How to check the power supply when there is a problem with the lamp?

The driver power supply is the core component of LED lamps, which impacts on the performance, life, and stability of the lamps. Common LED lamp problems, such as lamp failure, flickering, brightness reduction, discoloration, heating, etc., are mostly related to the driver power supply. Therefore, when choosing LED lamps, high-quality driver power supplies are the key factors to ensure the reliability and long life of the lamps. If lamp problems occur frequently, in addition to the lamp beads and power cords, the driver power supply should be the focus of inspection.

1. LED lamps do not light up

Damaged driver power supply: Once the power adapter or driver of the LED lamp is damaged, it cannot convert AC power into DC power suitable for LED lamp beads, and the lamp will fail directly, causing the lamp to not light up.

Abnormal output voltage or current: If the output voltage or current of the driver power supply does not meet the design requirements of the lamp, the LED lamp may not light up at all or the brightness is abnormal.

2. LED lamp flickers

Unstable power output: When the driver power supply is of poor quality or damaged, the output voltage or current fluctuates, causing the lamp to light up and darken, and flicker frequently. Especially when the grid voltage is unstable, if the voltage adjustment ability of the driving power supply is insufficient, it will be more likely to cause flickering.

Low-frequency dimming problem: Some driving power supplies are unstable during low-frequency dimming, which will cause the lamp to flicker or the brightness to jump.

Insufficient starting voltage: Some drivers cannot provide enough voltage at startup, causing the lamp to turn on or flicker repeatedly in a short period.

3. Decreased light brightness

Insufficient current output: The brightness of LED lamps is closely related to the current. If the driving power supply's output current is insufficient, the lamp's brightness will decrease.

Power loss: When the driving power supply is aged or poorly designed, the internal loss increases and the output power cannot be maintained at the design value, resulting in a decrease in the brightness of the LED lamp.

4. Severe heating of the lamp

Low power efficiency: Low-quality driving power supplies have low efficiency, which will generate a lot of heat, increase the overall temperature of the lamp, and affect the life and performance of the LED lamp.

Excessive current: If the current control of the driving power supply is improper, the output current will cause the LED lamp beads to overload and generate too much heat, which may burn the lamp in severe cases.

5. Lamp color change

Abnormal voltage or current: The voltage or current output by the driver is unstable, which may cause the color temperature of the LED lamp beads to change, especially in lamps with sensitive color temperature control. If the current is too high, the LED may emit cooler or warmer light than the designed color temperature.

Aging of the driver: Over time, the components of the driver may age and the output parameters may drift, causing the color of the light emitted by the lamp to change gradually.

6. Failure after frequent startup

Poor overvoltage or overcurrent protection: If the protection mechanism of the driver is insufficient, frequent switching of the power supply will generate impact current and affect the life of the lamp. Especially for some driver power supplies without protection design, repeated startup will cause accelerated damage to internal components, causing lamp failure.

Start-up voltage is too high or too low: The driver power supply cannot start stably under low voltage conditions, or the startup voltage is too high, which will have a negative impact on the LED lamp and reduce its service life.

7. Abnormal dimming function

Incompatible dimming power supply: If the driver power supply does not support the dimming function or does not match the dimmer, the lamp may not be able to dim properly, manifesting as uneven dimming, flickering, or even dimming failure. The driver power supply needs to control the current output during the dimming process accurately. If the driver power supply is not well designed, it will cause abnormalities in the dimming process.

Dimming range limitation: Some driver power supplies only support a limited dimming range. Exceeding this range will cause the brightness adjustment of the lamp to be insensitive or malfunction.

8. Frequent automatic extinguishing

Driver power supply overheating protection: Many high-quality driver power supplies have a temperature protection function. When the internal temperature is too high, the driver power supply will automatically shut down, causing the lamp to extinguish. Poor heat dissipation or poor quality of the driver power supply will cause this problem.

Overload protection: When the load of the driver power supply exceeds its tolerance, the overload protection may be triggered, causing the lamp to shut down frequently.

9. Short lamp life

Accelerated aging of the driver power supply: The quality of the driver power supply directly affects the life of the LED lamp. Suppose the power supply ages or the components deteriorate. In that case, the output voltage and current will change, causing the LED lamp beads to work under non-design conditions for a long time, thereby shortening the overall life of the lamp.

Poor power supply design: Some low-quality driving power supplies do not have stable current control, causing the LED lamp beads to work under high currents for a long time, causing the lamp beads to overheat and increase light decay, ultimately leading to premature failure of the lamp.

The above are some common connections between lamp problems and power supplies, hope it can help you.