Led Bulbs Strip lights

Why Are My LED Lights Different Colors?

Why Are My LED Lights Different Colors?

LED lights are one of the many ways to add a bit more color and dynamic to your home or garden. Their popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, and now they are the norm. LEDs are notorious for being the most eco-friendly light bulbs in existence, but there is more to them than just that.

They have heat sinks built-in which can help regulate temperature changes and prevent performance issues from arising down the line. Despite this added protection, it’s still possible for problems like deterioration and color changes to occur.

One LED we use for entertainment and ambient lighting is strip lights, especially in cheap brands; many homeowners have complained of dim lights or color changes at the end of the strips.

Bulbs have seen their fear share of problems throughout the years like flickering, short lifespan, and again dimming to their lightest color. Therefore, below I will discuss the reasons for this as well as how to fix led lights that are different colors.

Why Are Your LEDs Lights Different Colors?

Many factors cause LEDs to overheat, such as inadequate heat sinking and excess LED power. However, a well-designed LED is equally at risk of being overheated when they are installed in an environment where it is too hot.

This can lead to physical damage like melting plastic lenses or wires that can cause your bulbs to dim or change colors.

Why Are My LED Strips Changing Colors?

Over Heating

If LED strips are experiencing overheating, they can change colors; reputable brands have proper heat dissipation elements in their adhesive.

Their adhesive has ceramic particles that can wick away heat from the strip and scatter it away from sensitive diodes. Following that are casings or channels made of aluminum, which act as a heat sink to help cool LEDs on the strip. But, if LEDs are in a place where they are exposed to a lot of heat, they can experience overheating.

LED strips are great for illuminating places that lack natural lighting. However, if you want your LED strip to last a long time and maintain good lighting capabilities, mount them on surfaces that wouldn’t overheat.

If possible, mount the LED lights on metallic surfaces instead of wood because they have better heat transfer properties. Since woods retain more heat, it can lead to premature aging due to high temperatures over time.

overheating

Not Enough Air Ventilation

One of the biggest dangers to LED strip lights is poor air ventilation. When these diodes become overheated, they can change color and deteriorate.

This often happens when there’s not enough space for warm air to travel away from the lighting setup so that cooler air can circulate. Therefore, install them in places where they can get proper ventilation.

Voltage Drop

If your strips are experiencing voltage drop, then you’ll notice a change of color as you get further away from the power source.
In LED strip lights, the wires are two copper ribbons that run the entire length of the strip.

When you think of an electric circuit, there are positive and negative wires, and the current runs from the positive wire through each component until it reaches the negative.

But most LED strips do not work like that, especially the more affordable ones. As a result, most cheap LED strips have a lower amount of copper than their expensive counterparts. Hence, the lower amount of copper, the higher the voltage drop will be because of the increased resistance.

How To Fix power drop?

Run your LEDs at their lower brightness so each can consume less current leaving, plenty reserved. The easiest fix for voltage drop is gradually reducing the brightness. You can also decide if you want to take additional steps to allow for a higher glow with no color inaccuracies.

If you buy a prebuilt solution from companies like Philips hue light, they usually make this calculation. They automatically limit the brightness of the strip to make sure it looks good at the beginning and the end.

But, with the prebuilt solution, you can’t connect the strips to make longer strips. Plus, you would end up paying more per strip.

How To Fix LED Lights That Are Different Colors?

While overheating is a common cause of LEDs changing color, there is an easy fix. Do not place these bulbs close to incandescents, as LEDs can struggle in high temperatures. It is better to switch your old bulbs to LEDs, creating a cooler environment.

Fixing power drop

Run your LEDs at their lower brightness so each can consume less current leaving, plenty reserved. The easiest fix for voltage drop is gradually reducing the brightness. You can also decide if you want to take additional steps to allow for a higher glow with no color inaccuracies.

If you buy a prebuilt solution from companies like Philips hue light, they usually make this calculation. They automatically limit the brightness of the strip to make sure it looks good at the beginning and end.

But, with the prebuilt solution, you can’t connect the strips to make longer strips. Plus, you would end up paying more per strip.

Reset The LEDs

You can also try resetting your LEDs to see if the colors stabilized. Most people are unaware of the importance of resetting. When you do this simple step, it will return your lights to their original setting and fix any LED color changes.

While many brands have their own way of resetting, in most cases you’ll have to press the reset button on the controls. Similarly, you may have to hold that button for a few seconds. In rare cases, if there is no reset button, you’ll have to refer to the manual guide or product website.

The last step to fix your LEDs is to replace the controller and ensure that it is plugged in correctly.

Why Strip Lights Blink?

When powering LED strips, they need a specific amount of electricity. Thus, if your transformer does not offer that amount, your lights will start to blink. If this is the case, the LED driver is not the right fit.

To fix this, ensure the power consumption of the strips and the power supply can provide enough energy to all the strips connected to the transformer. When the LED strip-lighting cables are loosely connected to the power supply, they will not work properly. To combat this, make sure these cables are connected to fit.

LEDs strips can blink; because of voltage drops. If your voltage continues to fluctuate, the entire length of the strip will flicker, or the LEDs to the end can change color. To fix, decrease your strip length or make sure the power source is located in the middle.

Another reason your strips are blinking is because of continuous use; When lights are installed on ceilings, most people have them on all day and night. An obvious fix is to give your strips some time to rest.

Lastly, strips are fragile and damage easily when they are exposed to water and dust. This can cause them to flicker or stop working altogether. The best thing you can do is to mount lights in places where they are free from the elements.

Why Are My Strip Lights Different Colors?

Many people on Reddit have complained that their new strips are different colors. The main reason for that is manufacturers source each part from different suppliers. This can cause them to mount dissimilar LEDs of different brightness and colors. As one Reddit user said;

Cheap strips are put together from whatever diodes are cheapest on the day the factory is filling an order. They probably used different LEDs so the color isn’t the same.

Reddit user: u/saratoga3

For this reason, stay clear of unknown brands because it makes no sense to pay money for something you don’t like or can not use. If you are looking for cheap and durable strip lights, I suggest you try Govee.

To recap, LEDs are a must-have for every home lighting system. While they are energy-efficient and long-lasting, many problems can still occur. Like color changes because of overheating, voltage drop, poor ventilation, or simply cheap parts.

Anais

I am a mom with two kids. I am also a writer, avid DIYer, and tech enthusiast. My favorite things are writing, shopping online for gadgets, and gizmos I can't afford (yet). Being at home with my kids is the best part of my day!

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