LEDs are a great invention that can not only be used for decoration but also as a form of light. They have many benefits, one of which is the ability to change their colors to match a particular kind of mood or vibe using a remote controller. However, why do led strip lights sometimes change colors by themselves?
- Remote Control May Be Broken
- Overheating Due To Poor Circulation
- Software Bug
- Incompatible Led Strip Light Extension
- Failure To Connect Led Strip Light To Dimmer
- Led Strip Light Is Not Plugged Into The Power Source Properly
- LEDs May Be Failing Due To A Long Period Of Continuous Use
- Power Fluctuations
The rest of this blog post will explore the details of some reasons why your LED strip lights may be changing color on their own and what you can do about it.
1. Remote Control May Be Broken
The number 1 culprit of why led strip lights change colors constantly and by themselves could be the remote controller of the light may be broken.
If the remote controller is broken already, it would be unable to communicate or might have gotten some buttons stuck inside.
If the remote controller is broken, it would be useless to try and fix it as you would need a new one anyway.
If you want to know for sure if it is your led strip light remote controller that is causing the problem, take it far away or out of the range of the led strip light and then see if the led strip light continues to change colors by itself.
You can also remove the battery from the remote controller so that you can be sure that the remote controller is not malfunctioning and changing the colors of your led lights.
Replacement remote controllers can be purchased from a local retail store or any online store.
2. Overheating Due To Poor Circulation
Another reason why your led strip lights are changing colors by themselves is due to overheating which can be caused by poor air circulation or improper insulation.
If the led strip light is exposed to heat, it can cause it to change colors by itself. The way this happens is because the led strip light heats up and then cools down.
When it heats up, some color components rise to the surface while others sink back into the interior of the LED strip lights.
Failure for the led strip light to properly cool can result in the diodes changing color.
The best way to avoid this is to ensure proper ventilation and insulation.
For proper ventilation, place the led strip lights in a location where there is good air circulation and also ensure that it has space to allow the airflow to circulate around it.
Being exposed directly to sunlight can also cause overheating so if your led strip lights are being placed near a window, make sure that there is enough space between them to allow for proper circulation.
For insulation, place the led strip lights in an area that is cool and well protected from any excessive heat.
If you place your led strip lights in a location where there might be humidity, make sure that there is proper ventilation and insulation to protect them.
3. Software Bug
This should probably be the number one reason why your led strip lights change colors by themselves. A lot of the led strip lights have software and codes that enable them to respond to sensors, remote controllers, and sometimes sound.
These codes and software also allow you to mix the led light colors to create new colors.
However, software bugs can cause the led strip lights to behave erratically and each time you turn them on or off they will be different colors.
It is also possible for the led strip lights to be programmed with codes that are no longer supported by newer software versions so if you update your software and change the code then it might cause some of your led strip lights to behave erratically.
If this is the case, you will need to contact the manufacturer of your led strip lights and ask them to troubleshoot your led strip lights and fix the issues.
You can also check if there is a newer version of the software that will work with your specific type of led strip lights.
If you purchased the led strip light from a second-hand retailer, then there is no telling what type of software they might have used and if it is compatible with your led strip lights.
Please note that this software bug will not damage the led strip light or affect any of the other functions.
It will only cause some led strip lights to change colors by themselves for no apparent reason or turn them on or off.
The best way to prevent this from happening is to get a product that has been designed with the latest technology, that gets updated and debugged frequently.
4. Incompactible Led Strip Light Extension
If you join one brand of led strip light to another brand of strip light to make it longer and they are not compatible lights, this can cause the led strip to change colors by themselves.
Not all brands of led strip lights are the same so if they are not compatible, this can cause the led strip light to behave erratically.
You should try as much as possible to make extensions using the same lights from the same manufacturer.
This is also true when you use a different extension cable to join the led strip lights together.
If the extension cable is not compatible with your particular brand of LED light, then it can also cause the led strip lights to behave erratically.
This means that you will need to get the correct extension cable for your LED light in order to avoid this issue.
This is the best way to make sure that you will not experience any problems and also avoid having your led strip light change colors like you’re in the disco in the ’80s.
5. Failure To Connect Led Strip Light To Dimmer
If you try and connect the led strip lights to a dimmer and the installation fails, it can cause the led strip lights to change colors by themselves.
This is because when you connect the led strip light to a dimmer switch, it allows you to control the brightness of your led strip lights.
