LED bulb flicker can be hugely annoying, even though more often than not it is a tiny flicker. Albeit tiny, it’s enough to be noticeable, and it’s one of those things that once you do notice it’s hard to ignore.
But why do LED bulbs flicker? What causes them to flicker? And what can I do to stop them flickering?
Let’s take a look.
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Do LED bulbs flicker?
Yes, LED lights flicker. In fact, all bulbs flicker, not just LED bulbs.
Different countries require their lights to run at a different frequency of Hertz, with Hertz meaning one cycle of electricity. In the UK it is 50Hz, and in the US it is 60Hz.
Each cycle represents the electricity being supplied to a light bulb starting and then stopping, with the next cycle then starting and stopping, and on and on.
Each of these cycles ends in the electricity being supplied to the light stopping, causing the light to flicker.
Why haven’t I noticed my lights flickering?
The reason you won’t have noticed any of your previous lights flickering is that each of those Hertz rates I mentioned above happen per second. So, in the US, the electricity is waving 60 times each second.
Thus, because this flickering is happening so quickly, your eyes cannot perceive it happening.
As well, old incandescent light bulbs produced light by heating up a filament, however because this filament remained hot between each of those cycles, you never saw a flicker.
The perks of an inefficient light bulb I guess!
Why do LED lights flicker?
We’ve established that all LED bulbs will flicker, but this flickering should be happening so quickly that your brain can’t perceive it happening.
So, if you can see your light flickering something has gone wrong. Let’s take a look.
The voltage supplied to it is fluctuates
LED lights require a constant electrical current flowing to it in order to function properly. This is because the semiconductor chip inside the light takes in the electrical energy and pushes it to each individual LED light module to produce the light.
If the current being supplied to this chip fluctuates, the light the chip outputs will also fluctuate, resulting in a flickering light.
One of the most common reasons for this is that you’ve recently connected a new appliance to your electricity supply that draws a lot of power, such as a large air conditioning unit.
Your lights are not compatible with a dimming switch
Another common issue is that you are using a non-dimmable LED bulb in a dimmable light circuit.
Non-dimmable LED lights are not compatible to be used with a dimmer switch or on a dimmable light circuit, as these lights are not designed to run based on a lower amount of electricity being supplied to it, which is how a dimming switch reduces the brightness of a dimmable bulb.
We talk more about how dimmer switches and dimmable light bulbs work in our article here.
Carefully look at the labelling on your bulb’s packaging. If you don’t still have this to hand, you will need to Google your bulb model to pull up its manufacturer information.
You have a loose connection or loose wiring
Lastly, it is important you check that your LED bulb flicker isn’t being caused simply by a loose connection or loose wiring.
Check your bulb is screwed snugly into its housing.
How to stop LED bulbs flickering?
As a general rule, it is going to be either the LED bulb, it’s fixture, or the light switch which is causing the flickering.
Aways start with the bulb itself, as 9 times out of 10 this is going to be where the issue lies.
First, remove the flickering LED light and replace it with another LED light in your home that you know is working fine (i.e., no noticeable flickering). This is to test whether the new temporary bulb also flickers.
You’ll likely find the replacement bulb does not flicker, indicating the original bulb is the issue.
The answer then is to simply replace your faulty bulb with a new one.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my LED lights flicker?
All LED lights flicker, however if your bulb is functioning correctly these flickers will be imperceptible.
If your LED lights noticeably flicker, it is likely to be for one of three reasons. Either the voltage supplied to it fluctuates too much, you are using a non-dimmable LED bulb on a dimmable light circuit, or you have a loose connection.
We talk about all three in the article above.
Why do my LED lights flicker on a dimmer?
If your LED lights are flickering on a dimmer, it’s more than likely that you are using a non-dimmable LED bulb.
These bulbs are not compatible with a dimmable electrical circuit, as they are not designed to take in a varying electrical current. Thus, if you try to use a non-dimmable LED bulb here, the LED bulb will flicker.
Do LED lights flicker when burning out?
LED lights don’t burn out like incandescent lights do. When a light burns out, it refers to the filament in the light bulb being damaged, usually from too much electricity being supplied to it causing it to get too hot.
LED lights don’t have a filament however. Instead, they work by passing electricity through a small semiconductor chip, which we talk about more in detail here.
So in short no, LED lights do not flicker when burning out. Rather than burning out, LED lights will slowly get dimmer and dimmer over time. And unless the electricity being supplied to it is constantly fluctuating, it will not flicker because of this – it’s output just becomes weaker and weaker, hence the brightness getting dimmer and dimmer.
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