Answered Question

morriss00...

M$1 June 22, 2009 09:31 AM

Why do my candelabra LED bulbs, screwed into an medium base reducer, still give off a small amount of light when the electricity is off?

These bulbs are screwed into a medium base reducer that is then screwed into a bathroom light bar which normally would have six 25 watt incandescent bulbs. My brother thinks that there is a capacitor in the base of each bulb that is letting off a small trickle of stored electricity.

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albanian

June 22, 2009 11:36 AM

Your brother is probably right, because there are indeed capacitors in the circuits of LED bulbs and that electricity has to come from somewhere. Another way to answer your question would be to simply say that they haven't got the bugs out yet in designs of LED bulbs. Aside from being too expensive (at least in the 60 watt replacement or bigger sizes) they aren't as reliable. Probably this is because they need actual circuitry in their base not just the basic connection of the old bulbs.

Here is a source with more detailed information on the design of LED bulb circuits: http://www.edn.com/article/CA6648790.html

By the way, it is good to see someone else experimenting with using LED bulbs around the house. I have a few; but, I don't think they are ready for prime time yet. I'll have to stick for a while with the compact fluorescents, which I switched to years ago.

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• Left the lights off for three days while vacationing on another island. They were still giving off a little light upon our return.

Tags: bulb, led, capacitor, party

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wdawe

June 22, 2009 02:09 PM

If it is a capacitor the charge should eventually dissipate so the bulbs should stop glowing if they are left off long enough.

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morriss003

June 22, 2009 04:17 PM

I'm using 14 LED's in my large enclosed lanai with a solar panel and a Xantrex c12 controller, and the same thing but with different leds on my exterior lights. I have a total of 7 solar panels around the farm.

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