Dimmer

Dimmer switches have minimum and maximum output levels. If you have too few or too many LEDs attached to the dimmer, it can cause the lights to flicker.

Check the power consumption and the number of LEDs attached to the dimmer switch. You may need a dimmer with a higher power rating if you need to control lots of LEDs at once.

5. Loose Connections and Wiring

One of the most common causes of flickering LEDs is loose bulbs. If you have LED bulbs that are screwed into conventional light fittings, try tightening the bulb to see if it’s seated properly.

If the bulb is seated properly, there may be other loose wiring or electrical connections in the circuit.

LED downlights often have a conventional wall plug attached to them that’s hidden in the ceiling. You can check your ceiling cavity to make sure these plugs haven’t fallen out of their socket.

6. Old and Damaged Circuitry

The wiring and switchboards in older homes can cause an array of electrical problems, including flickering lights. These issues can be tough to diagnose, and they may require wiring upgrades to repair the problem.
This should only be handled by a qualified electrician.

7. Inrush Current

If your LEDs flicker when power-hungry appliances are turned on (like clothes irons, ovens and air conditioners), this is due to inrush current. Inrush current is the amount of energy an appliance draws when it’s first turned on.

Inrush current is normal and it typically isn’t a problem. But excessive flickering caused by inrush current can be a sign that the circuit is overloaded or that there’s a problem with the appliance. Contact your electrician to have the problem diagnosed.