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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    IN
    Posts
    2

    Default LED light bulbs effects on wireless lights and fan switch

    I have a house is central Indiana that the wireless lights and fans work fine until the automatic garage exterior light come on (dusk to dawn switch.) Once the LED light bulbs come on, they somehow interfere with the fan/light switches (10) in the house. Once the LEDs are on you can not turn off a light that is on, or turn on a light that is off, The same with the fans. This is a new house and is wired correctly. Fixtures and switches were new an came from a large lighting supply house. The manufacturer suggested that the home owner replace the LED light bulbs with regular bulbs. When that was done the switches work fine. What is wrong with using LED bulbs?

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    Posts
    1,592

    Default Re: LED light bulbs effects on wireless lights and fan switch

    Likely RFI or EMI from the LED assembly causing problems with the wireless functions.

    Older dimmers and timers are not generally compatible with LED or modern bulbs either.

    Dom.


  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Osceola, AR
    Posts
    311

    Default Re: LED light bulbs effects on wireless lights and fan switch

    Interference from the LED bulbs. Earlier this week seller called and said his garage door would not work with remotes now. I checked garage door with wall switch, seller did operate the door with remotes, which were working fine at the inspection. My only comment about the garage was a burned out bulb in the door operator, seller had bulbs & a ladder out before I even finished saying anything.
    When the seller called to ask what I had done to his door I told him I would stop by and take a look since it is only a couple of blocks away from my home (and the guy really had a clean house as far as the report went). On the way I called the garage door guy I use and his first comment was that the seller should take the LED bulbs back out of the operator. I stopped in and pulled out the LED bulb. Problem Solved! Door guy says LEDs generate just enough interference to jam the signal from the remotes and he is getting more of this call all the time.

    Alton Darty
    ATN Services, LLC
    www.arinspections.com

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Southern Vancouver Island
    Posts
    4,607

    Default Re: LED light bulbs effects on wireless lights and fan switch

    Thanks for the info.

    John Kogel, RHI, BC HI Lic #47455
    www.allsafehome.ca

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Fletcher, NC
    Posts
    28,032

    Default Re: LED light bulbs effects on wireless lights and fan switch

    Quote Originally Posted by Alton Darty View Post
    Interference from the LED bulbs. Earlier this week seller called and said his garage door would not work with remotes now. I checked garage door with wall switch, seller did operate the door with remotes, which were working fine at the inspection. My only comment about the garage was a burned out bulb in the door operator, seller had bulbs & a ladder out before I even finished saying anything.
    When the seller called to ask what I had done to his door I told him I would stop by and take a look since it is only a couple of blocks away from my home (and the guy really had a clean house as far as the report went). On the way I called the garage door guy I use and his first comment was that the seller should take the LED bulbs back out of the operator. I stopped in and pulled out the LED bulb. Problem Solved! Door guy says LEDs generate just enough interference to jam the signal from the remotes and he is getting more of this call all the time.
    Glad to know about that interference with remotes ... good thing my flood lights only come on at night!

    I recently (over the last 3-4 weeks) replaced 5 double 150 watt floods and one 90 watt HPS flood with 6 double 28 watt LED floods (at $94 each - Ouch!) and the result is nice bright white light flooding all around the outside of the house. These stay on dusk-to-dawn at about half-brightness and go full-brightness when motion triggers them ... and full brightness is BRIGHT ... all from those little 28 watt LEDs!

    Hopefully they aren't bothering any wireless remotes or anything for my neighbors.

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Bennett (Denver metro), Colorado
    Posts
    1,461

    Default Re: LED light bulbs effects on wireless lights and fan switch

    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Peck View Post
    Glad to know about that interference with remotes ... good thing my flood lights only come on at night!

    I recently (over the last 3-4 weeks) replaced 5 double 150 watt floods and one 90 watt HPS flood with 6 double 28 watt LED floods (at $94 each - Ouch!) and the result is nice bright white light flooding all around the outside of the house. These stay on dusk-to-dawn at about half-brightness and go full-brightness when motion triggers them ... and full brightness is BRIGHT ... all from those little 28 watt LEDs!

    Hopefully they aren't bothering any wireless remotes or anything for my neighbors.
    I recently noticed a new glow to the SE. Those LEDs are amazing.

    Interesting info. I was unaware that LEDs could interfere with wireless devices. I just put in a 4' LED tube light in my garage without any problems.

