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Are you having trouble with your LED lights? Do they turn off unexpectedly or seem to be flickering a lot?
If so, you’re not alone.
Many people are reporting these same problems with LED lights.
LED lights have been growing in popularity for a variety of reasons. They are more efficient than traditional light bulbs, and they last much longer. However, there can be some problems with LED lights.
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the most common LED light problems and some of the possible causes of these issues and we’ll provide solutions to help you troubleshoot these issues.
We’ll also discuss how to prevent these problems from happening in the first place.
So if you’re considering using LED lights in your home or business, be sure to read this post!
If you are new to LED light then we recommend to read our complete guide to LED lighting
One of the most common issues with LED lights is improper installation.
What do we mean by this?
While LEDs are highly efficient and effective at creating light, they have a narrower dispersion angle.
This means that if you place them too close to an object or surface, it could cause that surface to overheat.
While LEDs are designed to generate very little heat, they still produce some degree of warmth.
And if you’re sticking them too close to anything flammable (like drapes or paper), that flammable object can catch on fire because of this added heat.
Also, LEDs cast a very narrow beam of light.
That means they can be helpful in some situations. Still, it also means you should keep them away from areas where light is already plentiful.
Of course, we’re not saying that LEDs will automatically burst into flames if you place them incorrectly — just that they generate heat and could cause a fire with poor installation.
So take care to keep your LED lights far enough away from anything flammable.
And if you’re not sure about how to install them, ask a professional.
Another common issue with LEDs is flickering. This usually occurs when the wiring or installation isn’t done correctly.
Precisely when the LED bulb isn’t getting enough power.
This usually happens because of improper wiring or installation. With LEDs, you need a central power supply, and there needs to be a clear connection between the light source and the power supply.
If your light is flickering, try testing it with a different outlet. If that outlet works properly, you may need some wiring maintenance done.
Flickering may also cause improper dimer setup. If you’re using a dimer, make sure that it can handle the load of your light output.
Also, try switching out the dimer, as some dimers aren’t compatible with specific LED models.
Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) dimmer:
The PWM dimmable lighting system is one of the most common dimming systems. For this type, you will need to replace your current wall dimmer with a true PWM compatible dimmer switch to experience smooth and flicker-free dimming.
PWM dimmers vary the pulse duration to reduce overall brightness. The poor-quality dimmer switch’s faulty pulse width (less than 100Hz) causes visible flickers in LEDs.
Our research and product testing found that when in use in combination with a poor quality dimmer switch, the LEDs can appear to flicker or strobe. This effect is typically more noticeable in low-light environments.
When turned off, a True PWM Switch has no voltage drop (this equates to zero volts across your load). It is, therefore, free of the problems generally associated with poor quality switches.
Constant Current Reduction (CCR) dimmer:
The brightness of a circuit may be modified by using this dimmer. It is powered by a DC power source ranging between 0 and 10 volts. The signal from the power supply will control the lights, how bright or dim to be.
When buying an LED light, it’s easy to assume that any old outlet will do. Don’t make this mistake!
Not only could using the wrong voltage or current cause your light to go out faster than usual, but it could also damage the fixture itself. The reason for this is pretty simple: LEDs operate on a very narrow band of electricity, and if you provide too much or too little “juice” to the light, it could cause it to malfunction.
That being said, there are some exceptions. Some LED bulbs come with built-in resistors that use a limited amount of voltage. If this is the case, you don’t need to worry about voltage.
But if your bulb doesn’t have a built-in resistor, make sure you’re using the right amount of electricity for it!
Buzzing is one of the most common problems with LEDs, but it doesn’t mean you need to get rid of your lights.
Buzzing usually means that your LED needs to be rewired (which, again, should only be done by a professional). If you’ve recently wired it yourself or had some work done on your house, this could be the source of your problem.
For example, the dimmer is only designed to work with 300W LED lights, but you connect 200W luminaires, buzzing may be heard.
Where does the sound originate from?
It’s primarily due to the lamp’s electronic components vibrating at a specific frequency between 100 to 120 Hz.
Some buzzing is normal for older LEDs. If your LED has been installed for a few years and it’s just starting to buzz now, you may need to replace it.
But if it hasn’t been that long or if other lights in your house don’t seem to be making the same noise, it may be a wiring issue.
