Solutions for LED inrush current

[Greg Hinksman]

I am upgrading garage lighting. I have installed 12 40W batten lights (cheap Amazon variety - don’t have specs).

6A breaker in Garage consumer panel is tripping on inrush current. House consumer panel 32A breaker for garage is also tripping occasionally. Both are type B. No surprises so far.

Garage consumer panel has old style integrated wylex plug-in breakers (2-way - 32A for sockets & 6A for lighting). Cannot seem to find type-c or type-d plug-in replacements. Does anyone know where to find them - or if they even exist?

Probably need to change house consumer panel breaker to type-c? Am slightly surprised 32A breaker is tripping.

Does anyone know of any in-line delay-on module that can be wired into the lighting so I can stagger the lights on in banks. I can easily divide the lights into 3 banks that come on 1 sec after each other. I’d like to avoid having to switch/wire each bank separately.

Many thanks.

 

[Avo Mk8]

Pity the batten lights don't have thermistor/NTC resistor inrush current limiting in them!
Eg: Inrush Current Protection for LED Lighting Retrofits | Ametherm - https://www.ametherm.com/blog/inrush-current/inrush-current-protection-led-lighting-retrofits/

This has quite a high current rating, but might do the job?

https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/2860410.pdf

There may be other units around more suitable.

 

[Avo Mk8]

I discovered MeanWell have published their suggested number of power supplies/lights that can be fed with and without their current limiting unit ICL-16. It looks like their unit should do the job. If it were me, I'd give it a try!
PS There is a Wylex 10A breaker for your garage unit, but I don't think there were type C or D of that style. Could be wrong!

 

[Greg Hinksman]

Thanks a lot for the info.

That device is exactly what I am after - if it limits the current appropriately.

From what I read, it limits inrush current to 16A - which is more than 6, but perhaps short enough duration to make a difference.

Perhaps that and a 10A breaker, might be enough to make it over the line.

 

[MJPD29]

You’ll need to check you can still meet zs requirements for ads when changing from a b type to c type.

 

[Avo Mk8]

Greg - this contains some relevant info if you are interested:

https://www.beama.org.uk/static/b40aa7b9-f1c4-487a-a8f172067978517b/BEAMA-Guide-to-Circuit-breaker-Selection-for-LED-Lighting.pdf

Hopefully it will not be necessary for you to change any breaker to type c.

The above BEMA document contains a recommendation (I was unaware of):

 

[Greg Hinksman]

Thanks again for all the info.

Do you think this inrush current limiter can be wired directly after the breaker - or do you think it needs to be downstream of the switch?

 

[Avo Mk8]

Thanks again for all the info.

Do you think this inrush current limiter can be wired directly after the breaker - or do you think it needs to be downstream of the switch?

I don't think it matters. The product spec. shows it wired after the breaker, but that's for their SMPS example.
The quiescent current is given as 1.5W, so putting it after the switch might save a few pennies a year!
Personally I thought the long plastic box form factor version might be easier to accommodate somewhere in the garage, but you could put the DIN version in the CU if there's room.

 

[Greg Hinksman]

I don't think it matters. The product spec. shows it wired after the breaker, but that's for their SMPS example.
The quiescent current is given as 1.5W, so putting it after the switch might save a few pennies a year!
Personally I thought the long plastic box form factor version might be easier to accommodate somewhere in the garage, but you could put the DIN version in the CU if there's room.

Awesome. Thanks for the clarification. Makes sense.
I’ll wire it in the garage, on the main feed for all the lights (Inc outdoor floods which are PIR switched LEDs).
That way if everything comes on at once (say, resetting a breaker in CU), it will limit inrush on all transformers - floods, interior lights, cameras, etc.

 

[Avo Mk8]

Awesome. Thanks for the clarification. Makes sense.
I’ll wire it in the garage, on the main feed for all the lights (Inc outdoor floods which are PIR switched LEDs).
That way if everything comes on at once (say, resetting a breaker in CU), it will limit inrush on all transformers - floods, interior lights, cameras, etc.

Just for fun I worked out that on the lights main feed it will consume 1.31 kW hours of electricity in a year, so about 40p per annum!!
note to self - must get a life

Good luck with the installation - I hope that thing works - do let us know the outcome!