Led on but switch off

Just put in a new led ceiling light in bedroom, 3 wires, the third capped and taped. The leds glow with the wall switched off. How is that posible? Installed with breaker off, hand twisted nuts and tape. Does the light retain x for a time?

Reply to
Thomas
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It may glow for a minute or so as the capacitors in the power supply discharge but it should go out. If this is not just a regular snap switch but some kind of electronic switching, there can be enough leakage in the triac to keep it from going off or just make it flash.

Reply to
gfretwell

Does your switch have a "pilot light" or "night light" in it???? And what do you mean 3 wires - third capped????

Reply to
Clare Snyder

Alolng the same line, has anyone had that same problem using the switches and modules of the newer Alexa and Google home controlers ?

I know from a friend that has the X10 system that he sometimes had a problem like that. I just do not know anyone that has the newer voice units and their modules.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

X10 switches were designed for tungsten bulbs and often have problems with LED/CFL/electronic loads. I use a couple like that and get it to work right by adding a small resistive load that draws about 15mA (1.8W when on 120V).

I also see this problem when using solid-state relays to control holiday lights. For this purpose I created several "offer" plugs using the male/female end of a holiday light string and a 8.6Kohm 2W resistor.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

No x ten no alexa but I have both. There was an old 2 wire light on a wall switch. This has 3 wires so I capped the white. There is no box to ground to, just 2 wires. It glowed all night. Brand Portfolio mxl306 led32k840 2. Lowes for about 70 bucks. The glow is not visible when day.

Reply to
Thomas

Hire an electrician. Soon.

Reply to
Scott Lurndal

The light has three wires, blk, wht, grn, yes? And you capped the WHITE? The blk and wht are the power for the light, the grn is ground. If this is a very old installation, no ground, then you don't connect the ground.

Reply to
trader_4

The "appliance modules" work. Regular "light switch" mosules generally do not work properly with LED lights. The difference is appliance modules "generally" use a relay. You can easily tell the difference. The relay ones "click" pretty loudly. The solid state units are virtually silent.

Reply to
Clare Snyder

If you capped the white what wires did you use?? What brand and model is the light?

Reply to
Clare Snyder

You most certainly did NOT follow the wiring instructions. The WHITE wire MUST be used. The green (safety ground) is the only wire that MIGHT not be connected Unless the wiringis pre-sixties or totally screwed up there WILL be a bare ground. You state there is no box - which would make it an illegal installation.

Call an electrician.

Reply to
Clare Snyder

Sounds more like a 3 way switch loop if this is an old installation. BTW you better get used to a capped white wire in boxes with switches. The 2011 and beyond code requires bring a neutral to every switch location, even if it is just a simple switch loop. It probably means the end of the switch loop as we know it. Switch boxes may become that cludge we used to see in a ceiling box.

Reply to
gfretwell

Probably not capped in most boxes though. To do a light, you run the romex into the switch, another run to the light. The white/neutral is connected. If it's a 3 ways switch, then you'd have to run an unused neutral.

Here almost every switch box I've encountered has had a neutral.

Reply to
trader_4

You always use 3 wires for a 3 way unless you are using that illegal west coast thing.

Then it is not a switch loop

Reply to
gfretwell
[snip]

That's true about the relays, but all modules will pass a small current through the load when "off". This allows the "local control" feature, and can cause trouble with small or inconsistent loads.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

Pulled it off the ceiling. Black on black, white on white, the yellow ground that is connected to the frame is wire nutted and taped.

2 wires. Glows when off. The wall switch only turns this on, no other appliance. Just pulled the switch faceplate. 2 wires. Not sure where they go. I originally did not cap the white. My own mispoken words concerned me. Got dressed this am with breaker off and flashlight.
Reply to
Thomas

He said 3 wires on the fixture but only 2 wires coming in so he capped off the white on the fixture - unless I read him wrong. In ANY event - installation with "no box" to ground it to is illegal - against code.

Reply to
Clare Snyder

On a relayed system the ghost current does NOT run through the load if properly wired.

Reply to
Clare Snyder

Check the wires coming into the switch. With the lamp disconnected. Do you have power on one pair???? If not you have a switch loop - but then you should only have one pair. With the wires disconnected from the switch, do you have power at the light (light still disconnected) You should not unless you DO have a switch loop. If you only have one pair at the lamp it is almost 100% sure you do NOT have a switch loop. Assuming you do NOT have a switch loop, connect the wires to the light - (the light will (should) not come on). Tie the whites together in the switch box. Light should still be off - not even a glimmer. Then connect the blacks inthe box. The light should come on. If everything works according to this procedure you had a leaky switch. Get a switch that does NOT have a "night-light" feature and install it.

The "night light" feature lights upthe switch when the light is turned off by putting a low wattage lamp of some sort (neon, LED or incandescent) across the terminals of the switch. The current to light the "night light" flows through the "load" which may be sufficient to make the led glow.

Reply to
Clare Snyder

Can you tell us the reasoning behind this code?

I'm not saying you are wrong, just asking why they would want this.

thanks

m
Reply to
makolber

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