What to do if you lost your LED remote? — Everything you need to know

We all want our house to look great and cozy. Someone decorates it with furniture and various decorative figures, while others decide to decorate it with bright lights.

And in this regard, there is no better lighting than LED. It is not just a trendy and cost-effective way to illuminate your house, but it is also energy-efficient, as LED lighting uses 75% less energy than other alternatives.

The way LED light strips work

Before moving on to the ways that will help replace the lost remote, let’s first figure out how LED strip lights work.

Usually, a LED strip light operates at 12V or 24V DC. It can be plugged into the adapter and then into the power source. LED light strips are really narrow and flexible with an adhesive backing, it does not overheat and is easy to install and maintain (that is the reason for their popularity).

You can install it in any place, whether it is a rounded surface or a place where you usually can’t add lighting to.

Moreover, LED strips are not really expensive and can be found almost everywhere (in stores and online).

The main characteristics of a LED strip light:

• Many individual LED transmitters are mounted on a flexible and narrow circuit.
• Operate on low-voltage DC power.
• It can be found in numerous color, size, and brightness options to create different effects.
• Ship in a long reel (5 m) and can be cut to length.

What about its lifespan, you may ask?

Actually, LED lights’ lifespan differs from light to light. However, usually, mentioning the LED light lifespan, people talk about four or six years. Of course, everything depends on how often and long you will have your lights on, and how stable and safe the connection is.

That is to say, the longer you have your lighting on, the lower its lifespan despite the suggested lifespan by the manufacturer. Besides, the lifespan of a LED strip light is much shorter than, for instance, of a light bulb. According to experts, LED bulbs can last as much as 50,000 hours.

Lost remote controller

There are various types of LED light strips that you can control differently, but usually, LED lights can be controlled with a remote. It is the remote that lets us change the color, intensity, and other functions of LED lights.

With that in mind, you can understand that the remote controller is really important, and it is better not to lose it because then you can face several problems. If you can relate, do not despair. There is always a way to solve any problem.

What to do if you lost your remote?

If suddenly the remote control was not in its original place and finding it is of paramount importance, since it won’t be possible to control the LED strips without it, the first thing you can do before you start panicking is to look for it.

It is quite possible that it can lie in the same room as the LED lights since it makes sense if it is where the light strip itself is located. You can try looking for it in hidden places like under a newspaper, documents, or bedspreads. Do not forget to look under the furniture because you could accidentally drop it.

Also, it won’t hurt to check places where you could place it inadvertently, for instance, on the shelves in the hallways, on the table in the kitchen, etc.

Perhaps you walked into another room with the remote and left it in a random place, with your mind elsewhere. Recall where you went and if you could put it somewhere, walking from one room to another. Perhaps you got a call while you were changing the color of the light strips, and you put it in the most unexpected place while you were talking.

If you were playing with the light strip while lying on the bed, the remote could be buried under the bedspread, for instance. In this case, the easiest way will be to find it, running with your hands over the coverlet until you find a thing that looks like a remote.

If you can’t find it, look under the bed or mattress.

If you do not live alone in the house, ask other tenants. Perhaps they used it, and then they can say where they put it. A person could place it in an unusual place for you or in a place you rarely go to.

Or you can even ask other family members to look for it with you. Needless to say, two or three people are better than one. Maybe they will even suggest some other more effective ways.

If you still can’t find your remote, you can start thinking about how to control your lights without it.

Plug the LED light strip into the wall

If you have ended up in a situation where you can’t find your LED light remote, you can try connecting the LED light strip directly to the power socket.

The solution itself is not time-consuming and is cost-effective, although, it is short-term. You will have to connect your LED strip lights to the socket when you want to turn it on and disconnect LED strip lights when you do not need them anymore.

However, it is worth mentioning that this method will not work for all LED strip lights. Some LED light strips have an integrated remote and power function, so you won’t be able to plug this LED strip light into the socket and have to look for another way.

Besides, one of the main disadvantages of the solution is the inability to change the color and use other features they offer. It might be an issue, as most people purchase LED lights because they change colors.

Purchase a replacement remote

If the first option does not suit you, or you do not even want to consider it, let’s move on to the most logical decision — to buy a new LED light remote. It might be the most effective, practical, and cost-effective way, as LED remotes typically do not cost much, and you can find them in any store or online.

The main thing is to purchase the remote of the same brand as the LED strip light model you have. Ideally, the company that made your LED strip lights will be able to replace the lost remote with the same one.

If it turned out that you do not remember or do not know either the brand or other details of your LED strips, then you can search online or check your receipts. You can also try to get a universal replacement remote that works with any LED light strips.

So, why is it important to find the exact replacement for the remote you lost? It is all about the voltage requirements and IR frequency you need to meet.

Look for a compatible app

If you do not want to look for a new remote control, but you want to use all the functions the LED lighting offer you, there is another way to control LED lights; you can use your phone, namely, find a suitable mobile application that allows you to turn the LED lighting on and off, as well as change its color.

Many modern LED light strips support mobile app management. To do this, you need to check your product’s instructions or search the Internet, googling the model of your LED strip lights. If it is possible to control your LED strip light using the application, then you will not need to buy a remote control.

Get a new LED strip light

If you could not find a compatible remote control or control the LED strip light through the application, then there is nothing else to do, but buy new LED lights (there are hundreds of LED light strip sets online). This is not the perfect solution, but it is not the most terrible one as well.

LED strip lights are not too expensive, and you will be able, for example, to choose a new model with a different lighting scheme, which is probably not the worst thing.

Alternative ways to make your LED strip lights work

Apart from the options described above, there are some other ways to control your LED light strips. Here they are:

A Smart Remote

If the ordinary change of color and intensity is not enough, you can think about a smart remote. How does it differ from a regular remote? A smart remote will give you the chance not to only create various lighting schemes, but also, for example, set a certain time of day when LED strips will be turned on.

A dimmer switch

If you already have a dimmer, you can try using it instead of a lost remote. The device will help you control the brightness of your LED strips. Another advantage of this option is that it will prevent other devices in your home from voltage spikes. However, bear in mind, that you won’t be able to change the color.

Motion sensor

The last thing you can do is to set a motion sensor in your house that will turn on the LED lights anytime someone enters the room.

How to keep your LED remote safe

Not to be worried, panic, and even spend money when you lose your LED remote, it is better to think about its safety in advance. Therefore, we must found out ways to avoid losing it.

Allocate space

All things (like keys, TV remote and many others) in our house usually have their place. So, why not define the place where the remote will be, so the probability of losing it will be reduced to a minimum? This way you will always know where your remote is. Also, when you have guests, or you live with other people, it is better to warn them about it.

Add noticeable elements

Alternatively, you can put an eye-catching element or accessory on the remote that will be seen from afar. But do not place the thing that merges with the device’s color.

Get a tracker

Odd as it may sound, if there is a chance to lose your remote, you can buy a GPS tracker to find it whenever you misplace it.

How does it work? You put it on your remote, install the application on your mobile device, and whenever it went missing, you can track the location of your remote with it. The phone will emit a beep or notify you when the remote is nearby. Although it might be a bit hard to attach it, the scotch tape will help you.

Takeaway

It is very important not to lose your remote, after all, without it, you probably won’t be able to admire the beauty of LED lights. However, if you still lost it and can’t find it, you should not panic.

Most likely, you will be able to buy a replacement remote of the same brand, so everything works as it should, or plug it into the power source. Moreover, the usual LED light app on your cell phone can help you get out of this situation.

Frequently asked questions

Read also: Why are my led lights not bright? Main reasons