The LED light lasts longer than conventional light, able to shine for about 70,000 hours. Even after many burning hours, a LED lamp does not burn out so quickly, it ages with time and its lumen slowly decreases. For sure we know that nothing lasts forever, and LED light is no exception.
If LEDs do not burn out like halogen bulbs, why do they have an end?
As we know, in traditional lamps, light is produced by heating a filament, which after some time becomes hotter and weaker, eventually breaking. LED lights, however, do not contain a filament, but generate their light with the help of a semiconductor.
LEDs have a lifespan of about 70,000 hours and diminish over their lifetime until they no longer produce light due to lumen loss. All LED lamps have an L70 rating, which indicates how many hours your LED lamp will last until it is only emitting 70-75% of its original light.
LED light is so reliable, durable, and efficient that it can stay on 24/7 for 5-6 years without needing to be replaced. LED light is one of the best long-term solutions when it comes to lighting.
How do I know if my LED light Reached The End Of Its Lifespan?
Dim light does not mean that your LED light has reached the end of its life, there may be other reasons why your bulb is dim. You can easily find out if your bulb has reached the end of its life by trying it in another fixture.
If the dimming disappears, the problem could be related to another part of the circuit, but if there is no improvement, it is time to replace the bulb.
One of the most common causes of the dimmer is when LED light has or uses an incompatible dimmer switch. Usually LED lights work well with dimmers, but they must be rated for it. Therefore, your LED must be connected to a compatible dimmer switch.
Another reason could be a loss of connection that limits the voltage received to your LED lights. The poor connection can be caused by a loose wire, a bulb that is too loose in the socket, or a bulb that is screwed on too tightly. To find a solution, you can open the LED and solve all these possible problems.
Do The LED Bulbs Dim when They Get Too Hot?
Yes, the LED light can dim if it gets too hot, and to avoid your LED light dimming, you need to keep your LED light cool. All heat sources are the enemy of LEDs, and any duration of heat will affect the life of the bulb.
Most LEDs have thermal control mechanisms that divert heat away from the diode to prevent overheating. If you want to keep your LEDs in good condition, you should make sure that the ambient temperature does not exceed the limit (60 °C).
Excessive heating can cause a reduction in light output and color changes, as the heat causes the internal components of the fixture to malfunction. You should know that the higher the temperature of the lamp, the lower the light output. Excessive heat and lack of thermal regulation systems affect the LED light expectancy. Therefore, hotter semiconductors result in faster lumen degradation.
Why Do LED Lights Lose Their Brightness Over Time?
Most LED lamps come with an L70 rating, which indicates how long it takes for the LED lamp Lumen Output to drop below 70 percent. Although we have other ratings such as L50, L80, and L90, the L70 rating is the most common. When the light from LED drops below 70%, it gives off light but at a low quality, and it gets weaker faster and faster as it drops below 70%.
Why LED Lights Fail?
LED light can lose its power and brightness due to external factors. Let us look at these factors in detail.
1. Temperature Surround LED Light
Normally LED light works efficiently in a place where the temperature is moderate, but if there is a persistence increase or decrease in temperature or if the temperature is high, the brightness would be reduced by a certain level therefore lifetime will also be reduced simply because it cannot cope with the frequent changes in temperature and it could cause power supply damage.
As we know that LED light performs better in low-temperature areas therefore the temperature required for a LED light to work efficiently is less than 25 degrees, but above this temperature, it is so obvious that the bulb will reduce its performance. So if the light LED is in an environment where the temperature is between 40 and 70 degrees, the luminous efficiency will drop to about 50 to 70% of its maximum value.
In a cold environment, on the other hand, it is advantageous for a LED luminaire because the temperature is lower compared to a hot environment. For this reason, the LED luminaire can perform better and last longer due to the lower heat generation.
2. Environmental Factors
If there is an unsuitable environment, for ventilation will not allow the LED light to cool, thus increasing the heat, and this will happen if you install LED light near the source of heat, for it will cause the bulbs to overheat, even if there are cooling components that control the heat, but still, it will not help anything to a place where heat is generated.
So, despite the LED light quality, if the installation was near the source of heat, then the LED bulbs will not last long because they will be burned after a short time.
3. LED Light Structural Issues
Anything to do with the structure must be considered because a good or bad structure can affect the life of the luminaire LED light. If the materials used to assemble the luminaire are of better quality, this may cause the current to flow in both ways through LED
4. Loose Wire Connection And Maintenance
If there is a wrong connection between the bulbs, and if service is not done for a long time, then you can face the decrease in brightness, and this will look the same as flickering. This will happen if the wires are not connected even with some LED chips inside the light will not be on, which could cause the lumen output to be reduced.
The LED light will lose its brightness because the current is not directly affected by electromagnetic interference, for which if there is a loose wire connection the user will have to suffer a seriously dangerous situation because too much current will pass through which can lead to low overall voltage and cause the light bulbs to lose their brightness.
To solve this problem, it is better to double-check the wiring and do frequent services, relay for any damage to identify the breakout or the place where there is an interruption, but if the right still loses brightness, then it would be better to go to an electrician so that he can fix the problem.
5. Fakes LED Products.
The disadvantage of LED light is that there are different products of LED light bulbs, for which look similar in one way or another and it is difficult to distinguish because there are brands, labeling, logos, packaging, and even serial numbers, without considering the safety of the user, they are aiming to make a profit without worrying about the problem that will lead them to users.
So, if you buy products without paying attention to the brands, when you install, it may cause various problems, such as overheating, insufficient power, especially the brightness and even the efficiency of the light is not optimal,
6. Power Drop Of LED Light
Since LED lights are more energy-efficient than halogen lamps, however, due to the “droop” problem, they lose a significant portion of that efficiency advantage when operated at the high current levels that are required for average lighting that does not produce the same light, decreasing productivity and efficiency.
Another reason that LED light can go bad is something called efficiency degradation. This happens when LED light captures heat and is because the current inside the light increases, so the luminous efficiency of LED light drops up to 20%.
7. Low Quality LED Light
If you buy an abnormally cheap LED bulb, your bulb will quickly lose brightness because of the poor soldering technique of the wire and the internal components will easily loosen. In addition, if the LED bulbs have a poor design that does not absorb the current properly, it will cause the brightness to fluctuate quickly.
How To Reduce Degradation Over Time?
1. Avoid Excessive Heat
Since the main cause of light quality degradation is excessive heat, you should always keep lamps cool to avoid overheating. This can also be achieved by installing components that keep the lamps cool, especially if you are in hot areas.
White LEDs are victims of heat damage because excess heat destroys the phosphor coating inside the lamp that produces white light. So, avoid keeping them in excessive heat.
2. Avoid The Number Of Vibrations
It is true that the number of times the LED fixture is turned on and off has no effect on degradation, but it is recommended that you minimize the vibration of your LED fixture. As we know, LED luminaires are more durable than traditional luminaires, but their internal components can be affected by too much movement and vibration. For a solution, make sure your fixture is mounted in a secure fixture and away from ceiling fans or doors.
3. Avoid Counterfeit And Inferior LED Light Bulb Products.
When you want to buy your LED light fixture, choose a genuine brand and a reliable supplier to avoid buying fake and low-quality LED products.
4. Maintenance Of LED Lights
Make sure to check your wiring and your LED light fixture to avoid unknown problems that could overload and damage your fixture. Regular maintenance is very important to avoid wiring problems that could cause the bulbs to stop working properly.
Final Considerations
For a long-lasting solution and to protect the environment, LED is the way to go. Make sure they are well installed and maintained to avoid short-term death.
