We have a half bathroom where the light switch is not quite behind the door when it's open but not readily visible when one walks in, so we put an illuminated switch there. That was fine with incandescent lamps and even with 60W-equivalent LEDs, but we decided that the 60W LEDs were too bright and installed 40W-equivalent LEDs in their place. Now the lamps never totally extinguish but only dim to a a faint glow.
Any way of using both the illuminated switch and the 40W LEDs?
Perce
Percival P. Cassidy wrote on 12/22/2017 6:04 PM:
Lol. I have the same thing. I put two LED cans in my bedroom ceiling along with a pair of lighted dimmer switches. The lighted switch is just a neon bulb across the switch which then conducts a small current when the switch is open. This small current won't light an incandescent bulb, but will light up an LED. So I have two night lights in my ceiling, lol
-- Rick C Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms, on the centerline of totality since 1998
The illuminated switch also presents a shock hazard for the same reason. The light socket is not totally dead when the switch is off.
Change the light switch out for a duplex style with a separately wired neon bulb, or a combination switch/outlet. Then plug in a night light.
It might take some hunting, but they are still available.
Well, sure; let it glow. There's no harm in that, is there?
No. If wanted, add a suitable capacitor across the light socket to pass the slight current, plus a series R to limit peak current.
NT
Can you increase the value of the neon dropper small enough to be useable still, yet large enough to extinguish the LEDs when "off"
No, LED lighting has higher efficacy than neon.
NT
That reasoning is faulty. Neon lamps have a high impedance (large voltage drop), and a 50V neon lamp in series with a 3V LED, with the same current, could be one tenth the efficiency of the LED, it'd still be brighter.
Neither the neon, nor the LED, is linear.
That's not right. Mains LED lightbulbs do not run on 3v, they either transform mains to low V, in which case the LED will light, or they use a series RC PSU in which case it will glow too dim to notice.
NT
Are you using dimmable or non-dimmable LED bulbs?
That may make a difference.... (just a thought).
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