Setting up colored LED lights is a process that you can carry out on your own at home. As decorative as LED lights might be, they become less appealing when the colors they are showing are different from what they should.
Why Are My LED Lights the Wrong Color? If your LED lights are the wrong color, then you have misconnected the wiring. Another reason for the wrong color lighting is that there is a fault in the LED controller.
Ecolocity LED, a lighting company, explains the distinct types of wiring issues that can affect the performance of your LED lights. Overlapping or frayed wires, loose wire connections, or reversing the wire polarity can make your LED lights inconsistent.
How To Fix Your LED Strip Lighting Controller That Is Showing the Wrong Color
You can fix your LED lighting controller that is showing the wrong color by resetting it and checking to see that the wires were connected correctly to the right terminal.
You have selected blue as your desired color, but your LED lights show yellow. What could be the cause? This prevalent problem related to LED lighting may mean that the controller has been tampered with. When you tamper with any of your LED lighting accessories, it may cause your LED strips to malfunction.
Your LED lights might put on the wrong color if the wiring of your LED light controller has been misplaced or jammed. This mistake may have occurred during the initial installation. While it seems like a big headache, it may just be an issue with how you have turned it on.
The temperature of LED lights determines the color. Here is a chart that represents the kelvins of each color which is a temperature valve:
| Color of LED | Temperature (in kelvins) |
|---|---|
| blue | 7000 K |
| red | 1000 k |
| yellow | 2800 K |
| amber | 3000 K |
| white | 2500 K |
Select your desired color. If it shows a different color, turn it off and ensure you keep your LED lights plugged in. Then, turn them on again. It may display a different color, but you should not select another color. Turn it off and turn it on again. Repeat this until it shows the chosen color at the beginning.
If this does not work, there is no hassle at all if you follow the steps below.
- Open your LED lighting controller.
- Check to see if the wiring terminals for each color are correctly arranged.
- Adjust and correct the wiring and place the wires in the proper terminals. Replace wiring that has been crossed or misplaced.
- Now select your desired color for a test.
You can go ahead and test the other colors.
Why Are My LED Lights a Different Color After I Have Painted Close to Them?
Your LED strips may show a different color after painting close to them if you have smeared some paint on them. Smearing paint on your LED strips can affect their color and appearance.
LED strips usually change color when you get any substance on them. You should check to see if you have gotten paint on your LED lights while painting. It is easy to make this common mistake when painting.
Getting paint on your LED lights may give them a different color or even dim them. The color can give another film on the surface of the lighting bulbs. The chemical make-up of paint can also damage your light intensity and give it a different shade. It may cause your LED lights to dim and reduce the original color’s sharpness.
Also, there may be nothing wrong with your LED lights. You may be confusing a change in color with a change in intensity. LED lights can make warm colors a little more intense and make cool colors appear dimmer.
Rather than your LED light changing color, the color of the paint changes intensity. Lighting affects painting and vice versa because the change in intensity reflects on the bulbs, making it appear as if the lights have changed color.
How To Troubleshoot Your LED Strip That Is Showing The Wrong Color
You can troubleshoot your LED strip that is showing the wrong color by checking the wiring, power supply, color distribution, and the compatibility of the entire system.
There are several problems you can face as an LED light user; among these, color problems are the most often encountered. Your LED lights may be showing the wrong color due to several reasons, including:
- Wrong wiring
- Voltage compatibility
- Insufficient Color Distribution Index (CRI)
- Getting substance on them
- Wrong booting
- Insufficient power distribution
- System compatibility
LED lighting showing the wrong color might be caused by a little wiring blunder. The best way to troubleshoot your LED color issue is to check that you have installed your LED strips properly; otherwise, you may continue encountering the same problem. Check every connection.
If your LED wires are jammed across each other or are not placed in the correct terminals, they will light up in the wrong colors. Problems with LED lighting are usually caused during installation. When installing your LED lighting, you must check repeatedly to ensure that there are no mistakes.
Also, ensure you have purchased high-quality bulbs and use the proper voltage with your lights. Using the wrong voltage always makes your LED lights overheat and this will change the color of the lights.
You should also consider buying LEDs with a high Color Rendering Index (CRI) that ensures color consistency over time. I recommend the Tenmiro Led Lights for Bedrooms that are available on Amazon. Click to have your lights delivered to your front door.
Your LED strips may also show a different color when you get some substance on them. Substances like paint or silicon remnants can make the lights of your LED change color or tamper with the intensity of your light strips. You should check if you have gotten substance on your LED strips.
Your LED strips may also light up in the wrong color when they are not turned on correctly. Ensure you keep your power adaptor plugged in correctly before turning it on again. All you need to do is turn off your lights and boot it all over.
