Premiere dancing flame candle teardown.

This is one of the current generation of surprisingly realistic looking LED candles. It creates the effect of a real flame wavering about by deflecting a scooped flame shaped reflector in front of an LED lightsource.
The Premiere candles seem to have got a reputation for an annoying little thing where the light starts flashing as the batteries start to get too low. This is purely down to the fact that the coil that makes the flame waver draws quite a bit of current and makes the voltage drop to the point the light dips noticeably every time it is pulsed. The answer to this is to use a pair of good quality rechargeable batteries like 2000mAh (or higher) NiMh cells which should last about a week in timer mode. The candle has a choice of continuous operation or a timed mode where it will stay on for 6 hours and then go off for 18 which means it lights automatically at the same time each day.
I'd say this is a first generation candle with this technology, and as such it is actually very good despite the battery issue and a slight noise it makes when the plastic flames taps the side of its collar.
The way the light plays up the moving reflector produces a VERY realistic flame effect in the right surroundings.

[@elliottlieb4333]

I was fixing a candle like this for a friend and was stuck at one point on how to put it back together, this helped a lot!

[@MatSmithLondon]

I had no idea you'd made so many vids on the candles. This is superb! Thanks for the great vids.

[@mrdovie47]

I was able to hack a dancing flame from a dollar store dancing flower. I used a cup from a Yoplait light yogurt cup (8 pack oval cup with a flat top, Thin PS material) I cut out a flame shape from the curved ends of their oval cups, making an L shaped "flame" tape or glue a tiny magnet on the bottom of the "L" and burn or punch a hole for a copper wire to hang the flame. Dangle this over the coil of the flower circuit and it dances quite well.

[@mrdovie47]

Now how to light the flame?

[@crocellian2972]

Great to put the chip drawing on video. I've seen it. I also photographed it under my microscope. I would not have known but for the graphic which I stupidly remembered. Do more of that.

[@alanbaxter817]

Hi Clive, had the same problem with the 'clicking' noise on a set of 5 candles that my partner purchased, solution for me was to lie the candles on their sides with the plastic flame lying flat down at the bottom and use a long screwdriver to dab some bathroom silicone (thinly) onto the plastic moulding where the flame was contacting, not on the flame itself. Let it dry for 24hrs and, "hey presto!" silent candles.

[@ythvw]

Nice video. I bought some remote controlled candles previous year Model AX5400195. This year I had to replace the batteries as they were empty. The On/Off switch was ON for one year. I got curious and measured the current while the candle was off with the button switched to ON. It took 0,85mA or 850uA. Offcourse within one year the batteries will be exhausted. You suggested it was some PIC12 as my 8-pin chip also did not carry any imprint. I dismanteld the candle like you did and there were only 3 components. An 8-pin chip, a resistor and a capacitor. The capacitor between pin 1 and 8 (VCC and GND). The resistor of 385 Ohm in series with the coil. The coil resistance is 80 Ohm so much better than your 20 Ohm. The PIC12F(508) datasheet shows that sleepmode draws 20uA (not 850). So I think this (Chinese) candle probably is not programmed to go to sleepmode when switched off. In future I will try to program my own PIC12 and see if will last in standby mode for over at least one year. But first I will have to investigate if this PIC can get out of sleepmode by receiving some infrared signal from the remote control. Again: nice video!

[@mmmlinux]

i have a similar chip in a led flashlight i took apart. its a 2018A in mine. same little manufacturer logo as yours. this flashlight is "3w" white and runs off a single AAA cell. all its got is that chip, an inductor, diode, and smoothing cap. i also could not find much info for my chip.

[@Mister_H]

On the original Luminara candle, it says in the instruction booklet when the battery is low the candle will flash to indicate low power. I have to say my Luminara definitely gets through batteries quicker than the cheaper Amazon ones I also have, but the Luminara one is superior.

[@vjpearce]

I saw a flickering LED candle in Poundland, but when I looked in the battery compartment to see what type of batteries it took (it takes 3 AAAs) I had to give it a second, closer look, as something was "odd" about it. And when I saw it I thought "They didn't?" The thing that was puzzling me was one of the slots one of the batteries had a spring connector either end (not sure what they're called)

[@ThatShitCrayZ]

So many components go into such a simple little thing. Also, I thought the pulsing was intentional and part of what made the candle look like it was flickering.

[@sensido-we3xs]

Do you know how to stop the clicking noise that a lot of these flameless candles have? (It sounds like the noise made by the "second" hand of some big wall, grandfather, or cuckoo clocks). I thought it was a gear or something inside the candle, but per your diagram, there's only a magnet. Also, when I hold the flame still with my fingers, the unit STILL makes a noise! My candle is BHG - Better Homes and Gardens, not the highest quality but def not the cheapest. I haven't found anyone online with any clue as to why this happens and how to fix it 😬. Help?

[@bigclivedotcom]

The clicking is often the flame hitting an end stop to limit its movement.

[@sensido-we3xs]

@@bigclivedotcom TY for yr response. I actually held the flame piece still between my fingers (so it wouldn't move) and still got the clicking sound. Is there anything else that could b clicking? I'm flummoxed abt this, but it seems to be a common problem with these flameless candles. TY for your help! 🤗

[@bigclivedotcom]

@@sensido-we3xs I wonder if the pulsing coil that deflects the flame is moving, or if it's making it jump on its support. I recently got one that has a magnetic support, possibly to avoid that.

[@rusmiling9909]

Thanks BC! There is a vid that takes apart a Luminara pillar candle and the design is different (and probably better) from the Premiere. Interesting to see the difference and wonder about the manufacturing cost between the two. Luminara sells tapers attached to a candlestick that has an AC adaptor, which got me thinking about how cool that would look in my 2 candle electric light outside the front door. So much better than a cheesy 'flickering' bulb. Now how to wire that into a light fixture?! I changed the switch (inside) to a programable one that turns on and off at specific times, accounts for daylight savings, dusk and dawn hours, time zones, with 4 different program settings (never used the other 3) crazy eh, but is very handy! Thanks again for the teardown!

[@bigclivedotcom]

In the past you used to be able to get dancing flame candles that actually used a small flame shaped tungsten lamp that bobbed up and down on concentric springs. All the mains circuitry was inside the candle so it just plugged into a lamp holder directly. I've not seen that type for many years though. (It's an idea for a project though....)

[@Tom21356]

This is the info that I have been looking for all over the net including Amazon where I asked questions but no one had the answers. I wanted to know if the mechanism that moves the plastic wick draws any juice from the batteries. I am still not sure if it does but I am getting closer. Thank you. PS. If anyone has a better answer please let me know 🙏🏻

[@bigclivedotcom]

It does draw a small current in use.

[@m1goodwin]

My timer failed and the candle stays on. Is there a fix?

[@bigclivedotcom]

Have you checked the batteries are fresh?

[@vivianengebrit8951]

I have this issue as well! The candle works great but no longer turns on and off automatically. Can this be fixed? And yes, brand new batteries. Help!

[@mariesandiego5291]

Sorry but this didn’t help me to find out what was wrong with my candle 😢

[@theforogoten1]

interesting.