Manufacturers of LED floodlights claim that the devices can work for many years without the need for repair. In fact, breakdowns happen quite often. If the effect of blinking of the LED spotlight in the on state is detected, the cause may be a malfunction of the power supply or wiring. In addition, the source of the malfunction is often defective parts or unaccounted for external influences.
Operating principle
The easiest way to understand why an LED spotlight blinks is by presenting it as a powerful light source. In the inner space of his body is a radiating lamp, the beam from which, passing through a system of reflectors, is sent to the desired zone. Due to this, the concentrated light beam acquires special saturation and brightness.
The principle of operation of the LED is based on the emission of light quanta in the transition, where electrons accelerated by voltage knock out free photons.
To obtain an overclocking potential, these emitters are equipped with a rectifier and a driver that stabilizes the current value and, if necessary, regulates its value. In addition, the device may include an independent power supply, which allows to obtain a rectified voltage of 12 volts.
Reasons for the flashlight
When buying cheap Chinese spotlights, a characteristic malfunction is often found, manifested in continuous flashing. Sources and signs of this unpleasant phenomenon can be:
- incorrect motion sensor settings;
- inappropriate weather conditions;
- disturbances in the operation of the power system;
- wrong mode selected.
Another likely cause is a malfunction in the backlight of the switch.
Spotlight flashes due to motion sensor
If the spotlight starts flashing immediately after connecting the motion sensor, the problem is most likely a malfunction of the latter. This can happen for the following reasons:
- violation of the settings of the sensitive device;
- lost contacts;
- low voltage;
The spotlight may start to flicker due to an incorrectly set timer, which ensures the system is operational for a given period of time. In this case, it is recommended to reconfigure it, and then check the device again. The so-called "floating" contact is manifested as the absence of a signal passing to the illuminator itself. If you suspect this malfunction, check all connections and tighten the mounting screws in the existing pads and terminals.
Reduced mains voltage also often manifests itself as a blink of a searchlight, which does not have enough power to fully tan. Another reason for the phenomenon under consideration may be a factory defect that was not noticed when the product was accepted. In this case, you should return it to the workshop for warranty or current repair.
Cause of blinking - weather
In frosty winter weather, the LED spotlight brought to the cold also often refuses to work, starts to blink. Some well-known models of diode illuminators flicker already at -10 degrees.
With strong cooling, the start circuits begin to intermittently, which leads to an undesirable effect.The question in this case is solved in the simplest way - the spotlight is brought into a warm room and allowed to stand, and again set in place by night.
Spotlight flashes when turned on or during operation
If the illuminator starts blinking only when it is turned on, the cause is most likely due to a malfunction of the starting capacitor, which is replaced by a new product. If this does not help, you should check the quality of the contact in the switch itself or in the voltage supply wire.
The second situation is possible if a backlit product is used to control the switching. If it is available, the searchlight simply does not have enough current, which partially branches off to the duty chain. The way out is to turn off the backlight, which does not allow the projector to start and work normally.
Advanced functionality
Some models of spotlights have additional options to expand their capabilities. One of them is the use of the strobe mode, which is sometimes activated by itself. To eliminate this effect, completely unplug the device and then turn it on again. After that, most often its working capacity is restored.
Another reason for the manifestation of this malfunction is the control features of additional features, when several functions are activated with one button at once. In this case, you must first turn off the spotlight, and after switching on, double-click the strobe activation button and monitor the disappearance of the problem.
Device malfunctions and solutions
It is only possible to start repairing the device after the exact cause of the malfunction is established and the location of the malfunction is localized. This is not so easy to do, as there are many explanations for this.
Wiring Disorders
Sometimes the cause of the flicker effect becomes a banal error when switching the wires supplied to the projector. The problem in this case is solved simply - just swap them. Blinking with a low and uneven frequency is possible if the contacts in the cable connection connector are broken.
This is explained by large currents flowing through the working wires of the searchlight, which, when the contact is broken, begin to increase and warm it. The location of this malfunction can be either in the junction box, or in the motion sensor, as well as the connectors of the power supply or in the switch.
Backlight elements and irregularities in the power circuit
If there is a backlit switch or IR sensor in front of the illuminator lamp, situations may occur when pulsations appear with a frequency of about 25 vibrations per second. This is due to the features of the passage of half-waves of current in the supply circuit, which in this case “work” through one. This problem is fixed by simply turning off the backlight LED.
Another option is to replace the motion sensor with another type (ultrasonic or inductive device).
Failure of the elements of the electric power of the searchlight is also not uncommon. They are found mainly in cheap Chinese lighting fixtures. To resolve these problems, the device is taken to the workshop.
Diode bridge and smoothing capacitor
In the schemes of Chinese spotlights, rectifiers of 220 Volts of a half-wave type are used. They differ from the double bridge circuit in the quality of the rectified current, which is characterized by a high level of ripple. The smoothing capacitor following it does not completely eliminate them, which leads to flickering. The way out is to acquire high-quality floodlights with a “classic” 2-bridge rectification scheme.
Damage to the electrolytic capacitor also increases the level of ripple of the supply potential.In this case, the installation of a transformer that reduces the voltage amplitude to 12 volts will help. Accordingly, the level of ripple will also decrease, after which the lamp will light up and work normally.
LED mounting errors and current limiting capacitor
With a low build quality of the LED matrix, its contacts are often not soldered very reliably, which is also a possible cause of blinking. In this situation, there is only one way out - to turn in the spotlight matrix for repair. A current-limiting capacitor can also lead to an undesirable effect if its rating and operating voltage are not selected correctly.
Manufacturers, saving on LEDs, are trying to increase the brightness of the glow by connecting a capacitor with a low operating voltage to the driver. Replace this part with a 400 volt product, after which the flicker should disappear.
Matrix burnout
This case refers to serious violations, as the main element - the LED matrix - fails. When a malfunction is detected, its body is taken out of the spotlight, for which 4 screws are first unscrewed and the capacitors are soldered off. Then a new diode assembly is bought, and the following operations are performed:
- A little thermal paste is applied to the heat sink surface.
- Current-causing contacts are soldered.
- The new matrix is fixed to 4 screws.
In its form, it should not differ from a burned-out emitter and therefore is easily mounted on a seat.
The feasibility of self-repair
Despite the comparative complexity of the LED spotlight device, if you want and have some skills, you can fix it yourself. At the same time, the cost of new component parts, if necessary, and the complexity of the upcoming operations are necessarily taken into account. If the malfunction is very simple - the contact disappears or the capacitor is incorrectly selected - you can do the restoration at home.
In case of more serious violations, you will have to go to the workshop, where experienced specialists will quickly eliminate the malfunction that has arisen. In this case, repairs will have to be spent. However, this is the case about which they say that the avaricious pays twice.