    If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Capistrano Beach, CA
    Posts
    1,510

    Default Re: LED light bulbs effects on wireless lights and fan switch




    Radio interference from LED lighting | EMC and Regulatory Compliance



    How LED Lights Can Cause Problems With Your Garage Door Opener

    The heart of the problem lies in the control circuit that provides the long life that LED (light emitting diode) lights are known for. LED lights get their efficiency from something called pulse width modulation, or PWM, which turns the light off and on more than 15 times per second. The energy savings comes from the fact that the light is actually on for only half the time. You don’t realize that the light is off part of the time because of the phenomenon of persistence of vision


    Government guidelines for LED manufacturers require these control circuits to operate on frequencies between 30 and 300 MHZ. By coincidence, most garage door opener remotes have been assigned frequencies between 288 and 360 MHZ.

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  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Bennett (Denver metro), Colorado
    Posts
    1,461

    Default Re: LED light bulbs effects on wireless lights and fan switch

    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Hannigan View Post
    The heart of the problem lies in the control circuit that provides the long life that LED (light emitting diode) lights are known for. LED lights get their efficiency from something called pulse width modulation, or PWM, which turns the light off and on more than 15 times per second. The energy savings comes from the fact that the light is actually on for only half the time. You don’t realize that the light is off part of the time because of the phenomenon of persistence of vision
    .
    Cool info.

    However, persistence of vision, while related, does not explain why we don't perceive the on/off cycle. It's more the phenomenon of "flicker fusion" which explains why we don't perceive the black line between the frames in movie film as the film passes through the projector around 24 frames per second but why we see flicker in old movies at 16-17 frames per second.

    But knowing that LEDs can interfere with wireless devices will become more important as LEDs become more prominent.

    If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Wenatchee Wa
    Posts
    301

    Default Re: LED light bulbs effects on wireless lights and fan switch

    Brian (and all), Thanks for info. I was just talking to another inspector on this exact issue. I have yet to see this happen but now will have it on the radar.

    Don Hester
    NCW Home Inspections, LLC
    Wa. St. Licensed H I #647, WSDA #80050, http://www.ncwhomeinspections.com

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    IN
    Posts
    2

    Default Re: LED light bulbs effects on wireless lights and fan switch

    Thanks to all who have replied. The lighting supply company that furnished the remote control wall switches had me switch the poles (in the breaker box) for the outside lighting to be opposite side of the fans and lights. The problem went away. One year later a new house was built next to mine and they installed LED bulbs outside and my problem returned. The supply company said that lights on another house can not interfere with my remote switches. I have had no control of my switches (each day after the dust to dawn lights come on) for the last six months.


  11. #11
    Marshall Brown's Avatar
    Marshall Brown Guest

    Default Re: LED light bulbs effects on wireless lights and fan switch

    Most solution to problems are just reconfigured problems.


  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Maryland, DC, and Northern Virginia, electrical only
    Posts
    444

    Default Re: LED light bulbs effects on wireless lights and fan switch

    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Peck View Post

    Hopefully they aren't bothering any wireless remotes or anything for my neighbors.
    Amen!


  13. #13
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    eastpoint fl
    Posts
    49

    Default Re: LED light bulbs effects on wireless lights and fan switch

    Quote Originally Posted by Marshall Brown View Post
    Most solution to problems are just reconfigured problems.
    We have a saying in the software industry: "Many features are just bugs with seniority."

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Marshall Brown View Post
    Most solution to problems are just reconfigured problems.
    We have a saying in the software industry: "Many features are just bugs with seniority."

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Marshall Brown View Post
    Most solution to problems are just reconfigured problems.
    We have a saying in the software industry: "Many features are just bugs with seniority."

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Marshall Brown View Post
    Most solution to problems are just reconfigured problems.
    We have a saying in the software industry: "Many features are just bugs with seniority."


  14. #14
    Robin Wells's Avatar
    Robin Wells Guest

    Default Re: LED light bulbs effects on wireless lights and fan switch

    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Hannigan View Post



    Radio interference from LED lighting | EMC and Regulatory Compliance



    How LED Lights Can Cause Problems With Your Garage Door Opener

    The heart of the problem lies in the control circuit that provides the long life that LED (light emitting diode) lights are known for. LED lights get their efficiency from something called pulse width modulation, or PWM, which turns the light off and on more than 15 times per second. The energy savings comes from the fact that the light is actually on for only half the time. You don’t realize that the light is off part of the time because of the phenomenon of persistence of vision


    Government guidelines for LED manufacturers require these control circuits to operate on frequencies between 30 and 300 MHZ. By coincidence, most garage door opener remotes have been assigned frequencies between 288 and 360 MHZ.

    Thanks.. some new info you shared. I had this article already, but yours were new to me.

    LEDBenchmark - LED EMI Interference Issues


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