What Makes an LED Bulb Flicker and How to Solve the LED Flicker Effect

Guide to LED Flickering




With fluorescent lighting gradually being displaced in favor of LED, many thought the days of dealing with flickering lights were over. Despite flickering being less present in LED than with fluorescent systems, it is certainly still a factor. What are the causes of this, and are there solutions?

Types of Flickering

There are two types of flickering with lights – visible flicker and invisible flicker. Obviously visible flicker is the one our eyes can see, which is when the light output from a given source changes rapidly. It is considered that anything below a frequency of 100Hz can be seen.

There are health concerns with visible flickering. Short-term exposure to frequencies in the 3Hz to 70Hz range are associated with epileptic seizures, with the highest possibility of occurrence being in the 15Hz to 20Hz range. With 1 in 4000 people suffering photosensitive epilepsy and many more who have not been diagnosed, this has become a public safety issue.

Invisible flicker is just as much of a problem if not more. It is the flicker that is present but we cannot see. The symptoms include dizziness, eyestrain, headaches, migraines, impaired thought, and other general sick-feeling symptoms.

Where does flicker come from?

To better understand flickering in lights, consider the theatrical effect known as strobe lighting. This is a deliberate flicker effect that delivers light at certain frequencies, causing the brain to interpret moving objects as if they were in slow motion. These specified frequencies are generally just a few flashes per second, but they are very close to frequencies that cause epileptic seizures.

Unintentional flickering in lighting equipment can be traced back to our power companies that designed electricity flow to use alternating current (AC) as opposed to direct current (DC). With AC power, the sine wave will peak both positively and negatively. This leaves it susceptible to being in a range that will cause flickering, or sometimes an audible hum.

How to solve LED flickering issues?

LED flickering can be tied back to the driver component within the lamp. The essential purpose of the LED driver design is to rely on a simple circuit to control output current, but without altering the frequency, the LED becomes likely to show visible flicker. However, this can be fixed by using constant current drivers, which remove the peaks of the sine wave.

Power correction components within the driver circuit must also be addressed. Without this, ripple currents in the power flow will cause flickering.

Ultimately if the driver design of the LED bulb meets the requirements of both a stable DC current and ample ripple suppression, there should be no flicker. If flickering is present in your LED lamp (and you are not dimming with it), it was likely created with cheap driver components. The technology in LED lighting has advanced to the point where this should not happen, unfortunately there are companies that care more about their bottom line than the health of their customers.



How Dimming Causes LED Flickering

Another challenging variable for LED lamps to avoid flickering is through dimming. Most standard wall dimmers work by phase cutting, which removes part of the sine wave and reduces the voltage. However, this can have negative affects on an LED circuit and actually result in the flicker effect being amplified to a potentially dangerous level (3-15Hz range).

This is one of the main reasons why it’s hard to trust old dimming systems with new LED bulbs. The only way to be sure no flickering will be present is to get LED-specific dimming solutions for your LED lamps. It all comes back to the fact that LED is a long-term investment. In turn it is worth doing research to ensure you are getting a quality LED bulb, and that if you plan to dim with it you are getting an LED dimming system that has been tested as being compatible to the LED bulbs you intend to use.




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167 Responses to “What Makes an LED Bulb Flicker and How to Solve the LED Flicker Effect”

  1. SteveMay 16, 2017 at 9:43 am #

    I have changed out fluorescent lamps to LED lamps and changed out the ballast, and they still flicker. What would be the problem then.

    • PremierMay 16, 2017 at 9:45 am #

      Did you install a new ballast or used Type B LED T8 lamps that wire direct? If you got a new ballast, it’s possible it’s not compatible with the lamps you have. Direct wire (Type B) LED T8 lamps should not flicker unless you have a power fluctuation issue (either that or the lamp is defective).

      • Ellen JonesJuly 26, 2021 at 4:41 am #

        I received new pole lamps from the pg& e program for energy saving
        & weatherizationprogram they have contractors do in the home. They installed max light bulbs in all 3 lamps, if they are not turned up full brightnesd they flicker horribly, like a haunted house!

    • Jon LaBranchJuly 27, 2017 at 7:32 pm #

      Steve, I replaced four fluorescence tubes in two fixtures. One works perfectly and the other flickers and then dark. Fixtures are identical as are the bulbs. Any thoughts?

      • MarkSeptember 29, 2018 at 7:27 pm #

        change the starter in the fluorescence fixture,also vturn tht bulb ends back & forth to make a better contact…….pull the starter from the one that don’t flicker,switch it with the one that does,then you’ll know if it’s the starter .
        Good Luck!!!

        • David FowlerOctober 2, 2018 at 6:50 pm #

          Mark, starters for fluorescent lamps haven’t been used since the late 80’s.

          • Lee AndesonMarch 30, 2019 at 10:18 pm #

            LEDs don’t need a ballast or starters, just straight 110-120.

          • Joe WilsonJune 21, 2019 at 8:31 am #

            They are still out there, they just haven’t been manufactured since the late 80’s. We sell replacement starters almost daily. Not ballasts, (we sell those too) but starters.

          • MattMarch 5, 2020 at 4:06 pm #

            Lee, it depends where you’re located. Our municipality in Ontario doesn’t allow 120v direct LED replacements for fluorescent lighting because of the risk of homeowners changing out the lamps a second time. They require an LED-rated ballast to be installed instead so the fixture can still accept standard tubes.

            Commercial is a whole other deal, though.

          • Wayne OakleyJune 20, 2022 at 2:24 pm #

            I have a motion sensor switch running LED 4ft shop lights. The lights are burning out. Is it the switch

        • WillApril 8, 2022 at 1:47 am #

          What are the best brands out there without flickering? Is it better to go with an older style housing like a mr16, gu10 r par 20 and install a retrofit led bulb for efficiency?

    • RakshithMay 10, 2018 at 10:29 pm #

      Same I am facing this problem too

      • Mothra (AKA Mishra)May 25, 2018 at 7:07 pm #

        Most of the LEDs I’ve bought either flicker upon installation or start flickering within some number of days or weeks. It’s patently ridiculous that these are being marketed as “earth-friendly” when you have to throw most of them out when they are still relatively new. No, I’m not using dimmers.

        • Danielle JarrellOctober 25, 2019 at 7:00 am #

          That’s my problem, and my electrician doesn’t even know how to fix it.

          • Eugene DeciJune 28, 2020 at 11:53 am #

            FWIW in my family room I have three over heads on the same switch. They all had incandescent bulbs originally, then florescent and now when the they go I replace them with LED. Two were replaced and one florescent remained It worked for about a year when one of the LEDs started to flicker – the other was fine so I thought it had to be the fixture but nothing helped including a new bulb which also flickered. When nothing worked I decided I might as well replace the remaining florescent with the original bulb that flickered and bingo everything works. I think the florescent was going bad and disrupted the wave form enough to cause the problem.

        • John DayOctober 29, 2019 at 3:06 pm #

          Fantastic you put it exactly the way it is. But of course we need to get rid of cheap imports from those Chinese creepy countries and make America great again!

          • MikeNovember 4, 2019 at 9:56 pm #

            Then you have to be prepared to 4x the cost.

          • ElsineDecember 4, 2019 at 7:58 am #

            Amen.

          • MikeDecember 16, 2019 at 1:45 pm #

            Fake news

        • T K BhatJuly 31, 2021 at 8:26 pm #

          LED lamps and tube lights flicker after sometime of service.
          This due moisture absorption by components and the PCB.
          I have not found any solution for this till now.
          A change of PCB with more distance or gap between the components may be the only solution.
          This solution however is not practical to the diy chap.
          TKB
          tk_bhjat@yahoo.com

    • davidSeptember 3, 2018 at 3:02 pm #

      There is more to this than, shall we say meets the eye ! Avoid strong lights for reading, especially near bed time. The ballast needs to operate at the same frequency as the lamp. otherwise you get dirty electricity. Note also, that the most advanced is 80,000 hour LED.. A softer lamp using less blue light is desirable. The negative aspect of strong blue light is the interruption of the production of melatonin as strong blue light can interrupt sleep patterns, and this can then in turn reduce the effectiveness of healing during sleep.

      LED under the full blue lspectrum is like that of a full moon effect at 3,000 kelvins. Note that people tend to be more emotional & subject to poor behaviour issues as a full moon. Blue and white supresses melatonin production being used at night periods, like the street lighting. Without melatonin you can’t sleep, and also can not properly heal and rest the body. This would also inhibit the egg for female reproduction.

      The lack of knowledge on epilepsy is amazing however, because this is a symptom of someone that has a familiar spirit, and has nothing to do with flicker rates of lighting. The only potential for this, is that a familiar ( known by this since the spirit is familiar with the person), and indeed spiritual effects in negative behaviour take place statistically more intensely during a full moon. City services such as hospitals, police and fire fighters at the higher echelons would be aware of this phenomena. Any large hospital statistician has this record.
      It is also a need for the body to gain the benefits of normal sun exposure on the skin for production of vitamin D. During the winter, it is even of greater need for a person working under the LED strong blue spectrum ( not so soft as a dining room setting), to take 8,000 units of vitamin D per day during the winter. Note also that food not grown in the open sun, will not contain the same level of life giving properties the body needs.

