RGB Led Strip Not Working: How to Troubleshoot Led Strips
We have all been there at some point in our life, lost on what to do once something breaks down, and we have no expertise on how to get it back to working again. The same can happen with LED Neon lights. With some packing over 600 LEDs in a single strip, it will actually be a miracle if you continuously use them without issues coming up.
What do you do RGB LED strip’s not working? The following are some issues that may arise and the steps you can follow to troubleshoot the light strips to get them working again.
Table of Contents
LED Strip Not Lighting At All
You have connected everything up the right way, but when you flick the switch on, there’s nothing that happens; the strip doesn’t light up at all. To troubleshoot, try the following;
Check Voltage and Rating Compatibility: Sometimes, it is easy to make the honest mistake of connecting the wrong power supply to the strips. Check to see if the power rating on the supply is compatible with what the strip needs. Connecting a 12V DC to a 24V LED strip, for instance, will not work.
Check your Power Supply: Something may be wrong with the power supply, do a quick check to see if it is working. You can use a multimeter to check the voltage differential, and if it is less than the rated power, then you may have a malfunctioning power supply in your hands.
Loose Connections: Check the entire setup to see if you may have something loose. The thing with electricity, all it takes is one loose connection for the whole strip to fail. Inspect every wire carefully to see if any part is not plugged into where it is supposed to be.
Check for Short-Circuiting: This could be the culprit if you did your one soldering. This is why it is always advised only to use ready-made components. A short circuit caused by the wrong soldering can be hard to find.
LED Strip is Dim at One End
At times, you’ll notice that the strip is uncharacteristically dim on one end compared to the other. The following may be the causes of that.
Check Circuit Design: LED strips have a maximum recommended run length based on the power per foot and the design of the internal circuit. If that maximum capacity is exceeded, you’ll notice some dimming in one end because the power rating has been exceeded, which causes the voltage to drop, which causes the lights to dim.
Check for Electrical Resistance: Eclectic resistance could be the other probable culprit and can be caused by a shoddy electrical connection through corroded copper. Inspect the ends of your LED wires to see if they are clean. If you notice any dirt or rust, then cut that part off and use a cleaner section for the connection.
Check the Voltage: A voltage drop could also lead to lights dimming unceremoniously. To troubleshoot LED strips, measure the voltage between the copper pads along with various points of the LED strip. LED strips are known to exhibit some level of voltage drops. It is never that big; for instance, a 12V may drop to 11.5V. The strip will continue working, but the dimming will be noticeable.
LED is Getting Dimmer Over Time
When new, LED strips are usually at their brightest, and with time they slowly fade, but that usually takes months and years. However, if that change happens much faster, then there’s something wrong that needs checking.
Voltage Has Dropped: As mentioned earlier, power voltages in the strips sare prone to falling without any warning. If this happens, then you’ll notice the LEDs getting dimmer suddenly and remaining that way for long, or they keep flickering. You may have to replace the power supply in that case.
LEDs are Getting Dimmer: There’s also a real possibility that the LEDs you have may be knockoffs and are getting dimmer and dimmer on account of that. Always get your LEDs from reputable LED manufacturers and suppliers. And insist on a warranty in case of a situation like that.
Loose Connection: A loose wire that’s barely hanging on may be the reason why the lights are getting dimmer. Check all the connections over to see any points of weaknesses.
Conclusion
Dealing with LED strip problems is not that complicated. As you plan to light up your house, always ensure you buy your products from verified sellers. Fortunately for you, most of the problems can be addressed quickly by a simple search online.
For high grade LED strip products that are devoid of faults and have warranties, visit our website and make your selection and we will have them delivered straight to you.
