Analysis on the Reasons for LED Lights Getting Dimmer Over Time

It is a common phenomenon that LED lights get dimmer over time. There are three main reasons that can cause LED lights to become dimmer.

Driver failure:

LED chips require a low voltage DC power supply (below 20V), while the normal AC power supply in our daily life is a high voltage AC power supply (AC 220V). To convert the AC power into the power supply required by the LED chips, a device called a “constant current LED driver” is needed.

In theory, as long as the parameters of the driver match the LED board, it can provide continuous power supply and normal use. However, the internal structure of the driver is relatively complex, and any device (such as capacitors, rectifiers, etc.) that fails may cause changes in the output voltage, resulting in the dimming of the LED light.

Driver failure is the most common fault in LED lighting fixtures. Usually, replacing the driver can solve the problem.

LED burnout:

LEDs are composed of multiple chips. If one or some of the chips do not light up, it will inevitably cause the entire lamp to become dim. The chips are generally connected in series and then in parallel. Therefore, if one chip burns out, it may cause a batch of chips to not light up.

The burned-out chips have obvious black spots on the surface. You can find them, connect them to a wire on the back of the chip to short-circuit it, or replace it with a new one to solve the problem.

If one LED burns out occasionally, it may be coincidental. If frequent burnouts occur, you should consider the driver problem. Another symptom of driver failure is LED chip burnout.

LED decay:

The so-called decay means that the brightness of the emitter becomes lower and lower. This phenomenon is more obvious in incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps.

LED lights are also not immune to decay, but their decay rate is relatively slow, and it is generally difficult to observe changes with the naked eye. However, it cannot be ruled out that poor-quality LEDs, poor-quality chip boards, or objective factors such as poor heat dissipation can cause the LED decay rate to increase.

As a professional LED lighting company, in order to produce longer life and higher quality chips, we have conducted various experiments to optimize the problem of decay. The decay rate is significantly reduced compared to other manufacturers. If you need sample testing, please feel free to contact us at any time.