      The minerals, through each of their lines of form are the main captors of LIGHT, of biophoton energy, which becomes biophotons for all living organisms.

      • DavidSeptember 15, 2018 at 9:57 pm #

        What does this comment about the impact of light on people have to do with flickering bulbs?

        • david McCallumOctober 22, 2018 at 10:54 am #

          To eliminate flicker, just match the frequency of the bulb with the correct frequency, achieved by top quality ballast and don’t use cheap bulbs. If it’s picked up by camera equipment, then use other lighting as well to soften the effect, which can effect a focus issue, or check the shutter speed trying other equipment if need be. Some people are more sensitive to the older T-12 fluorscent bulbs, just as some people are electro sensitive. The T-12 uses the most energy, from there is the T-8, and from there is the T-5, then the LED types, are the most efficient. You want at least a 50,000 hour to top quality 80,000 hour bulbs like I use. You just don’t want to use these for reading, which need a low voltage softer yellow light.

          • Douglas CravenFebruary 28, 2019 at 7:41 pm #

            I’m just wondering what sort of light we have on modern TV monitors?

          • Spud 7February 6, 2020 at 9:09 am #

            How does one “match the frequency of the bulb with the correct frequency”? What frequency are you talking about? I am not sure I agree with the sensitivity to T-12 bulbs vs t-5 size. They both operate off the same principle, though more modern ballasts can operate at higher output frequencies if designed to do so. It is not that easy to just say the skinnier t-5 bulbs, by themselves, are less of a flicker issue.

        • Thaddeus Buttmunch, MDFebruary 25, 2019 at 7:51 pm #

          MOONBATS!!

        • Poppy A., D.C.August 20, 2020 at 2:30 am #

          Hey (up there), david [with lowercase “d”], you didn’t answer this David’s [capital “D”] question. I, too, am interested in a response. (And I don’t intend that in a snarky way— I just don’t know people who seem to think as you do. So, I’m just trying to understand something about you.

          And, would you please define “familiar spirit” as you used the phrase, above? Thank you.

      • DavidOctober 2, 2018 at 6:55 pm #

        Sounds as though you speak as one having great knowledge. I’d love to hear more about your familiar spirits theory. My Email is: IBEWelectronut@aol.com

      • DavidOctober 2, 2018 at 6:56 pm #

        My email is IBEWelectronut at aol dot Com.

      • JonOctober 20, 2018 at 8:24 am #

        Thanks for minimizing a serious medical condition that is well known and understood and can be observed in the brain to your ridiculous “spiritual” garbage. You should be ashamed of yourself.

        • david McCallumOctober 22, 2018 at 10:37 am #

          Ashamed ? Hardly. There is no drug treatment protocol to cure epilepsy ! It IS a familiar spirit. PERIOD. I’m not the one taking false medical opinions like epilepsy as treatable and cured by medical means… It can be minimized somewhat, that’s all. It’s like being bled to heal in the middle ages… flat ignorance ! First, The very purpose of the scientific principal is because mankind comes from a place of ignorance. You cannot establish a truth, by a gallop pole in any institution of society or field of study. Example; EVERYBODY knew the world was flat, even though the Venetian sailors were centuries ahead, and even the vikings. Columbus merely rediscovered it. Heck, there are even NOW… flat earthers, believe it or not.
          So, before you spout off on something you are ignorant about, try going to the most advanced medical mind on the planet, that teaches specialists in many fields all over the world. See… http://www.nutrimedical.com

          • Peter SimmonsNovember 11, 2019 at 6:07 am #

            There is a treatment for epilepsy, it’s CBD, one of the cannabinoids, it worked on my dog who had epilepsy, brought him out of a seizure in seconds.

        • Saliha AllanDecember 7, 2018 at 7:24 pm #

          Hmm. It sounded so strange to me, that I thought he was being tongue-in-cheek. Seriously, though, and I’m just getting started on the new electrical, (as well as all the other) technology. I grew up being interested in technology, some of it anyway, and in grammar school, we had clubs that we could go to where a teacher had us working on such things as “Batteries & Bulbs”, which was a lot of fun. I was the only girl there, but I don’t remember any disrespect from the boys there. BTW, What IS the current medical knowledge about epilepsy, migraines(which I now get–ugh!), and other neurological issues related to lighting, its frequencies, and the other sensory inputs? I have a feeling it needs to be better known than it is. I for one hate those super-bright LED’s they have now. I was delighted,pun not intended, when I found a soft yellow LED, a Duracell Ultra 2700K 40-watt equivalent, 470 lumens–the only kind of LED that didn’t make my eyes, and everything else in me feel “icky”. I think the bugs, as it were, must still be being worked out, on LED’s, Halogens, Compact Fluorescents, and all the rest. My great grandparents had electric lighting in, I think, the nineteen-teens, or the early nineteen-twenties, and they didn’t use it as they couldn’t stand the flicker, and they used, I think, the Kerosene lamps that they had been used to while they were growing up. My great-grandmother said the electric ones gave her eyes the “jimjams”, and as anybody who has them knows, that’s rough. I’d be using Kerosene,too, if I could get it. Some of us are just a mess that way, and our bodies don’t adjust well to all the environmental changes out there

          • Dr. C.E.PoolJanuary 10, 2019 at 6:26 am #

            Great comment – I agree with your question or comment on the intensity of light from LEDs. While some people can see a shimmer from fluorescent light bulbs – and even hear the high pitch whine – most folks are oblivious to the issue. I don’t have “Jim-Jam” that your grandmother felt or had with electric lighting, but I do care for migraine sufferers. Bright light can trigger migraines, stress can trigger migraines, some dietary spices can trigger migraines, all this information is available out there with your medical professionals – if they have time to share with you given our current reimbursement system.

            Not to change the subject, but when I can only pay my staff and make a decent living by seeing patients for 10 minutes and letting LPN or less qualified personnel perform my intake information gathering, I don’t feel I have a true sense of them as a person or of their concerns outside of the ONE REASON they came to see me. Until the system changes where we physicians are paid for our time and the insurance companies aren’t nickel & dime-ing everyone from patients to care-givers to medical providers then WE TOO have to live with the limited time & give-n-take that made medicine fun years ago.

            I don’t have any answers to your questions other than to say rapidly flickering light DOES affect the brain and can trigger migraines and trigger seizures although I am not sure if the same flicker frequency does both. Or if the same light intensity does both. That is up for neurologists to study and it might already have been studied and reported in the specialty literature for neurologists. It isn’t the common medical knowledge (intensity, frequency of flicker, probability of seizure or migraine onset given specific aspects of light, etc) that we GPs read in our constant study of the field.

            Good luck with your migraines, keep your nutrition in check, reduce your stress, learn the onset sensations/feelings of your migraines and adapt your behaviors as you can. I feel for you and wish I had answers but you need to see a migraine specialists – one will click with you and your healthcare plan – and you will get your answers….and then have more questions and you know more, but that is the nature of the human equation, isn’t it?

            Peace!

          • KimDecember 21, 2019 at 5:08 pm #

            Olive oil lamps are very easy to make and much safer than kerosene. There are several tutorials on YouTube. When the flame touches the oil it simply goes out so there is no risk of starting a fire unless something else falls on the flame. It also burns clean, doesn’t smell, and is extremely affordable.

        • Uncle SamDecember 12, 2018 at 2:33 am #

          I agree Jon, it’s on a level similar to that believed by flat earth theorists – it’s seriously ridiculous, I’m guessing David’s not a medical doctor!!! May I add, I’ve seen first hand the horrific results of non medicated epilepsy suffers, cause and effect…go back to sleep…

      • Dr. C.E.PoolJanuary 10, 2019 at 6:09 am #

        I like to read scientifically vetted information, even if the idea or theory arose among the folks commonly referred to as “Crackpots”. That said, I am looking for an explanation, not a theory floated out there, as to why my Feit lightbulbs (60 W equivalent) flicker. No dimmer, no matter what outlet screwed into – it flickers. Damn thing is practically brand new. Poor quality driver? So it is junk? I need to throw away a utility companies freebie bulb?

        Now, about the medical terms and minimization of scientifically vetted information. We medical folks know there are more events during the full moon. We also know the people who don’t have to be up after dark getting into things have more opportunity as the moonlight grows stronger and slowly waxes. The spirits and gravity of the moon effect people, it is proven….coincidentally. The light of the moon, the opportunity to perpetrate mayhem, and the reduced incident of accidents (stumbles, sprained ankles, problems related to vision difficulties) doesn’t indicate spirits or gravity promoting the activity and directed (versus accidental) actions prompting medical care under the full moon cycle. The damned light quantity – whatever the color – gives opportunity and incentive to those who want something for effort and daring, while those who want to work for something in the open and the light of day are busy trying to sleep.

        Epilepsy requires more than nutrition – Epilepsy DOES require proper electrolyte intake and careful attention to diet. Pharmaceuticals have helped, even marijuana has proven to help with specific intractable seizure activity. To spew theory in a forum where we want to know how to minimize the flickering of our LED bulbs without addressing the risk of seizure DUE to the rapidly flickering light – thereby worsening an epileptics course of the disease for which the only cure to date has been the surgical removal of the trigger neural tissue – is a waste of our time and a waste of space on this forum.