However, if you have a faulty dimmer switch then this can cause the led strip light to behave erratically and change colors by itself.
This is because the dimmer switch will allow you to control the brightness of your led strip lights and if the dimmer switch is faulty then it will not allow you to control the brightness of your led strip light.
In this case, you will need to replace the faulty dimmer switch with a new one so that you can control the brightness of your led strip light.
After replacing it, you will need to reset it and then pair the led strip light with the new dimmer switch.
6. Led Strip Light Is Not Plugged Into The Power Source Properly
Here’s something someone told me some time ago about how their led strip lights change colors by themselves.
They claim their led strip light was erratically changing colors themselves but when they unplugged the power source and reconnected them, the problem was fixed.
This can happen if you are using a power bar with multiple sockets and only one socket has your led strip lights connected.
If you are using a power bar like this, make sure that all the led strip lights are plugged into the same socket or they might not be receiving power.
If you are using a plug-in adapter, make sure that the led strip lights are plugged directly into it and not through a surge protector.
This also applies to the power cord that comes with your led strip lights, make sure that you are using it and not any other cord you might have lying around.
If your power cords are having issues, try replacing them so that all the led strip lights are receiving the same power.
7. LEDs May Be Failing Due To A Long Period Of Continuous Use
LEDs and components in general, are not known to be especially strong.
They will only work for a certain amount of time before they start to fail.
This does not mean that you have a product with faulty components, but it is something to keep in mind if your led strip lights are behaving erratically.
If you notice that your led strip light is having issues, make sure to check if it has exceeded its lifespan.
If your led strip lights begin to behave erratically by changing their colors themselves, it is a good idea to check if they have been used for a long time on a continuous basis.
If you notice that your led strip lights have been used for several years and the behavior has only occurred recently, then you might want to check if there are any visible signs of damage.
If you notice that the led strip lights themselves or their casing is damaged, then you should stop using them immediately.
This is because the damage might be affecting their performance and if this is the case, your led strip lights might cause short-circuiting or start fires.
8. Power Fluctuations
Another reason why your led strip lights might be changing colors by themselves can also be due to power fluctuations.
Power surges and drops in voltage may cause your led strip lights to change or reset colors.
This is because the power fluctuations are causing the diodes of your led strip light to react and change color.
This is why it would be best to use a surge protector when you are using your led strip lights but if the power fluctuations are often or caused by lightning, there is probably not much that you can do to prevent it.
You could try using a battery pack for your led strip lights to avoid power fluctuations but there is no guarantee that this will solve the problem.
If you want to make sure if it is your led strip light that is causing the problem, try changing the color of your led strip lights in a dark setting to see if it will change colors by itself.
How To Stop Led Strip Lights From Changing Colors Themselves
Now that we have carefully gone over all the possible reasons why your led strip lights may be changing colors by themselves, it is time to discuss the possible solutions so that you can stop your led strip lights from changing colors by themselves.
- Make sure your led strip light remote controller is not broken or malfunctioning.
- You should throw out all old led strip lights that have exceeded their lifespan.
- Make sure that your led strip lights are not near any heat sources to avoid damage.
- Ensure the space around your led strip lights is well ventilated.
- Also, avoid putting led strip lights in super tight corners as this can lead to overheating.
- Make sure that the led strip lights are not covered by anything (e.g., curtains or carpets) as this can cause damage.
- If you want to make sure that your led strip lights are working properly, check if they have exceeded their lifespan. As mentioned before, if the led strip light has exceeded its lifespan it will be best to stop using them and get a new pair.
- Another way to make sure that your led strip lights are working properly is by checking if the power cords are having any issues. If you notice that your led strip lights have begun to behave erratically, try replacing the power cord with a new one or try using a surge protector.
- If your led strip lights are not receiving the same power from your outlets, then you should check if your outlets are working properly.
- If you want to make sure that the power fluctuations are not affecting your led strip lights, try using a battery pack instead of plugging it into the wall.
- If none of the solutions above helps you solve your issue, then it is possible that there are other underlying issues with your led strip lights parculiar to you.
Final Thoughts
All in all, there are several reasons why your led strip lights may be changing colors by themselves.
However, the most likely reasons are incompatible led strip light extensions, power source issues, and overheating.
There are several ways you can try to solve your led strip lights from changing colors by themselves some of which include practical adjustments like proper ventilation and proper placement and positioning of the led strip lights.
I hope this article was useful to you and that it gave you some insight on how to solve this problem. Thank you for reading!