Strange LED outdoor floodlight behaviour

Dec 06, 2014 15 Replies

I am in the processing of replacing my outdoor security lights with LEDs these are in 2 separate circuits. There is one at the back of the house controlled by a single PIR while 3 at the front controlled by 2 PIRs. Each circuit is controlled in turn by a "Securilite" TZX box. The lights come on correctly, but when they are automatically switched off, by the controller's timer, they pulse, at a slightly lower light. The control box has lights showing which circuit has been activated, these behave normally. I am at a loss as to the problem, any suggestions please?


I suspect that the TZX box used an electronic switch. for these to work correctly they need minimum load. This is not provided by your new LED fittings. You will need to replace it with one capable of handling a smaller load.

/ any suggestions please/q

If you can, just live with it and think fondly of the savings from the LEDs?

Jim K

It could be that the LEDs are flashing due to capacitive coupling in the wiring

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I can live with it, but I doubt my neighbours could! :-))

Then add a low power filament lamp into the mix

NT

A thought meow, but it rather negates the efficiency of LEDs

Its more than a thought, its the one thing thats going to work, other than changing the equipment

NT

Usually only needs a 15w oven/fridge bulb and it will only be on when the floodlights are on so not much difference to overall power consumption.

Hum 3 x 10 W LED floods = 30 W. 15 W tungesten is 50% of the consumption for naff all light in comparison with the LEDs. OK 15 W for 4 hrs/day 365 days/year is only 21 units but that's one less (cheap) pint down the pub.

Yes, but compared to the 3x umpty Watts (of halogen floods?) that have been replaced ...

In case anyone is interested, I tried various ways of getting the lights to work properly, including fitting a capacitor/resistor filter, in the end the only thing to work were 12W lamps connected across the 2 channels. I fitted them with holders, as eventuality the lights will fail so I can easily replace them. Thanks for the help

Bit late now, but to make the filament lamps last 'forever', wire them in series - cuts the wattage and the filaments only glow. It means, of course, that they are useless for lighting but they just make a high temperature, reliable, resistor.

Thanks. That will be easy to do, I will try it later, probably after Christmas as her indoors has got a long list including shopping! :-(((

Sad to say Peter I tried that, but when in series the lights still flash, so have reconnected in parallel. Thanks for the idea though.

It might just need higher wattage lamps to achieve the same resistance. Means the load will increase but the filaments will still last. Downside is that the load will cost but there'll be no useful light.

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