        Epilepsy is an unfortunate disease, whether genetic or injury induced. Flickering LEDs can cause seizures and uncontrolled seizures worsen the disease and shorten lifespans. Nutrition is only one aspect of control, behavior modification (meditation, yoga, prayerfulness, etc.) have helped reduce seizure activity IN SOME but not all, and pharmaceuticals have helped reduce seizure activity IN MOST – BUT NOT ALL. And when an injury foci can be found, surgically removed without too much neural/personality/memory loss – that is my recommendation as a physician for such a patient.

        I am not a neurologist, I do not specialize in epilepsy, but I do see patients and answer their questions. I understand epilepsy, I understand (keep up with) the current vetted scientific understanding and I do read current non-scientific literature regarding all things – even these blogs about why my feit LED bulb may be flickering. Last thing I want to do is induce a seizure in my children or one of my children’s friends thereby unmasking sub-clinical epilepsy – if there is such a thing. I know what to do if someone has a seizure so I’m not worried about witnessing a seizure, I’ve seen more than I ever wanted to and am quite capable of dealing with someone in a seizure due to alcohol withdrawl, medication overdose, or a proven disease state like epilepsy.

        WHAT I DON’T KNOW IS HOW TO MAKE MY FEIT LEDs STOP FLICKERING – OH WAIT, THROW THEM AWAY?

        • Poppy A., D.C.August 20, 2020 at 4:13 am #

          No disrespect intended at all here, but are you putting us on?

          i am, as well, one of those to whom you refer as “We medical folks.” (In surprisingly interesting comment sections of an article I read after a light in my own home began flickering, I don’t feel a need to include my “Dr” title & full real, or—yeah— fictitious, name.

          So, as a “colleague,” I doubt you’ll begrudge me for noting your apparent and highly appropriate reverence for “scientifically vetted information” *right before^ you launch into highly anecdotal, “not-accepted-as-truth-by-all-of-us-medical folks” word salad regarding effects upon people of a full moon. And any of us “medical folks” doing such a thing as you did there, we would be certain to lend credence to such claims by including multiple citations to peer-reviewed papers/studies. Where are yours?

          “We medical folks” certainly learned during our respective educations, the difference between the word “effect” (a noun, by the way) and “affect” (a verb usually, unless it is used in its noun form to descibe what’s more or less known as a “mood” or “an emotional/psychological state.”

          Please forgive me if you have dyslexia or other difficulties regarding written communication. (My oldest “bonus” son, though, has such severe dyslexia no one could fathom, during most of his time in elementary & middle school, that he would EVER be able to graduate from his dyslexia-treatment-focused high school, but years later, still dyslexic of course, his MCAT score was the highest I’ve ever heard of, and he CERtainly knows that, e.g., the treatment he now provides as a resident AFfects his patients; that medications have “side EFfects,” and his psycho-social-rehabilition-focused “bonus mum” and his psychiatrist dad are greatly concerned about others’ affects.

          Another thing: So, when I get a call at 2:48 a.m., informing me that someone I treat is suicidal, and, thus, needs me to talk him into staying with us, while I possibly call 911 on my personal line, while throwing on daytime clothes so I can rush to the hospital to which he’ll be taken— since I’ll be out in the moonlight you disparage and all, doing my work, do I fall into the category of unscrupulous people who cause problems for sensible people (because, um, the light of the moon gave me “opportunity” to be all “daring” so that I do my work at an insensible hour, while good people do their work in daylight hours? I mean, you said as much nonsense. Last week when this actually did occur (because one I treat who has a longstanding, severe trauma condition was, earlier in the DAY, informed he has developed Parkinson’s and he then felt completely worthless and even a burden to his loved ones—was his near-decision to “cause mayhem” by pulling out his grandfather’s hunting rifle with intention to blow out his brain—was that because maybe ithere was a full moon? i mean, yeah, what an idiot, right, for staying awake late [after that diagnosis] that he did that AGAIN, after doing similar just 2 weeks before [couldn’t have been a full moon both thosd nights] .

          Oh, there’s SO MUCH in your diatribe with which I take exception, but I’ve no more time for this, “Doctor.”

          Please, do not insult and further stigmatize the people for whom I spend much of my life caring, by blaming their “lunacy,” I supposed ^you* would call it in your anachronistic way—do not, yourSELF, ignorantly state with such bizarre righteousness that the behavioral results of traumas for which they NEVER asked or otherwise “invited”—traumas that most people, I imagine, could not live through—do NOT, please, even remotely suggest such is somehow related to the phase of the freaking moon. In fact, do everyone a favor and refrain from spouting that (often terrible) accidents, episodes of any psych condition, etc., are somehow caused, or even exacerbated by, the moon or any other celestial body. (By any chance, are you “david” who signed in with a spiffy new user name to provide word salad from a different perspective?)

          Please, if you ever read this, forgive my anger. it is unwise & uncompassionate. I do get riled up when potentially dangerous and anachronistic notions are stated as well-known fact.

          • JonJanuary 4, 2021 at 9:43 pm #

            Holy shit, take your meds.

        • Mr. TrujilloSeptember 30, 2022 at 3:16 pm #

          I am wondering if people are sometimes injected with this flourecent ingredient or animals and for what reasons be and how it is done?

    • JeffDecember 1, 2018 at 9:17 pm #

      I second the thought that LED bulbs tend to be more susceptible to voltage fluctuation and will flicker easily. I have a light-sensor driven porch light I bought at Home Depot and for the life of me, I don’t know why LED bulbs flicker until one day I tried a set of CFLs and incandescent. Replacing CFL’s immediately helped.

    • duggy dugganApril 16, 2019 at 2:24 pm #

      new 1400 lumen led ceiling fixture..replacing 2 ring fluorescent..flashes on and off at about 1 sec intervals….no dimmer…just a 2 pole switch on the black wire.any idea how to fix it ?

    • KenMay 19, 2019 at 1:03 pm #

      We had whole-house flickering LED’s. They all dimmed briefly at 1 sec. intervals. Long story short: it was the service line coming from the pole: The electrician for our addition and panel upgrade failed to get an upgraded service line from the power company. Over 2 years, the service line deteriorated from heat buildup and too much resistance. The LED’s were the canary in the coal mine: LED’a are very sensitive to subtle voltage dips as whole house current taxed the cable. This may not be a common problem but upgrading to a larger service line solved our whole-house LED flickering immediately.

      • PaulJune 27, 2019 at 8:19 pm #

        Same here. Lights flickering. Was even getting zapped when touching shower head will showering. Come to find out the service line was defective. Electric company replaced it.
        All began when I started using LED bulbs.

    • Graham DoughertyFebruary 23, 2020 at 3:57 pm #

      LED’s are the worst return on the dollar given in multi lamp fixtures you have to replace all the lamps to find the bad one. I went back to old school lamps and no flicker at all!

    • Kim MillerNovember 22, 2020 at 4:08 am #

      Replace you bulb with a NOMA , problem solved.

  2. Scott DyessMay 18, 2017 at 8:14 am #

    So my problem is that occasionally, one of my Great Value brand, non-dimmable, LED bulbs will flicker for a couple of seconds, or for a few minutes. It doesn’t seem to be consistent with the starting or stopping of appliances in the house. Thus, am I to interpret that you are saying it’s very likely a defective driver components within the bulb?

    • CarolNovember 16, 2018 at 7:19 pm #

      Flickering lights can send me into terrible migraines. When I was younger, I could feel lost and confused from flickering lights….

      • HendrikMarch 27, 2019 at 2:42 am #

        Join the club, at work I have sheets of paper strategically placed to make sure the fluorescent lights don’t shine directly into my eyes. It will trigger a migraine within minutes if they shine directly into my eyes.

  3. Jerry ListerJune 5, 2017 at 5:52 am #

    Good article. A very complex subject that I am heavily involved with.
    I would maybe add a category for stobe effects as in car rear lights. Strobe effects become visible when it’s dark and you move your head. This means this type of flicker becomes visible at much higher than 100Hz. With Red LEDs of rear lights having no persistance (no phosphers) this can be visible at quite high PWM frequencies. Some research says 3,000Hz PWM frequency should be used.
    The other remarkable thing I’ve found is the difference in person to person perception. We had a test of 5% flicker at 22Hz, this was immediately intolerable to 3 people and gave eyestrain/headache. 2 people could see it, but another 2 said ‘I don’t what you’re on about, I can’t see anything!’
    The best thing a consumer can do it get the flicker app for iPhone. This will give you some information, but not the full story.
    Problems are very likely if you use a dimmer switch as well…
    The lighting industry is struggling with this issue with no standards really applicable. IEEE1789 is gaining traction, but even that is incomplete + full of holes..good old fashioned tungsten fails to meet this standard !

    • dave9March 16, 2018 at 11:04 am #

      Jerry, it’s trivial to solve red LED flicker. Use a driver capable of a capacitive load and put a capacitor across the supply line. It works 100% of the time to get rid of flicker. The remaining factor is choice of a long life capacitor suited for the outdoor environment.

      • david McCallumOctober 22, 2018 at 12:22 pm #

        Best short answer I’ve seen. Capacitors eliminate waste and can enable up to full unity without waste in heat loss. I have a staff of electricians, a few able to deal with power factor correction issues, and have the equipment to know the power factor. Correction is very profitable for any below the 90% level on motors etc… I also sell the product.

