Case LEDs getting very dim.

billblog · 9 Feb 2013 at 00:31

I brought these LEDs a while a go and they have been working very well and I was very happy with them. After a month or two of use I started to think they were getting dim, but thought I was imagining it. Now it has quickly got a lot worse. They vary and slowly get dimmer or brighter but at their worst are barley visible, other than a fain white glow in the corner. Any one have any ideas what has caused this?

Tealc · 9 Feb 2013 at 21:59

LEDs do dim over time but you'd normally expect many thousands of hours before you'd notice.

Have any LEDs failed?

Is the power the LEDs are getting pure 12v ie. not thrown through some sort of controller?

From your description it could be over current has caused the LEDs to have dimmed quickly than normal or they aren't getting sufficient voltage.

billblog · 10 Feb 2013 at 16:22

None have failed but they have all got dim. They are connected directly into a molex, no controller or splitter. They did run off a controller for a few weeks but this caused them to flicker to I connected them Directly.

rishy · 10 Feb 2013 at 20:28

i may be wrong, dont led's need a resistor to connected as well ??

billblog · 10 Feb 2013 at 22:38

I don't know in all honesty, I just connected them with the connector supplied. They are not specific PC leds, that might be why I suppose.

Tealc · 11 Feb 2013 at 17:56

LEDs wired in a strip are typically mounted with a resistor for every 3 diodes in series. I can only assume that the controller they were mounted on has somehow damaged the LEDs. Not quite sure how a <12v fan controller could cause the damage though as LEDs are pretty robust until they are expected to take too much current.