You can try moving your LED around to see if its source of buzzing is related to its position. For example, if you have a light above your bed, and every time you roll over in your sleep, it buzzes – there’s probably something going on with the wiring.
And if it’s on a dimmer switch, you will need to get that specific bulb replaced.
If none of this works and your LED still buzzes or hums after a day or two, it may be defective and need to be replaced.
If your RGB strip is not lighting up, there could be several reasons behind it:
Popped LED – One of the most common problems with LEDs comes from them popping out of their socket. Unfortunately, this can happen quickly, and it cannot be noticeable. If you’ve had some work done in your house and you notice one of the lights is no longer working, give it a little tug to see if it’s just popped out of its socket.
Stuck LED – If something prevents an LED from turning on, such as a fallen wire or a loose connection, it may be stuck. You should quickly fix this by giving the LED a little wiggle and checking your connections.
Bad Controller – This usually only happens if you’ve wired your LEDs or done some rewiring in your house. The controller box for an RGB strip has several “channels” that control different LED colors. Sometimes, if you wire up the channels wrong, you can’t get an entire section to respond correctly, and it will show a color or not light up at all. If your strip is lit incorrectly (i.e., with green and red lights on together), check the wires of your controller box. If no lights are on for one or two channels, it’s most likely a faulty connection.
Faulty LED – Unfortunately, LEDs can malfunction just like any other electronic device. Although this is not very common, you may need to replace your strip if you respond incorrectly.
It’s a quick fix, and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. When in doubt, always check the connections or give your controller box a once-over before replacing your LEDs.
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A lot of RGB LED strips have an issue with their color mixing. It’s one of the most common problems with led strip lighting
Typically, red and green LEDs don’t mix well together. Putting them next to each other on a strip can cause the light to display orange instead of white and vice versa.
What causes this?
The main culprit is interference from surrounding lights. If a lamp or device is emitting the same color as your strip, it will cause the strip to display that dominant color instead of white.
In most cases, this is not something you need to worry about. Still, if you have a specific need for a white LED strip and it shows another hue, you can always make a request to the manufacturer for a color-mixing LED strip.
It can also occur if there is a faulty connection between two wires. There might also be a problem with the LED controller.
However, you can check the wire connection or controller and replace it to solve your problem.
A bad current driver is probably the most common cause of LED problems.
What does it do?
Your current driver works like a fuel pump in that it’s responsible for maintaining the flow of electricity through your LED strip.
If the voltage coming into your strip is too high, then you need to get rid of some of it to avoid damaging your LEDs. This function is handled by the current drivers on the back end of your strip.
When too much voltage is coming into the strip, the current drivers will do their job and send some of it to the ground to create a safe operating environment for your LEDs.
If they are faulty, they may not handle the voltage correctly. As a result, you can damage or destroy your LEDs if you’re not careful.
You should keep in mind that the driver used by your LED light fixture will significantly impact its performance.
How can you detect a bad or faulty driver?
Here are a few telltale signs:
You’ll need to find out which driver is bad. One way to do this is to turn off all the power for your strip, unplug the connection between each current driver and LED, and give them a little wiggle. You can also unplug the other connections on the other drivers to see if any of them take charge properly.
If you find that only one driver isn’t working, it’s most likely bad.
Replace your driver by taking advice from an electrical specialist.
LED lights attract bugs. It used to be that bugs were attracted to the yellow light from incandescent bulbs, but they also happen to be like LED lights.
When people switched over to using LEDs for their outdoor lighting, it started causing many problems.
Bugs and other flying insects can be significant pests when they get caught inside your home, or they can be a significant nuisance when you’re trying to enjoy your outdoor space. In both cases, light from LEDs is the problem.
What causes this?
Several reasons LED lights might be more attractive than other light sources to insects.
First, they are very bright. The light is also bluish-white, which is similar to sunlight.
When insects see it, they will feel like they’re flying toward the sun and follow the light right into your home or office.
LED lights emit a lighting spectrum similar to what bugs use for navigation, which they perceive as a drop in temperature.
Bugs are naturally attracted to colder objects and surfaces because they stay cool while trying to survive.
This is why you’ll see a lot of them hanging around your outdoor lights, mainly if the lamps are meant for yellow incandescent lighting.