        • Spud 7February 6, 2020 at 8:44 am #

          I think it would be wise to suggest that you just don’t go to a store or buy online, a “capacitor” for hooking up to incoming power mains. This is not for amateur DIYers. There is a significant risk of electrocution, fire and other damage that could be done and these modifications should only be done by qualified people, such as an electrician familiar with this issue and capable of discussing it theoretically and practically. In addition, it seems to suggest, from dave9 that the capacitor be suited for the outdoor environment, as though you would be hooking it up to the service drop to the building. This is not only extremely dangerous, as you would have no protection since you cannot shut off the power lines coming to the building without the power company cutting the power first, and they would not permit such a connection if the installer was not a certified, licensed electrician and the power company approved of the device. If anything, the device would be, and should be, connected downstream of the main breaker in the building where it can be a protected part of the overall electrical distribution panel. Do your research.

        • ashkanMarch 16, 2020 at 6:56 pm #

          David, Do you have any contact number. I would like to buy the capacitors.

          • david mccallumMarch 18, 2020 at 6:53 am #

            ashkan, Well hello ashkan, The contact number is my own. You can call me anytime. 519)672-5326
            Perhaps you can tell me what city your located in?
            If you do or do not have the electricians to test what’s needed first. Is this for residential, commercial or industrial and then to install?
            I’ll wait for your call, I work where this number rings. By the way, the cure for covid – 19 is the first line of defence kit for about 250.00 at http://www.nutrimedical.com Dr Bill Deagle.

  4. ChrisJune 10, 2017 at 1:12 pm #

    I replaced an incandescent lightbulb with a new LED light bulb. The LED flickers.

    The incandescent was old and I recently moved in. I did not know that the wattage or voltage of the incandescent bulb. Could this be part of the problem?

    • PremierJune 12, 2017 at 8:33 am #

      Could be a cheap LED bulb, an issue with the socket, or dimmer. If you know the wattage/voltage of the lamps you are replacing (and of the replacements), that would help.

      • ScottLJanuary 8, 2018 at 6:43 am #

        Can you explain how the socket could be the problem? If it’s solid copper between the socket and breaker, I don’t see how this could be a valid possibility. But, I’m all ears in case there is something to the equation I’m missing. I have flickering LEDs in table lamps plugged directly into the wall. No dimmer switches. No funny business. Just the LED bulb, truly basic lamp with an On/Off switch, and the wall socket that is a straight copper run to the breaker. I have tried multiple lamps, three brands of LED bulbs, and multiple wall sockets. They all flicker. What gets me is that it is the newer LED bulbs that are flickering. My older LED bulbs do not flicker.

        • MarcusJanuary 18, 2018 at 6:18 pm #

          You need to realize that the wire from a receptacle does not go directly to a breaker. There can be anywhere from 2 – 50 different splices or connection points where the circuit feeds in then out of other devices (switches or receptacles). If any one of these splices is not made correctly or a connection has weakened over time, you will have resistance and variables in voltage. I have been a service repair electrician for over 25 years. Poorly made splices and crappy workmanship are too blame for a vast majority of all service calls.

          • dave9March 16, 2018 at 11:07 am #

            Very unlikely to be a splice issue, considering it worked to support use of a much higher wattage incandescent bulb before that was replaced with an LED. Granted, it could be a newly developed fault but providing the owner knows how to screw in a light bulb (how many people does it take, lol), odds are the bulb itself is poorly designed or defective.

          • GregTheElectricianJune 7, 2020 at 12:22 am #

            Marcus is correct.
            If you read the article, it’s all about voltage variation.
            Bad connections can make minut variances that you would not detect with an incandescent bulb because essentially you are heating up a piece of wire; Incandescent bulbs are not electronic.
            Where might you have a loose connection? Where the circuit breaker connects to the panel bus bar, the hot or the neutral wire that the branch circuit connects to on the circuit breaker/neutral bus, junctions/splices throughout the branch circuit, or a connection at the receptacle or the receptacle itself could be issues.
            A shared neutral circuit with an intermittent bad connection could backfeed through the light bulb as well.
            As a troubleshooter, you could put that circuit on an AFCI circuit breaker. It might not trip, but if it does, you certainly have your answer.

            This probably isn’t the issue, but for those who are interested: the tab in the center of the light bulb socket can get depressed. To fix this, you just need to bend it outward a bit. *After making sure that the light switch is off or the lamp is unplugged*, take a flat tip screwdriver or butter knife and slip it under the tab and pry it up word slightly. I shallow 30° angle is fine.

    • Lee AndesonMarch 30, 2019 at 10:29 pm #

      Hook your sockets so the LED lamps are receiving 110-120 volts. LEDS dont need a ballast nor starter.

  5. Peter ErwinJune 11, 2017 at 9:08 am #

    On LpS 2016 in Bregenz the CFD (Compact Flicker Degree) has been successfully presented. The CFD is the world’s first sensible measurement method to measure light modulation which, unlike all other methods, takes into account the amplitudes of all occurring frequencies with regard to the influence on humans and expresses them in a single percentage value.
    On the websites of Der Lichtpeter you may read much more about it.

    • Spud 7February 6, 2020 at 8:47 am #

      Worth learning about!

  6. CullenJune 13, 2017 at 12:37 pm #

    I have some LED can light retro fits and they flicker like crazy. They seemed to work fine until I replaced the old dimmer with a new led dimmer from Lutron. I tried replacing the dimmer with another one but that still didn’t solve the problem. I have replaced the lights with new ones and they will work correctly for a little bit and then the flicker starts again. It’s driving me crazy!!!

    • MooserDecember 6, 2018 at 6:06 pm #

      Flickering is a huge problem for the retrofit jobs I’ve worked on. A good solution has been to pigtail a surface mount single box to the last LED light on the circuit, and inside wire a pigtail base to accommodate a small incandescant appliance bulb (15W or less). Put a cover on the box and tuck it up in the ceiling along with the recessed light. The load usually makes the LED’s dim more smoothly and eliminates flickering for the most part.

      • SteveJanuary 2, 2019 at 6:35 pm #

        Thank you for the only meaningful answer in this entire thread.

        • JayjayMarch 3, 2019 at 5:28 pm #

          My brother wired in s Christmas light bulb. Did the trick

        • Spud 7February 6, 2020 at 8:52 am #

          While it may work, considering the incandescant bulb will burn out, wouldn’t wiring in a resistor of the proper size and wattage provide the same affect without the problem of using a bulb?

        • Morris DennisDecember 6, 2020 at 5:24 pm #

          Well said

  7. Jim MakepeaceJuly 5, 2017 at 8:55 am #

    This is an interesting subject – I specify lights for various types of projects, mostly residential with some commercial and mixed use.

    I have replaced 90% of my own incandescent bulbs with Juno and Lithonia LED trim modules, nothing special, just standard residential grade.

    I am mostly happy with the performance, but the strobe/flicker affect at times is annoying and makes me second guess some of the fixtures we’ve specified – even though the developers are asking for low-cost fixtures.

    I have also noticed as one commenter above that older incandescent dimmers seem to work better than newer ELV dimmers specified by the fixture manufacturer as being ‘compatible’ (e.g. dimming range is poor, or fixtures pulsate at bottom of range).

    On another note, I lost several LED modules after a lightning strike very near my house (also took out a cable modem and wireless router) – no other equipment in my house was affected, and the lights in question were not on at the time (I live in SW Florida and have surge protection on my main panel).

    • Peter ErwinAugust 2, 2017 at 12:28 am #

      LED illuminants usually do not contain any means against surge for this takes more space. Incandescents cannot be harmed by surge because they do not contain any sensitive electronics. May be the surge protection of your mains power supply needs to be enhanced. I live in Germany and have not heard of any surge problems with LED illuminants yet.

      • dave9March 16, 2018 at 11:11 am #

        Peter, to say they don’t because it takes space, would be the same argument for not putting surge protection in anything. Certainly in any bulbs I’ve torn open besides the smallest of form factors, there was far more empty space than needed for surge protection components. The protection is not there because of cost reduction.

        As far as incandescent bulbs “cannot be harmed”, tell that to some of my bulbs that blew out from a surge. It killed my microwave oven too, everything went out at once, unquestionably a surge not just old bulbs dying.

  8. MarcJuly 21, 2017 at 6:40 pm #

    I installed a high end brand ceiling lamp in my kitchen with good dimmable G15.5 bulbs and changed the dimmer. It all worked perfect until they remodeled my kitchen and the fixture was moved. Now it flickers like crazy unless dimmed to low. Any ideas what may have happened? Thanks

  9. bubledSeptember 4, 2017 at 6:17 pm #

    If we add capacitor parallel to LED driver output, will it remove flickering? My opinion that it would have positive effect on Flickering index.

    • LarryJune 14, 2018 at 9:01 pm #

      How is the capacitor installed?I’ve been looking how this is done but nobody seems to explain except to say in parallel… Parallel to what\

      • Alec TriciteeJune 15, 2019 at 12:14 pm #

        If ya don’ know parallel or series in electricity, you should get an electrician to assist… jus’ sayin’

  10. Alan BartramSeptember 9, 2017 at 10:25 pm #

    The government has just replaced the lights in the house with LCD bulbs. The majority of these have started to flicker at different rates and some not at all. The power to the house is two phase but every other light in the past has worked normally. Is it the bulbs I suppose they would be cheap?

