String of LED lights defective.... Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[Baz84]

Hi Folks,

I have a string of small, decorative, low wattage, LED lights (from IKEA). They are unusual in that the LEDs are within a 'milky' dome - not the usual garishly bright lights - and that's why I'm anxious to keep them, as I've not seen them anywhere else.

The lights seem to be in three segments because first one segment has packed up and now a second segment has stopped working. The lights are all connected to the same string and have two wires going into each LED, but occasionally three wires go into an LED?? I'm left with the middle of the three segments working and cannot see what's gone wrong.

Any ideas, please?

Many thanks, and a happy, illuminated Christmas to you all!

Baz

[ericmark]

LED's come in many flavours. The basic red LED normally needs around 1.2v and 20ma each colour needs a different voltage. To control the current and voltage some resistor or other limiting device is often used and bi-colour and tri-colour LED's are also produced. They are DC devices although they will rectify the supply themselves if the voltage is not too high.

Used in lamps normally there are resistor and diodes to limit forward and reverse current and it is unlikely any string of LED's will not have components to control them.

All sorts of other methods are used including capacitors and transformers and without some reverse engineering one could not even begin to guess how yours are controlled.

So sorry can't really help.

[Baz84]

Very many thanks, ericmark. On the contrary, you've helped me a lot - I now know to give up on a repair!

Such a shame - they're really attractive lights and I haven't seen anything like them for sale elswhere.

That's really good of you to reply, ericmark, so thanks again.

Baz