That does sound strange, as for the LED's they will glow with the slightest hint of power, I've seen a LED glow with only 5 volts supply and me as the resister, I was testing something and ended up in the circuit, according to my multimeter I'm around the 100k ohm mark.
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normspanners
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LED lighting requires a direct current (DC) rather than an AC power supply. Which is good news, because the key to eliminating LED flicker is the kind of power-supply you use to drive your lights.
Although the industry generally knows its power supplies (aka ‘drivers’) simply as ‘LED transformers’, they’re actually more than that. An LED driver doesn’t just step down (transform) voltage; it also converts current from mains AC to DC. Choose a high-quality LED power supply, and it will also supply a constant current to your LEDs – so you’ll get light with no visible flicker.
A lower-quality, no-frills LED driver doesn’t provide a constant current though; instead, it simply converts current from AC to DC. This most basic kind of power-supply conversion produces an oscillating current, albeit one that typically doubles the input-voltage frequency. In the UK, that will result in a frequency of 100 potential flickers a second.
100 flickers per sec is obviously much better than 50 flickers per sec. But it still sounds like a problem, doesn’t it? Luckily, in most situations it’s nothing to worry about – because the human eye isn’t perceptive enough to see it. Most of us only register light fluctuating at well below 100 flickers per second – typically 50 or slower. (Computer screens usually flicker in the range of 60 to 70 hertz, which we barely notice.)
So even though there’s certainly a tiny minority of people who can see faster strobing, for most of us it’s not an issue. In many project installations, a basic no-frills LED ‘transformer’ is all you need. There are even some applications where LED flicker can actually be a desirable effect: think of nightclubs for example, or oscillating bicycle lights.
Although the industry generally knows its power supplies (aka ‘drivers’) simply as ‘LED transformers’, they’re actually more than that. An LED driver doesn’t just step down (transform) voltage; it also converts current from mains AC to DC. Choose a high-quality LED power supply, and it will also supply a constant current to your LEDs – so you’ll get light with no visible flicker.
A lower-quality, no-frills LED driver doesn’t provide a constant current though; instead, it simply converts current from AC to DC. This most basic kind of power-supply conversion produces an oscillating current, albeit one that typically doubles the input-voltage frequency. In the UK, that will result in a frequency of 100 potential flickers a second.
100 flickers per sec is obviously much better than 50 flickers per sec. But it still sounds like a problem, doesn’t it? Luckily, in most situations it’s nothing to worry about – because the human eye isn’t perceptive enough to see it. Most of us only register light fluctuating at well below 100 flickers per second – typically 50 or slower. (Computer screens usually flicker in the range of 60 to 70 hertz, which we barely notice.)
So even though there’s certainly a tiny minority of people who can see faster strobing, for most of us it’s not an issue. In many project installations, a basic no-frills LED ‘transformer’ is all you need. There are even some applications where LED flicker can actually be a desirable effect: think of nightclubs for example, or oscillating bicycle lights.
normspanners
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is the garage wired two way ? and one switch has welded contacts and is staying switched one way ? then connecting all the light units in series ?
WorkshopChris
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Is the workshop separate from the house?
If you can remove the load form the rest of the circuits or isolate then if your lights stop glowing re power until you find what is doing it.
I have had this before and it was induced voltage form bunched cables running parallel.(industrial so bigger loads, but have heard of domestic with similar)
dobbslc
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It's a TT system, 17 ohms earth electrode resistance if I remember correctly.
With the state of the wiring in this place I'd not be surprised if it's got missing /bad connections...
I've temporally refed the workshop D/B from the new power radial circuit I've installed but I dont know what's inside the old rewirable fuse board.
Definitely no earth in most of the lights though......
With the state of the wiring in this place I'd not be surprised if it's got missing /bad connections...
I've temporally refed the workshop D/B from the new power radial circuit I've installed but I dont know what's inside the old rewirable fuse board.
Definitely no earth in most of the lights though......
dobbslc
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OK I'll have to hold my hands up here I've found the problem, it was only two wires back to front....
The two that feed the isolator in the garage! Yes I'd wired it up reverse polarity!!!
What a donkey!
Anyway the lights all very very dark now when they're turned off
The two that feed the isolator in the garage! Yes I'd wired it up reverse polarity!!!
What a donkey!
Anyway the lights all very very dark now when they're turned off