    • MarcusJanuary 18, 2018 at 6:20 pm #

      There’s no such thing as 2 phase. it is either 3 phase or single phase.

      • RichFebruary 20, 2018 at 10:26 pm #

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-phase_electric_power
        Its rare but they are still around.

        • Micky mouseMay 22, 2018 at 9:27 pm #

          and quoting wikipedia proves it, gag puke

          • VettsvetJune 7, 2018 at 7:19 pm #

            Micky, we are all on this site seeking or providing support on subject matter with which we share a commonality. Therefore, instead of criticizing a fellow commenter for supporting their information with a link to a website you deem unreliable, why not explore it to assess its accuracy and then provide knowledgeable and intelligent feedback? As an example, MY first thought when I read your ‘gag puke’ post was, “What a F@(&g jerk.” However, I did not initially post the thought because, as you may see, a diplomatic reply can make all the difference.

      • henriMarch 13, 2018 at 8:21 pm #

        My journeyman electrician i work under corrects me on this all the time, to me residential A and B phase I see as two phase, but its just a split single phase, our main work area is commercial 3 phase

      • DanielOctober 28, 2018 at 10:52 pm #

        Sorry, just for the record, there is “such a thing” called 2 phase!! because I had it my house for the last 40 years. Used for the old copper washer.

  11. RandyNovember 4, 2017 at 9:00 am #

    working on a Lowe’s fixture with 4 multiple LED lights, on 2 driver boards. problem started about 1 year and 2 weeks, just out of warranty. not replacing a $150 fixture when repair is an option. replaced 1 driver board and it seemed smaller in component size. it was a constant current, when replacing these, what is the main spec I should be looking for? driver boards are cheap, but not lasting very long, replacement start flashing after a few months.

  12. Hugh LambertJanuary 6, 2018 at 2:56 pm #

    I have LED bulbs that flicker only when the motion sensor goes off. Is there a motion sensor that will cut them completely off when the sensor shuts down?

  13. MikeJanuary 7, 2018 at 7:22 am #

    I put led in all of my light fixtures with 2 or 3 bulbs each fixture. I have one in my bathroom where 2 of 3 will flicker on and off. I have a light fixture in my kitchen where 1 of thev2 flicker. All the others in my home don’t have this problem. I can replace them with non led bulbs and the flickering goes away. What causes this to work in most and not in these. They are all the same fixtures for the most part.

    • KathyFebruary 14, 2020 at 11:47 am #

      I have flickering with LED great value daylight in master-bathroom. First light, in a set of three light-fixture to flicker, I removed it from the fixture. Today 1 bulb started to flicker this morning, in a set of three fixture. The circuit on the wall carries all 9 bulbs, which are located above 2 sicks and vanity area. Also, on the same wall circuit is a ceiling smart light above. This is a 3 year old home. My heat is gas powered and cycling on and off often, any connection here?Wondering, this just happened in the last two weeks. The bulbs are 1 year old. Used in morning, around one-hour, past 4 months. Not happening at that time. Running dishwasher at the same time today, while in the bathroom noticed second light t start flicking.

  14. R. NapierJanuary 8, 2018 at 9:05 pm #

    It is a shame that no industry standards are in place for LED components….fixtures, lamps, devices (both switches and controllers). It is ridiculous for US consumers to be expected to know that certain LED lamps work best with certain LED devices….if that’s really true. We are used to buying almost any incandescent lamp brand and coupling that with any device brand and the result is perfect operation. I have recently install thousands of dollars worth of Insteon switches, dimmers, keypads and outlets. I have also purchased LED lamps and light tape with two criteria: dimmable, 2,700 K. About 70% of my applications work well. The rest flicker, flash or strobe. We have reached out to Insteon support and have been put off repeatedly. Finally I got an email with only a lamp list of products they claim woeks best. Where is standardization????? Where is a UL lab? Where are solutions? We installed Aspect wafers in several areas….these flash in sequential pattern, like engine pistons. Aspect says its the device. Who knows? Sadly, the Insteon concept is truly smart. So is the variety thst Aspect offers. Too bad there’s poor support, few solutions, no standards.

    The country is more focused on DC politics, Hollywood “stars” and media talking heads than pressing for LED solutions and standards.

    • RichFebruary 20, 2018 at 10:36 pm #

      Have you tried to add an incandescent bulb on the circuit with the flickering LEDs? If this stops the flickering then you have a load issue. The LEDs are not putting enough load on the system to keep the Insteon/dimmers from cycling. Also, I just read an article tonight that CFLs on the same circuit can cause a harmonic problem that may cause flicker in some LEDs.

      • jimNovember 5, 2019 at 7:41 am #

        I took flickering light from one socket and replaced it with another led it worked fine . but put the flickering bulb in that other socket it was still flickering .. it had to be the bulb. I have 6 or seven like this . no good. same brand name tho. noma. all bought the same time. one year old . by the way they were all used the same number of hrs. go fig that .

    • DavidSeptember 15, 2018 at 10:05 pm #

      “The country is more focused on DC politics, Hollywood ‘stars’ and media talking heads than pressing for LED solutions and standards.”

      Politics and famous people have been around for quite a while. The mere fact that people pay attention to them does not mean that if they stopped paying attention, all other significant problems in the world would be solved.

      LED bulbs have improved over time because of enterpreneurial activity and market competition. There is no reason to think that the technology won’t continue to improve over time if the demand for LED bulbs continues.

  15. TombilliodeauxJanuary 9, 2018 at 6:07 am #

    I have 2 installed in a light fixture…..DC power in a camper. One flickers and the other does not. i wiggled the flickering one and it stopped but started again at high frequency flickering. I belief it is the contacts that has different resistance. Also temperature as i removed the plastic cover when it started flickering again and it stopped. you may not have that option, but cooling seemed to help it.

  16. TombilliodeauxJanuary 9, 2018 at 6:11 am #

    Correction to above: The flickering DC powered bulb has one row of LED’s that is out. Other 2 rows are lighted. The bulb is defective.
    This is the only one flickering out of 12 installed.

  17. Tom GwozdekJanuary 14, 2018 at 12:26 pm #

    I don’t exactly have a flicker problem I have a flash problem. I have a light fixture about 5 years old. It came with 8 halogen G4 base 20W bulbs. I started replacing the halogen bulbs with LED G4 base 1.5W bulbs. The LED’s worked fine till I got to the last bulb. With 8 LED’s when the switch was turned on the lights flashed and would go out. As long as 1 halogen bulb was in the fixture, didn’t matter which socket, the 7 LED’s would stay on. I know little about electronics but would this problem have something to do with a minimum current draw on the fixture ( and transformer in the fixture 12V.)

    • WojciechFebruary 1, 2018 at 4:16 am #

      Once you remove last halogen the trasformer would most probably deliver too high voltage

    • Peter ErwinMarch 16, 2018 at 12:43 pm #

      This is due to electronic transformers require a minimum load (specified on the label). If halogen bulbs are replaced by LEDs, it is very likely that the minimum load of the tranformer is undercut. Adding one halogen to the system will probably bring it into the specified load range.

  18. WinnieFebruary 3, 2018 at 5:30 pm #

    Please, what about DC LED bulbs blinking after they have been on for a minute or two? These are in a camper.

    • RichFebruary 20, 2018 at 10:39 pm #

      If the power supply is not constant and sufficient, LEDs can blink. Were you running your lights on a generator? See if running off a power line gets rid of the flicker.

    • dave9March 16, 2018 at 11:19 am #

      Winnie, if you are referring to those cheap Chinese junk bulbs that retrofit into automotive style sockets, usually what happens is they run too hot for the amount of heatsinking (mPCB area and airflow) and develop solder joint cracks.

      Once it has cracks, after it heats up the crack widens. “Sometimes” reflowing the solder with a solder formulation having lead in it will help. Lead free solder is much more brittle than leaded.

      However this won’t change the fact that they’re running too hot for long life. The best long term solution is replacement with fixtures designed to heatsink the matching LED configuration that comes with them. If you had to you could DIY by pulling out the existing bulb contacts, putting in plate aluminum and a config of 3 x 3W LEDs in series and then a 12VDC (input), ~ 400mA driver which would be about the right power level for that area of aluminum plate which would fit in a typical automotive bulb housing.

  19. Todd PhillipsFebruary 7, 2018 at 4:41 pm #

    I bought dimmable LED lights at Costco, and LED dimmers at Costco as well, and I still have flicker. I’m guessing I need a higher quality dimmer?

  20. nrlly1March 7, 2018 at 3:41 pm #

    i bought a USB LED Touch Sensor Eye Protection Desk Lamp – White 200lumens. it has a touch sensor which you will use to either increase brightness or reduce brightness. it use to be steady and bright but after a while it starts flickering and brightness has remained reduced ever since and would never be bright again. can it be fixed back to it steady full brightness again?

  21. George AndrewsMarch 11, 2018 at 6:12 pm #

    I have just installed 4 leds in my ceiling fan and 2 out of the 4 flash then I replaced them with regular light bulbs and they are much dimmer my ceilings fan only has a remote with no dimmer switch. How can I fix this ? I like the brightness of the led lights .

