Why does the newly bought LED light become dim after a few months?

LED lights, with their advantages of energy conservation, long lifespan and environmental friendliness, have long become the main force in modern household lighting. However, many users have found that some newly purchased LED lights have become significantly dimmer within less than half a year of use, and are even far less bright than when they were first installed. What's going on here? Aren't LED lights claimed to last for over a decade? This article will reveal the reasons behind it for you.

1. Common causes of LED lights dimming

The quality of LED chips is poor

The core of an LED lamp is the LED chip, which determines the lamp's brightness, lifespan and stability. Low-quality chips use inferior materials or have substandard manufacturing processes, and are prone to light attenuation (i.e., a gradual decrease in brightness) during long-term operation. In contrast, high-quality chips have minimal light attenuation under normal use and can maintain stable brightness for many years.

Poor heat dissipation design

Although leds are energy-saving, they still generate a certain amount of heat during operation. If the heat dissipation structure design of the lamp is unreasonable (such as no heat sink, the shell is too tightly sealed or the material has poor thermal conductivity), the heat cannot be discharged in time, which will cause the LED chip to be in a high-temperature environment for a long time, accelerate aging, and thus become dim or even damaged.

The quality of the drive power supply is poor

LED lights require a stable driving power supply to operate. Low-end driver power supplies have poor stability and are prone to voltage and current fluctuations, which can cause LED chips to fail to work properly or have their lifespan shortened, manifested as brightness attenuation, flicker, and even frequent damage.

Improper usage environment

The working environment of LED lights is also very important. For instance, conditions such as high temperature, high humidity, frequent switching or unstable voltage can all affect its service life. If special protective lamps are not used in damp or oily environments such as kitchens and bathrooms, light attenuation is more likely to occur.

Unregulated brands or falsely labeled lifespan

Some unbranded or non-standard manufacturers' LED lights in the market, in order to cut costs, use cheap components and falsely label the lifespan and parameters. Although the brightness was sufficient when it was first installed, it soon became dim due to various inferior factors, seriously affecting the user experience.

Principles for selecting color temperature of lighting fixtures in children's rooms

2. How to prevent LED lights from dimming?

Purchase suggestions

Prefer well-known brands: Big brands pay more attention to product quality and after-sales service, and both LED chips and driver power supplies are guaranteed.

Check the parameters: Pay attention to the marked luminous flux (unit: lm), color rendering index (Ra), and color temperature (K). Regular products usually have clear labels and comply with national standards.

Pay attention to heat dissipation design: High-quality LED lights are usually equipped with aluminum heat sinks, which have a reasonable structure and can effectively extend their lifespan.

Select appropriate lighting fixtures: In damp or high-temperature environments, waterproof and moisture-proof lighting fixtures should be chosen.

Usage suggestion

Avoid frequent switching: Although leds are not as fragile as incandescent bulbs, frequent switching can still affect the lifespan of their electronic components.

Maintain ventilation and cleanliness: Keep the area around the lamps clean and well-ventilated to reduce the impact of dust and oil stains on heat dissipation.

Avoid overloading: Do not let the lamps operate at high load continuously for a long time, especially in non-professional lighting scenarios.

3. Conclusion

Although the theoretical lifespan of LED lights can reach 20,000 to 50,000 hours, in actual use, if inferior products, poor heat dissipation or improper use are encountered, the lights will dim prematurely. Therefore, choosing reliable quality products and installing and using them reasonably are the keys to ensuring the durability and peace of mind of LED lights.

Don't just look at the price anymore. Cheap lights "won't stay on for long", and it's actually a waste of money.