Insufficient power distribution to the circuits might cause your LED strips to display the wrong color. This may be due to inadequate voltage and may affect the power adaptor. You must also ensure that your LED lighting system is compatible with the kind of bulbs you are using. You should not use 12-volt drivers with 24-volt light bulbs; otherwise, your light may grow dim.
| Length Led Light Strip | Likely Voltage Required |
|---|---|
| Led Light Strip Less than 32 feet in Length | 12v |
| Led light strip that is thirty-two feet to one hundred feet in length | 24v |
| More than one hundred feet | 110v |
How To Ensure That Your LED Strip Does Not Overheat and Cause a Change in Color
You can ensure that your LED strip does not overheat and cause a change in color by confirming that your entire setup is properly insulated, ventilated, and connected to the right power source.
LED strip lights may malfunction or overheat due to many reasons, including:
- Wrong drivers
- Poor insulation
- Insufficient or poorly ventilated fittings
- Cycling
- Inferior quality of LED lights
A widespread cause is using the wrong power source or driver. LED lighting comes in different voltage versions. Low voltage LED lights are compatible with short-term usage, while high-volt lighting is more compatible for longer terms.
Higher voltage LED lighting is better used in homes and can be left on for extended periods. When LED lights with 12-volts are used for longer than they are built for, they are likely to overheat and burn out.
People make the mistake of using their LED lights with the wrong drivers causing them to either be damaged, overheat, or grow dim. While LEDs are not built to generate a lot of heat, using the wrong drivers can cause them to overheat.
Ensure your LED lights are compatible with the drivers. If you have used bad drivers, you can either change the drivers or change the LED light bulbs.
Another problem could be poor insulation. When LED strip lights are not insulated properly or use inappropriate heat sinks, they are likely to overheat. If the quality of the heat sink is poor or ill-fitted, the LED strips can overheat. It is always safe to use metal that conducts heat properly so that the heat sinks can shed extra heat.
You may also have ill-fitted wires in the installation, making the colors dim or not light up. Anybody can make mistakes while installing their LED strip lights. Your exposed wires need to be fitted correctly in the controller unit. All exposed wires must be put into the appropriate ports. Ensure that there is no obstruction disabling your wires from holding correctly.
Your LEDs need proper ventilation to manage heat properly. When you choose LEDs without panels to control the heat, they will likely not have space for heat sinks, making them liable to overheating and change in color. LED lights need space for good air supply. When a good air supply is missing, it is difficult to maintain your LEDs for an extended period.
Many LEDs cannot handle frequent on and off cycles and burn out when this happens too often. Most LED lighting built is for extended periods and can only be maintained when you avoid the regular on and off cycle. It is generally good to leave them on and allow them to stay for more extended periods.
LED strips can overheat when the lights are of lousy quality. Because most people find high-quality LEDs expensive and quite unaffordable, they prefer to go for cheap ones and usually expect them to function like high-quality ones.
These people often must deal with the low quality of light that they produce, and often, these LEDs burn out and display the wrong colors. The best advice is to go for good-quality LED lights from the beginning to avoid overheating and discoloration. Your LEDs are of low quality when they have either of the following;
- Poor reflector blades that cause glare.
- Diffusers that are made with inappropriate materials do not distribute light properly. For example, when your LED diffusers are made from plastic, they tend to discolor over time and give the wrong color.
- Low-quality chips with a different hue than is expected.
- Heat sinks that cannot manage heat.
When purchasing your LEDs, always ensure they are of good quality, have the right size and fixtures, and come with the proper drivers. Your panel guide places should be made with acrylic or methyl styrene materials.
You should also purchase your LEDs from trusted brands such as Philips, Toshiba, or Britesource. Most of these companies will be able to answer your questions on the specifications of your LEDs. Check reviews to be sure of what you are buying.
Why Are Several Of My LED Lights on a Strip Always the Same Color?
Several strips of your LED lights may always show the same color if there is a problem with the receiver or remote or if the strips have not been connected rightly.
For example, your LED lights (I recommend Tenmiro Led Lights, click for pricing) keep turning green despite changing the color. First, you need to disconnect your controller. You should use a multimeter to check for voltage compliance. Try different commands on your remote and see if there is a change in the connector for other colors.
If the green is unresponsive, then the strip is not faulty. It may be a fault with the remote or the receiver. You will have to check the connection in your strip and figure out which part relates to green to fix the problem.
If the green connector responds to the command and the green connector changes from positive to B, then the strip may be faulty. You will need to look closely for some form of debris along the lights of the strip.
A crack in a waterproof LED might gather humidity, causing your strips to malfunction. However, if your LEDs are not waterproof, you may have gotten some liquid on them.
Why Is a Section of My LED Strip Showing Green When It Should Be Another Color?
A section of your LED strip may be showing green when it should be another color because there is a set-up malfunction or because the connectors are misplaced.
If your LED strip sections are showing the wrong color or mostly green, then there is a wiring problem. Your best bet is to check your strip connectors. You should first check that you have installed your LEDs properly.
You may have messed with the wiring in the faulty section of the strip. You will have to rearrange each connection in that section and test the bulbs one after the other until you properly match each connector with the appropriate colors.