  22. AdamMarch 18, 2018 at 10:16 am #

    I have led spotlights in the kitchen. One started to flicker, so I replaced with a new led spotlight and it’s fine.

    I put the flickering one in a different spot to check if it was the bulb or not, and it was, it flickered when in a different place…so why is this led spotlight faulty? It’s probably 4-5 months old max….

    I cant be having them do this, they cost a lot more and are supposed to last years….

  23. JeanMarch 22, 2018 at 9:23 am #

    I have a chandelier with LED lights that are on a dimmer but if I turn it on, they all flicker. What can I do to stop this?

  24. David L WilliamsonApril 7, 2018 at 6:59 pm #

    We just installed 3 LED bulbs in our bedroom. They flicker. I found 3 rooms all connected on the same circuit. Please note not my sort of electrical work. The really weird part is when I turn on a fan on the dresser plugged into the same outlet, the lights turn brighter. The higher the words of the fan the brighter the lamp. I am thinking about isolating this room and putting it on its own circuit to see if it stops the flicker. Wife said the florescent bulbs did the same thing but they did not react with the fan speed. Any ideas appreciated. Humorous OK too. Thanks

  25. MikeMay 20, 2018 at 6:47 pm #

    Recently replaced incandescent bulbs (single bulb fixtures) in my laundry area, two fixtures on same circuit, with LED bulbs. They just started with the strobe light flashing. Help please.

  26. Noel PowersJune 30, 2018 at 11:35 am #

    i have found that the capacitor inside the bulb is bad. the company’s are using cheep capacitors. I have replaced the capacitor and it fixed the problem.

    • frankJuly 30, 2018 at 7:16 am #

      it appears you have over simplified the problem and presented a vague solution?….cheep? capacitors were replaced with what? inside the bulb?? what are you describing here????? please amplify your response………thanks

  27. AlexJuly 12, 2018 at 10:00 pm #

    I’ve inatalked over 200 Eurolux dimmable LED’s in my home with trailing edge Shuttle brand dimmers – the entire house flickers simultaneously on all the dimmer switches with LED’s. It’ll drive anyone crazy and cause epilepsy!

    If I replace the dimmer switch and module with just a normal on/off switch, there is no flickering on that circuit. I’ve called the both Eurolux and Shuttle dimmers to come to my home. I gave no idea if it’s the bulbs or the dimmmer modules? Three of my bulbs have blown already with all the flickering.

  28. Paul McGuiganJuly 16, 2018 at 4:03 pm #

    We have fitted two new lights in the livingroom. When one is turned on it is fine, but when both are on at the same time they flicker. What would be the cause of this?
    Thanks

  29. JohnAugust 1, 2018 at 12:59 pm #

    So I have a problem we had 2 led hi hats installed in our bathroom that flicker when the toggle switch controlling then is OFF no dimmer.
    If you turn on the paddle fan speed control switch in bedroom the bathroom led will flicker even with bathroom switch off

  30. NeilAugust 26, 2018 at 12:04 pm #

    I bought LED bulbs for a room ceiling fan/light combo. The lights flickered when dimmed but when I increased to at or near full strength, the flickered disappeared. Problem solved for me, I just won’t be able to dim in the bedroom, which is fine as I have another lighting system if needed.

  31. DonAugust 29, 2018 at 5:43 pm #

    I have an outdoor LED dome light and it worked great for a year. Went out on vacation and left the lights open for 3 days straight. Closed it when I got home and turned it on again several hours later and is now flickering/strobing. I have no dimmers. Is there anything I can do to fix it?

  32. Frank PSeptember 5, 2018 at 8:37 am #

    We have a similar issue to Paul’s. We have small LEDs under counter which work fine until incandescents on same circuit are on. Then the LEDs flicker. Any suggestions?

  33. G&E ElectricialSeptember 6, 2018 at 1:22 am #

    I’ve been trying to figure out why my technician wasn’t able to solve the flickering led problem. He blamed the switch.

    Solution: the technicians had built the new box that the switch connects to completely wrong. He color coded the load and hot wire wrong from the getgo.

    You need to connect most dimmers to the two black wires coming from the wall along with the neutral wire. The neutral wire must connect to ground in order for any switch to work.

  34. DerekSeptember 12, 2018 at 8:50 am #

    I replaced my halogen kitchen bulbs with LED. The centre bulb (about a 3” long tube) has started flickering on and off. I installed it several months ago. Could it just be burning out? It seems soon for LED but that light does get a lot of use. If that’s the case, I’m not sure it’s worth the price over the halogen bulb as my main reason for switching was to not have to change it as often (it’s a real pain). I put a regular halogen back in and it seemed just fine (until it quickly burned out because I over handled the bulb putting it in – why oh why did i ever buy a halogen fixture?!?) so I don’t think it’s the fixture. Any thoughts would be appreciated

  35. JeffSeptember 29, 2018 at 6:57 pm #

    I bought a pack of 3 led bulbs and installed them, 2 of them started to flicker and went out like normal light bulbs, I have no type of dimmer Installed. Does anyone have any information? The bulbs are from ikea

  36. KOctober 6, 2018 at 10:00 pm #

    I just want the light bulb to work. I’m not going to take it apart and wouldn’t know how.
    The article was very interesting—especially the part about undiagnosed epileptic photsensitivity). And yes, I get migraines.
    The comments on this site seem to be for electricians (compared to me).
    Who can help a layperson?

  37. Nye1December 6, 2018 at 8:32 pm #

    Led lamps at full power 120v should not visibly flicker. If they do, they are either defective, your house wiring is faulty or utility is not supplying clean power.

  38. thomas dragooDecember 10, 2018 at 5:39 pm #

    I realize this sounds weird but: I replaced the three incandescent bulbs in a ceiling fan with LED bulbs and they flickered horribly. Replaced these with three LED bulbs of a different manufacturer… Same thing. I then replaced ONE of the bulbs with an incandescent bulb… And now …. NO flickering ( with two LED and one incandescent). I am not questioning as to why, but rather am happy with what I have!!!!!!

    • Bruce GreshamJanuary 21, 2019 at 12:44 pm #

      That is an interesting idea Thomas.

  39. KrystalDecember 16, 2018 at 5:18 pm #

    We replaced two lights with dimmable LED light fixtures and LED dimmer switches, when dimmed, one of the light fixtures has a flicker. What is causing this?

  40. Jeff BDecember 18, 2018 at 8:22 am #

    We have LED lights under our bookshelves. We replaced halogen lights with led lights. Some of them flicker quite a bit. When the room is 54 degrees (at night) and we turn them on in the morning, two groups of lights flash and then go off. They work once the room temperature has increased.

  41. Jan KJanuary 11, 2019 at 7:44 pm #

    LED lights are just crap. Unfortunately, halogen lights which get very hot & expensive (power-wise) are the best for our eyes, because they are a source of infra-red rays, just like the sun – the way God planned it. The problem is fluorescent & LED lights do not produce infra-red and are, therefore, very bad for our eyes… which our brains apparently suck up – some more than others. You can buy full-spectrum fluorescents, which produce a full spectrum – just like sunlight. Funny thing is, we too, decided to try LED’s and they only flicker in ceiling fixtures and not all the time. I can’t stand it – they make me feel crazy in a matter of seconds. We’re all being taxed for our huge carbon footprint… and the fact is that the lighting in our homes is such an unbelievably minimal & insignificant cost and a very small percentage of the problem when considering power consumption. We are all being fleeced by dumb-green-ass politicians!

  42. Amy WintersFebruary 4, 2019 at 10:54 am #

    Thanks for pointing out that LED flickering can usually be traced back to the driver component of the lamp. One of my home’s LED lamps has been flickering lately, so I’ve been doing some research online to see if I can determine the cause. I didn’t know the driver component could cause flickering, so I’m glad you mentioned that tip!

  43. David HeathFebruary 15, 2019 at 2:25 pm #

    Ive changed 100’s of fluorescents with LED replacements and never had 1 not work right but I only buy direct power tubes so no ballasts. I buy dual end power replacements. As for flashing bulbs and such we found most didn’t have enough resistance so we installed resistors and they all work fine.

  44. David SpectorApril 27, 2019 at 6:33 am #

    I see a very different kind of flicker than is describe here. As my LED bulbs age they begin to flash dim and bright, alternately, in bursts of several seconds each with a flashing frequency well below 1 Hz (about 1-2 seconds per flash). This cannot trigger seizures; it is just plain annoying. The solution is to replace the bulb with a new one. But this puts a lie to the claim that LED bulbs are more economical in the long run than all other types. The truth is that there is no ideal lamp as yet because manufacturers want to make maximum profit. I say this because, probably, an ideal LED bulb would require a better power supply than the weird but cheap bucking power supplies currently being used (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_converter). Note: the LED bulbs where I see this flashing are designed for use with dimmers, but I always keep my dimmer switches in the full on position. And another problem is that “warm” LED bulbs have too much green color in them. An incandescent object does not look green.

  45. BillMay 5, 2019 at 5:47 pm #

    I just installed 6 Juno led lights, soon as I turn them on they flicker for 3 seconds and stop and are steady and do not flicker anymore. What could the be?

