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enter image description here I recently installed an LED strip light to replace a fluorescent lamp in my garage.

It works great and I highly recommend them, however, I am curious why there is such a noticeable delay between turning on the AC wall switch and the thing lighting. I have seen folks on here before reporting a significant delay between application of AC power and lighting, and in my case the delay is close to a second.

However, I can't really figure out why the long delay. It's not LED turn on time, that ought to be a lot less than an incandescent bulb and I realize there is a constant current driver in there, but again, I'd think that would only take something in the order of tens of milliseconds to wind up.

So what else could be going on?

ADDED INFO

I played with it a bit more, turning the power off and on quickly I can make it stay off for over two seconds. I'm starting to wonder if these things have some smarts built in with significant delays to ensure stability of supply before LED activation.

Just wondering if any of our readers have some commercial design experience in this department and can shed some light on any higher design criteria that others, like me, might not be aware of. Perhaps safety or lamp life issues or some such.

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Trevor_G
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  • Interesting, I've used them to replace a pair of fluorescent lamps in my garage and they turn on immediately. Did you replace the starter switch with the fuse? – Finbarr Aug 22 '17 at 14:31
  • @Finbarr no it's a complete swap out. – Trevor_G Aug 22 '17 at 14:31
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    Did you not take it apart as soon as you unpacked it to see what's inside - like any good engineer? – Transistor Aug 22 '17 at 14:33
  • Ah, I did wonder - I just put LED lamps in my existing fittings and they work perfectly. – Finbarr Aug 22 '17 at 14:33
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    @Transistor of course.. right after I threw away the instructions. :) – Trevor_G Aug 22 '17 at 14:34
  • @Transistor inside is a small sealed black box regulator... about the size of a thin matchbox.. – Trevor_G Aug 22 '17 at 14:34
  • Whilst it doesn't add much. In one of my rooms I have a couple of these type of LED strips set up. I find that the ones further from the switch (long cable) have a noticeably slower start time. However, this might be purely coincidence –  Aug 22 '17 at 15:39
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    Well not an answer but these drivers are specified to do exactly what you have seen: "Setup/Rise time: 1500ms/110VAC, 500 ms/230VAC. Note: 6. Length of setuptime is measured at first cold start. Turning ON/OFF the driver may lead to increase of the setuptime." From a datasheet of a Meanwell LED driver I used in one of my own builds. (LPF-25) And I experience that delay as well. – Arsenal Aug 22 '17 at 16:07
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    I've used replacement 4' LED tubes and threw away the prior fluorescent bulbs that where there. I also cut the wires to the ballast, threw the ballast away, and re-wired the fixture. The new LED tubes light up instantly and work directly with the mains AC. Only one end is "active" though, so I had to test that before re-fixture wiring and placing the bulbs in the right orientation. – jonk Aug 22 '17 at 17:35
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    @Transistor Doesn't everyone start to mend/improve until broken when they have bought something? – winny Aug 22 '17 at 18:50

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It is probably the (internal) power supply is taking a few seconds to come up to full voltage. I had that problem with an LED strip. Fixed it by using a higher rated pwer supply. If yours is built-in, then you are out of luck.

ray
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