The main types of breakdowns of the LED strip and how to fix LED strip lights different colors

Strip light – a light source assembled based on LEDs. It is a LED module on a flexible printed circuit board, on which LEDs are equidistant from each other. The length can be changed with simple scissors.

Connects to the network using a power supply. They are used to illuminate furniture, shelves, rooms, ceilings, and other solutions.

The most common light colors are red, blue, green, yellow, amber, and white. LEDs are more efficient and last longer. However, sometimes you can meet some problems with LEDs.

In this article, you will learn about issues with strip lights and how to fix LED lights.

What are LED strip lights?

A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current is passed through. To do this, holes from p-type semiconductors recombine with electrons from n-type semiconductors, forming light.

When you select the fluorescence mode, the same strip will display different colors with different effects.

When an electric current passes through the strip, electrons fill the electronic holes of the tiny light sources, transform them into photons, and then light is emitted.

Common problems with LED strip light

Since LEDs are a new lighting technology, several problems can arise, such as:

1. flickering due to low power or bad capacitors
2. buzzing due to overvoltage
3. excessive brightness due to excess power
4. blackout due to old age or poor construction
5. complete failure due to a short circuit
6. spontaneous shutdown due to malfunction

Let’s take a look at a few popular LED strip issues.

LED strip flashes or blinking

Flickering is one of the most common problems. It can be caused by various reasons:

1. Insufficient power adapter. Flicker does not become noticeable immediately, but only as all elements of the circuit heat up.
2. Soldering with aggressive fluxes can cause gradual erosion of the copper traces.
3. Flickering is sometimes caused by the oxidation of connectors. The contact is weakened, and the glow becomes uneven, flashing. The device glows either brighter or weaker. This may be noticeable along the entire length or only in a separate section of the lamp.
4. For devices operating from a 220 V network, flickering may occur due to the breakdown of the smoothing capacitor.
5. A malfunction may occur in one of the segments containing 3 LED lights. In this case, only this area will flicker or glow unevenly.
6. The usual aging of LEDs, and the development of their resource.
7. Sometimes multicolor backlighting is the cause of dead batteries, which makes the device unstable.

All these breakdowns can be corrected only by eliminating their causes. Sometimes it is enough to remove or replace the problem area, less often you have to change individual elements of the circuit

The LED lights went out

If the LED strip light is not lit, the most likely cause is a power failure. First of all, you need to make sure that there is voltage in the network. The easiest way to do this is to turn on a known-good electrical appliance.

Problems are possible in any area – both at the input and at the low-voltage output.

First, you need to measure the output voltage with a multimeter. If the tester shows the required voltage, then the backlight itself needs to be repaired.

Most often, the reason lies in a bad connection at the input or the very first segment containing 3 LED lights. You can try to apply power to the contacts of the next, second segment in a row – most often, this helps.

The faulty segment is cut off and all the LEDs are reconnected in the correct order. You can only cut the LED strip along the lines marked on the flexible base. As a rule, they separate segments of 3 LEDs.

LED lights are not fully lit

If the tape does not glow along its entire length, then it is necessary to determine what caused the lack of contact. Light-emitting diodes are not always to blame.

Often the tape is bent too much, which causes a break in the current path. In addition to a sharp bend, a frequent cause is mechanical influences – impacts or pressure of any objects.

LED lights have lost their brightness

It happens that the backlight does not glow completely: it continues to glow, but it is already too dim. This can happen with the entire tape, and with its parts. The main reasons for such situations can be:

Development of a resource of LED lights. They have a long service life, but some elements are made with small defects or work in too harsh conditions.

Overheating significantly reduces the service life. In such situations, the tape does not fade along the entire length, but in separate sections;

Problems with the source of power or contacts in the area where the tape is connected to the source.

Usually, they are connected using connectors or various plug-socket pairs, which oxidize and begin to conduct current poorly.

When deciding how to repair a tape that has lost its brightness, it is necessary first of all to determine the degree of uniformity of its operation.

If there are only dim areas, then individual segments need to be changed. If the tape is uniformly dark, you should deal with the power source.

How to fix LED lights of different colors?

To fix LED lights, you must make sure that all parts of the LED lights are well-connected and that the correct voltage is being applied.

Next, you will have to turn off the system once. On the remote control colors, you will find a button labeled FADE7. Click it.

Now you can turn your LED strip lights back on. Immediately after switching it on, press the colored buttons on the remote control one by one. You will see the strip lights return to their original shape or color.

Having a good ventilation system helps prevent overheating of the LED light strips, which in turn keeps the color of the LEDs unchanged.

If the LED has the wrong colors, it is best to replace the LEDs.

Factors affecting the malfunction of the LED lights

Overheating LED lights

LED light strips are made up of elements that are not capable of overheating the LEDs.

First, the adhesive tape that comes with the LED light strip uses an adhesive that has cooling properties. The tape contains ceramic particles that can remove heat from the tape and dissipate it from sensitive diodes.

Next are the shrouds and conduits that house the few strips, which are optional features that can greatly reduce overheating. The aluminum shrouds or channels act as heat sinks and help keep the strip cool due to the conductive properties of the metal.

To make your LED strip lights last longer, installing aluminum channels will prevent overheating and prolong the life of your LEDs.

Finally, the surface and position in which you mount the strips will make a big difference.

If the LED lights are under cabinets, beds, or other furniture, be aware that the wood is quite insulating and keeps the heat away from the strip, causing it to overheat.

Placing them in hard-to-reach or heated areas in the home, such as near a heat sink or other electronics such as a TV or console, will increase the temperature of the environment where the LED needs to operate. This again will shorten the life of your LED strips.

Paint in chains

One of the lesser-known but all-too-common causes of LED failures is that you painted them over by mistake!

One of the worst consequences of painting your tape is that some of the paint can get into the circuitry or wiring. The strip may be completely shorted or damaged, causing it to flicker, change color unexpectedly, or stop working.

Insufficient air ventilation

Poor air ventilation is one of the biggest threats to LED strips. These diodes can change color and fail when overheated. This occurs when there is not enough room to vent warm air from the lighting system and circulate cooler air.

Therefore, place them where they will receive sufficient ventilation.

FAQs

Conclusion

To fix LED lights, you first need to find the cause and location of the malfunction.

All of these faults are caused by problems with the power source or by failed LED strip lights.

Repair consists in replacing problematic nodes or individual elements, as well as restoring contact with the power supply or with the connector.

If the lamp does not light up completely, you must first deal with the power supply. Check if the power cord of the LED strip adapter is plugged into the socket. There may also be issues with the remote control, which is used with RGB strips. Read about The best lighting solutions for your yard