    Thanks for any advice.
    Bill

  46. Steve CrouchMay 14, 2019 at 5:01 am #

    I am a professional LED low voltage landscape lighting installer in St. Louis, MO. I have installed around 450 LED low voltage landscape lighting systems with minimal flickering of the LED bulbs.

    I currently have a project with about 60 outdoor LED low voltage landscape lighting fixtures. There are 7 fixtures that are flickering, but the rest of the home run line is fine. The flickering does not happen when I am at the home. Seems the flickering happens later in the evening when the customer is returning to their home, they notice it. We have MR16 LED 3000K warm white bulbs in the fixtures – each are 6.5 watt Euri bulbs.

    Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank you!

  47. jimNovember 5, 2019 at 7:49 am #

    I have replace a flickering led bulb with another led bulb , it woks fine. I took that bulb from another socket where it worked fine. I put the flickering bulb in the other socket , it was flickering the same . so it must be the bulb. all the bulbs were installed at the same time . six out of about 20 are no good . I switch them around they don’t work right. all bulbs abouit a year old and the same number of hrs of use.
    now figure that out.

  48. Ion BaleanuNovember 27, 2019 at 10:00 am #

    I replaced an old fixture on the outside of my house. I’ve installed two fixtures in its place. The power was coming from an outlet through the switch and going to 3 other light switch combinations in the house. I connected all the wires but only the LED light on the outside fixtures are flashing. I’m thinking my fixtures cans handle LED. What say you?

  49. AileenJanuary 28, 2020 at 10:45 pm #

    A few questions here. Do all the LED bulbs on the same circuit need to be by the same manufacturer? I recently changed out dying CFL bulbs with Costco Feit dimmable bulbs ( no dimmer but a two way switch on 6 ceiling spots) and one of my IKEA LEDs is flickering but not the other.

    The comment about clean power is intriguing me as I recently had a smolder in my garage that knocked out two sets of breakers. This started after that along with a low battery notice on my alarm system, even after the battery was replaced.

    Thanks

    • Spud 7February 6, 2020 at 9:12 am #

      Aileen, you are lucky no additional damage was done by the “smolder” in your garage. I hope that was correctly fixed and in the past!

  50. Spud 7February 6, 2020 at 9:44 am #

    This issue with Flickering seems to be covering many symptoms that have different causes and interpretations. I will attempt to address these issues in the next few posts:
    1) In no post (That I have read, so far) has it been mentioned that the normal operation of both Fluorescent lighting and LED Lighting is that they turn on and off rapidly, at the frequency (or twice the frequency) of the power driving them. This frequency, for most Flurescent and LED bulbs is determined by the power source, which in the U.S. is 60 Hertz (Hz), or Cycles Per Second (CPS). What this means is that for every cycle of Alternating Current (AC, the type we have in our homes), the Fluorescent bulbs and LEDs turn on for part of that time and off for the other. To understand this needs more knowledge of how electricity is generated and distributed to our homes and workplaces. If you are not following me, please look up electrical generation of alternating current, theory. So, for 1 cycle, (which occurs 60 times per second, the lamps are on, in some level of brilliance, 1/120 of a second, then off and back on the remaining 1/120 of a second, in a semi-sinusoidal fashion, like the famed “Golden Arches” of the hamburger world. Both halves of the cycle equals 1/60th of a second total. Fortunately, and unfortunately, this on/off cycling is not noticed by most people, therefore “acceptable” as a light source, the unfortunate part being that it is noticeable by many and affects them negatively. For better quality LED and Fluorescent Lights, the frequency of operation can be increased by electronic circuitry to minimize the flicker, if the manufacturer chooses to do so. At a Winter Lighting event at a local zoo, the strings of colored lights all appeared to be on all the time, but I could perceive/sense the on-off cycle and sure enough, taking a strand of lights and waving them in the air rapidly showed that they ARE actually turning on and off rapidly! Try it with your Christmas/ Holiday LED Lights!
    A source for this information, should this interest you:
    https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/lighting_flicker.html

  51. Spud 7February 6, 2020 at 10:13 am #

    2) a continuation:
    You may ask, “Why don’t Incandescent bulbs flicker?”. This is because, while they are also being applied power in the same on and off sinusoidal fashion as the Fluorescent and LED bulbs, the hot filament can not cool down quickly and is still glowing when the cycle of power repeats. In other words, it can’t show what is actually happening inside the bulb, electrically. It is the same for a burner on a stove. The power cycles on and off rapidly, but the element glows constantly. Kind of like spinning a bicycle tire fast by hand: the tire continues to turn constantly, withot seemingly slowing down, though you are only pushing it around every second or so. LED’s and Fluorescents are not like that. In the case of the LED’s, the LED is capaple of switching on and off many times faster than the human can perceive, if the driver for the LED is so designed. LED stands for Light Emitting Diode, a Diode being an electronic device that simply only lets electrical current flow through it in one direction. In Alternating Current (AC), the direction of electrical current actually moves forward and back in a sinusoidal fashion at a frequency determined by the power generating source. So, without getting too complicated, the Diode allows current to flow in one direction and when the current tries to reverse and flow in the opposite direction, the device will not conduct and acts like a shut valve, effectively shutting off the power. With AC, this means that the time when the power is flowing in the “positive” direction, the LED allows it to pass through. When the AC goes “negative” , below a zero reference, the diode shuts off, as though the valve has been shut. No current flows. An LED, which is a Diode that can emitt light when current passes through it, therefore turns on only half the time of any given cycle of frequency and starts emitting light when the cycle starts again. Imagine the “golden arches” with only half of the “M” The second hump is missing. So it is with LED Lights! While Phosphors are inside Fluorescent lamps, which glow when the electric arc inside causes the gas inside the lamp to glow and softens the flicker (Phosphors don’t lose their glow as soon as power is off.), LED’s have no Phosphors, because the light from an LED would not cause Phosphors to glow. Its a different principle.

  52. Spud 7February 6, 2020 at 10:36 am #

    3) Continuation and Closing:

    The flicker I have read about in these posts seem to be of 2 very different natures:
    In the first case, there is a typical, by design, flicker that is occuring constantly due to how the device works. This issue is best addressed by the design of the electronic circuitry within each bulb that drives the LED part of the lamp.
    While there may be ways to combat this using devices you could have installed on your power system, ideally the market will demand the manufacturers step up and provide the answer.
    The second “flicker” described in these posts are the ones that are caused by variations and or faults in the electrical system and must be addressed differently. We go every day expecting our power to our homes to be constant, reliable and worry free, but from a technical standpoint, there are occurances all the time, called “transients”, “surges” or “line disturbances” and “brown-outs” that all affect the quality of the power you receive. The brown-outs and power outages are quite noticeable because you can see the lights flicker or dim and some machinery may make different sounds. The quick acting transients, which occur thousands of times every day on all power distribution systems, are not noticeable unless they are so powerful (as in a lightening strike) that things suffer immediate damage. The reason we buy surge protectors in our power strips is to suppress the typical lower power disturbances of a tranient nature that are just part of the nature of power generation and distribution. To resolve these issues, the end user is likely going to be the one coming up with the solutions utilizing power conditioning equipment installed by an electrician who can do the calculations necessary to ensure the proper equipment is purchased and installed. Non-Qualified individuals are not likely to easily pick the correct equipment as this is a science and mathematics based process that one must learn to do. Regardless of whether you follow this advice or not, PLEASE BE CAREFUL with ELECTRICITY. It will give you NO WARNING before you are electrocuted. Pay to get the job done safely and right. Do your homework to make sure you are not being bamboozled, but let the pro’s do the work. You will live to complain about the expense!!!

  53. Annoyed Lighting NerdFebruary 11, 2020 at 10:13 pm #

    OMG there are so many comments on this article! I’m not going to read them all so let me know if someone else already mentioned this…
    People really need to stop referring to LEDs as “bulbs”. There is no such thing as an “LED Bulb”. Light Emitting Diodes are just that, diodes. Not bulbs!
    A “light bulb” is an incandescent type lamp, consisting of a filament electricity can pass through, while sealed in an air-tight, BULB SHAPED, glass chamber. The “bulb” part is literally only referring to THE SHAPE OF THE GLASS!
    Anything else that produces light and is not sealed in a glass chamber SHAPED LIKE A BULB… IS NOT A BULB!

    • Poppy A., D.C.August 20, 2020 at 2:05 am #

      Wow. No disrespect intended here—I’m just surprised you’re so upset about a simple (language) usage matter. I must say, also, I disagree entirely with you—& so do the very companies that make these things—like G.E. (See, e.g., “Meet GE’s First High Definitiom LED Light Bulbs,” etc., at https:/GElighting.com.)

      You know, I have some of those little light-emitting diodes (not housed in anything, “bulb-shaped” or, really, in anything. . While my son does harmless (precocious-for-a-10-year-old) experiments with those little diodes, I [and the commenters whose comments you decided you’d not bother reading] really cannot make practical use of these diodes unless they’re located in thar “bulb-shaped” glass (or other material). So, we those “LED bulbs.”