The insects think it’s cold because they confuse the light for the moon or nearby objects emitting natural light.
How can you solve it?
It can be frustrating if you’re trying to create a bug-free environment.
The color of an LED is determined by its Kelvin temperature. A temperature range of 2000K to 5500K attracts insects. So, make sure you buy LEDs with a Kelvin temperature level equal to or above the one listed.
If you’re using them outside, there’s a chance that insects will be drawn to the wrong place because they see the light coming from a different direction.
In this case, you may have to find another way to keep them from being where you don’t want them.
You could try using LED lighting that’s white but has a yellow hue or an amber color instead of blue-white.
The incorrect IP rating is one of the most common issues affecting LED lights.
What is IP rating?
IP ratings represent the level of protection provided by an enclosure against water and dust. This standard is applied to all electrical enclosures devices, including LED lights.
IP ratings represented by IPXY, where:
How does IP rating affect your led lighting performance?
Failing to get an LED light fixture with the correct IP rating can lead to significant problems over time. If your LED light’s IP rating is too low, it will be susceptible to moisture damage. If you get one with too high an IP rating, it will not protect the internal components against water intrusion.
Most people who end up with lights like these don’t realize that they’re putting their investment at risk by using them in outdoor or wet locations. Many first-time buyers make the mistake of thinking that all IP-rated lights are water-resistant.
People fail to consider where they’ll be installing these lights and end up assuming that any IP rating will do.
Make sure you know what level of protection your fixtures require before making a purchase decision. It’s easy to avoid mistakes like this when you’re aware of them from the start.
However, suppose you fail to think about your light fixtures’ IP standards. In that case, they might perish prematurely due to water or dust damage.
So, what is the best IP rating for your fixture’s objective?
How can you determine it?
Well, there’s no specific way to determine this.
However, as a rule of thumb, the higher the “X” and “Y” classifications are, the more secure the fixture is.
For Example:
An IP68 LED light is far superior and well-protected than an IP14 fixture.
On the other hand, the light with an IP rating of IP14 is best for indoor lighting.
Suppose the purpose of your lamp is to illuminate something outside. In that case, you should consider utilizing a much more powerful and highly rated (e.g., an IP67/68/69K) for that job.
People will often buy an LED fixture even though they have no plan or location in mind for it. They don’t consider that mounting equipment, cable runs, and other components must be planned ahead of time if you want to avoid future problems.
If you’re looking for outdoor LED lights, you need to know how they’re configured. The first thing you want to do is figure out if it’s a spotlight or floodlight.
A spotlight will deliver the majority of its brightness in one direction. In contrast, a floodlight will deliver an even distribution of light in all directions.
If you don’t plan, you might end up with too much light in some places and not enough in others. You can avoid all of these issues by doing your research beforehand.
Another common issue with LEDs is that they are more expensive than other bulbs. While this isn’t always the case, it’s often true enough that it’s worth mentioning.
This is because LEDs are newer than other types of bulbs and haven’t been mass-produced as much. As such, the demand outweighs the supply.
Because of this, it can be challenging to get LED lights at a low cost — but only if you want good quality LEDs. If you don’t mind merely adequate lights, you can find cheaper ones.
But if you’re looking for high-quality LED lights (and we don’t blame you), you should expect to pay about $5 per bulb — at least at the time of this writing.
Earlier, we mentioned that LEDs produce heat.
While this is primarily a non-issue because of how little heat they generate, it does have some interesting side effects.
First of all, if an LED doesn’t receive enough power, it may overheat and break. So make sure your wiring and installation are good!
Another issue involves how LEDs are made.
LEDs are incredibly particular pieces of technology, with one tiny chip containing several different diodes. To make sure these diodes work properly, manufacturers have to test them.
They need a heat source to do this, so what do you think happens when the LED is turned on?
That’s right; they start to overheat. So if you’re using LEDs and they’ve been installed correctly…
It’s likely that your LED lights are faulty and need to be replaced.
If all else fails and you’ve verified that your LED bulbs are properly installed and wired…
You’ve likely got a bad LED bulb.
The good news is that this happens rarely, and LED lamps are well-known for their long lifespan.
You may just need to replace the individual bad bulb, or it could be something more serious like a damaged power supply (in which case your best bet would be to contact an electrician).
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