      That’s accurate usage. It (1) differentiates LED “in bulb-shaped” housing from, say, incandescent bulbs, and (2) it differentiates the LED “bulb-shaped” items we screw into lamps and such, from the little light-emitting diodes that people, say, studying electricity, use for other purposes.

  54. Aaron K DeanApril 5, 2020 at 6:58 am #

    I have 4 ceiling lights. THey are 4 foot flourescent fictures. They were normal florescents and I changed to 4 foot LED bulbs. They are all the same. In 3 lights they are fine and bright. The 4th flashes on an off like a strobe. I put two of the working lights in flashing fixture and they ‘strobed’ as well. It only happens in the one fixture.
    After ‘strobing” for a minute the bulb quit lighting or flashing altogether. Did the LED die?
    What would anyone suggest.

  55. TJHApril 30, 2020 at 7:49 am #

    I have also experienced most of these flickering issues in the home. For my problems all has been corrected by me contacting the electric company and having them check my incoming power. Between the two poles there is was a several volt variation sometimes upwards of twenty volts, and it would bounce back and forth, sometimes high and low on both sides of the home. After I put my meter in my sockets and also checked both sides of the breaker box I found this out and had the electric company replace all the neutral connections from the hose to the pole then to the transformer it got a lot better. But to make it all good again I installed voltage regulators to keep the current constant. Now it doesn’t matter if I have the furnace, dryer, microwave, air compressor on the current stays constant with as little as 3 volt difference max. Not saying this is everyone cure to blinking and flashing led for a lot is in the internal components. But for any the problem was the crappy power coming into the home. Ac line conditioners and regulators will not only be beneficial for the home in general due to high voltage spikes(126-140) wiping out your power supplies and possibly affecting the internal components on some of these led drivers and so on. Most people never know the are having these fluctuations until a power strip gets fried or a light buld(incandescent) gets super bright and blows when you flip the switch. Not saying all is bad from the electric company you could also have a bad neutral connection in the home and Inspect your ground outside too.

  56. Puck Light PaulMay 1, 2020 at 7:57 am #

    I am trying to replace some under cabinet puck lights with LED. Bought 6 and two drivers which convert the 120v AC down to 12v DC. Each LED is 3V. The driver has an electrical plug. When I plug it in with 4 bulbs connected, they all light up perfect. However when I tried using the existing wiring to power the driver, they don’t light up. I then tried to wire one light directly to the existing wiring for the old halogens. No driver. It lit up but I could tell there was a slight flicker (although at a very high frequency) Wondering how I could fix this? I want to use the old wires so it is connected to the light switch. I don’t want to have to plug and unplug manually 2 sets of lights every time. Also, I don’t want to have to break tiles and go behind the wall to rewire.

  57. Puck Light PaulMay 4, 2020 at 8:24 pm #

    I just checked the old halogens that I’m replacing, They say 20 watt max 12V Type T3. then the back says Use max 20 watts. type T singled – ended, bi-pin 12V. 120V AC only. If that helps. I’m guessing the wires then have been stepped down to 12 v AC. and I need a transformer that will step from 12V AC to 12V DC. Do they even make that? Or am I completely off with this?

  58. SteveMay 6, 2020 at 9:16 am #

    I just roughed up the thread and the centre contact on a flashing Noma LED bulb (a bit of sandpaper), to see if it was a poor contact. It was – flashing has stopped.

  59. AndrewMay 21, 2020 at 2:33 pm #

    I have an odd issue.
    I have a small track light in my apartment, 4 lamps. With an adjustable light switch.
    When i got the lights replaced with LEDs they flicker at anything but the lowest brightness.
    The unusual issue is if i swap one of them out with a regular bulb they all work fine.

    Anyone know what the root cause for this is?

  60. tom raleyMay 22, 2020 at 1:23 pm #

    buy LED bulbs that are designed to be adjusted. Regular LED bulbs can not be adjusted. To prove this out look at you light thru your phones camera. There are adjustable LEDs out there just a little more expensive.

    • AndrewMay 25, 2020 at 10:09 pm #

      Im not sure what these are. Probably not adjustable since they are provided by my apartment and the dimmer switch isnt standard.

      I looked through my phone’s camera but didnt see anything of note.

      The bulb i use that isnt LED is for a 3 mode lamb. I just don’t understand why they flicker without it but dont when it is installed.

  61. RAGHAVENDRAN SJune 13, 2020 at 12:23 am #

    LED tube light is getting off after few seconds and starts flickering then. what will be the reason..how to resolve it

  62. Anthony Ray* DonsbachAugust 26, 2020 at 1:27 pm #

    I replaced all 3 light fixtures in our kitchen. Purchased 3 identical led light assemblys. No bulbs, just the led strips. Did this several years ago and now we’ve noticed that 1 is flickering. What would cause that?

  63. ShahidSeptember 9, 2020 at 9:38 pm #

    I have issue with LED tube lights. in my part of world there is sometime electricity break down for few minutes. whenever electricity is restored my house LED tube lights stop working properly. some of the led in the light not glow. I have replaced LED lights with new one 4 times but still have same problem. electrician has checked the whole house wiring but not found any issue. any lead for resolution of such issue.

  64. Hannah J ParrishDecember 28, 2020 at 5:09 am #

    Most common issue with this barring start up loads, or dirty power consuming devices is loose conductors. Have a qualified electrician check and reset all of the bus and breaker connections in your panel, and then again at the meter, especially if you have aluminum conductors

  65. BRIAN J MOOREFebruary 3, 2021 at 8:15 am #

    Also a problem is when using a T8 electronic ballast, It must be an instant start or program start when using LED lamps. The tombstones also need to be shunted in order for these bulbs to function properly.

  66. Karen R RymerAugust 17, 2021 at 12:02 am #

    This is why we buy commercial grade lighting instead of residential – more likelihood of getting a better product that performs better and lasts longer.

  67. Samantha NicholsAugust 21, 2021 at 6:26 am #

    There are step by step to change RV interior light bulbs. Step 1: turn off the light. Step 2: remove the light exterior. Step 3: take out the old light bulb. Step 4: insert the new light bulb. Step 5: test the new light. Hope this is useful for someone.

  68. Samantha NicholsAugust 28, 2021 at 7:16 am #

    I really like your article because it gave me much useful information about LED bulb flickers. Thanks so much for sharing!

  69. Dalton BourneAugust 28, 2021 at 7:20 am #

    How to Change an RV Ceiling Light Bulb with a high-intensity or more energy-efficient light bulb. First, you should check your RV’s ceiling light casing. Then, rotate the ceiling light cover counterclockwise to expose the light housing. Remove the screws that secure the casing to the bracket. Pull out the light casing to expose the wiring. Take out the old light bulb, then install the new light bulb. If you have LED lights, you will have to check the wiring diagram to change the RV interior light bulbs. Test your lights by turning them on and off several times, noting their response and other characteristics.

  70. Albert WilliamsonMarch 16, 2022 at 10:17 am #

    Good info here on flickering, thanks!

  71. Robin O’SteenApril 21, 2022 at 6:10 am #

    I install 2 led lights in my kitchen 1 4 foot and 1 2 foot 3 years ago had no problems Till now when you turn them on they flicker in about 5 mins they come on and are fine I leave them on for days and no flicker but cut off and turn back we flickering.

    • PremierApril 21, 2022 at 8:46 am #

      The ballast may be failing if they worked for a while and now are flickering. Also depends where you bought the lamp, if they are from a Lowes or Menards they are residential-grade and thus may be likely to fail within 3 years such as your situation

  72. Robin O’SteenApril 21, 2022 at 11:56 am #

    Thank for your reply they were from Lowe’s
    Thank again for your help will replace both of them

  73. Dalton BourneSeptember 19, 2022 at 2:37 am #

    Thank for your useful information. But I want to know how to replace RV light bulbs if it’s broken.

  74. William StearSeptember 27, 2022 at 12:10 am #

    Thanks for your nice article, But I am not clear about What are the reasons for Invisible flicker and where they come from, is it normal?

  75. Mark ADecember 11, 2022 at 10:43 am #

    I have 3 flourescent fixtures in my kitchen that I recently replaced with LED tubes. All worked great until one of the ballasts went bad, and that fixture wouldn’t light. I switched bulbs with another fixture to verify bulbs were good. No problem I thought, I’ll just replace it. Now the fixture with the new ballast flickers for about 5 minutes when first turned on, like something has to warm up to get a stable power supply.

    • PremierDecember 12, 2022 at 1:04 pm #

      Good example of why we never suggest ballast compatible tubes, especially when dealing with a residential application. You are likely to have a residential-grade ballast and not sure what LED tube you used but if it is something from Home Depot/Lowes, it may not be great. This leads to flickering or weak performance. Probably too late at this point for you with how much you have invested already in the LED tubes and ballasts, but a ballast-bypass LED T8 eliminates this problem.

  76. Michael GMay 17, 2023 at 5:14 am #

    There are enough flicker-free LED options out there, comes down to whether people want to pay more for the higher quality product. But this is America and people are cheap, they talk big about China but still buy the same old cheap a$$ tech

  77. Horrible flickerJuly 4, 2023 at 8:12 pm #

    Horrible flicker going on in my garage, time to get rid of ballasts..

  78. Nick DavisMarch 13, 2024 at 8:27 pm #

    Good info here, glad I’m not the only one wondering about these things..

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