electrical question here! led lights.

zheka757 · 07/14/2020, 05:56 PM

Im trying to repair my old led lights and they have some burned out led chips and melted resistors. they say that resistors are color coded. do any of you know what resistor is this? the leds are 3w led chip, its a 4 channel lights with total of 48 leds, and this is one out of four modules.

trying to post some pictures, not letting me
why when i click on adding attachments nothing happens?

Sk8r · 07/14/2020, 07:42 PM

Try images via Imgur. That works for some.

Alex114 · 07/15/2020, 07:05 AM

Yes resistors are color coded. They are fairly easy to read once you know how. Can you see all of the colors and how many color bands there are and where the gap between them is? If you tell me I can tell you what the resistor reading is

zheka757 · 07/15/2020, 10:12 AM

they are super small like 1/4'' lenth and i only see 2 collors on it half of it is blue and half of it is red. and took one off and it measures 129 ohm. But i question my multi meter for accuracy also!

let me work on getting the picture for you
https://imgur.com/a/upKHsnI

i hope this picture post works, thanks sk8r

zheka757 · 07/15/2020, 01:44 PM

got a new meter and retested one of the resistors, and it showed 4.6M ohms. also its only measures one way on resistor. and i thought resistors are not directional component, and can be measured both ways.

Alex114 · 07/15/2020, 05:16 PM

Dang I’ve never seen a resistor like that. Can you contact the manufacturer to ask? And 4.6M seems a little large but not unreasonable. And yes resistors should be non directional. My guess is the multimeter might only read one way or you couldn’t get good contact when measuring across the one side.

zheka757 · 07/16/2020, 11:57 AM

so contact manufacture, and of course they not telling me what resistors they use in them. but i think its because of resistors my led chips burn out so often. or what ever problem is elsewhere that burns resistors out also. and i mesure my resistor, most of them resumes 4.6m and some measures like 3 owns some nothing at all.

but they also tells me that its ok to not use resistor in there also. Im so confused now.

blowmecius · 07/17/2020, 02:06 AM

They are not resistors. They are diodes, probably zener diodes. See if there is a part number printed on the case. If not read this thread it explains how to determine the correct one:
https://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...light=Resistor

zheka757 · 07/17/2020, 10:27 PM

WOW man thank you! I had no idea it was diode. i thought the whole time it was resistor. so i talk to them in china again, who makes it, because im trying to understand why my leds burn out prematurely. they cant answer that. however they did say its a diode 5.1 volt and its 1w, but you can also use 3w. i wonder if becouse they use 1w diode on a 3w led chip, if that the reason they burn out prematurely.

blowmecius · 07/18/2020, 11:57 PM

I am not familiar with this particular circuit design but I will assume that the diode in intended to protect the led from curent spikes. A zener diode will blow from overcurrent so using a higher rated one might help. I suspect their design lacks sufficient surge protection. I suggest using a surge protector. I use these for my aquariums:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D6QD9NF...ing=UTF8&psc=1

zheka757 · 07/19/2020, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blowmecius

I am not familiar with this particular circuit design but I will assume that the diode in intended to protect the led from curent spikes. A zener diode will blow from overcurrent so using a higher rated one might help. I suspect their design lacks sufficient surge protection. I suggest using a surge protector. I use these for my aquariums:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D6QD9NF...ing=UTF8&psc=1

just looked at my power strip, and it did had surge protection on it.

zheka757 · 07/21/2020, 01:11 PM

So figured out that those are a 5.1v .5w diodes. Ordering 5.1v 1w diodes and will see if that can do a better job at not burning my LEDs prematurely.

07/14/2020, 05:56 PM	#1
zheka757 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: North Port Florida Posts: 283	electrical question here! led lights. Im trying to repair my old led lights and they have some burned out led chips and melted resistors. they say that resistors are color coded. do any of you know what resistor is this? the leds are 3w led chip, its a 4 channel lights with total of 48 leds, and this is one out of four modules. trying to post some pictures, not letting me why when i click on adding attachments nothing happens? Last edited by zheka757; 07/14/2020 at 06:01 PM.

07/14/2020, 07:42 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Try images via Imgur. That works for some. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

07/15/2020, 10:12 AM	#4
zheka757 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: North Port Florida Posts: 283	they are super small like 1/4'' lenth and i only see 2 collors on it half of it is blue and half of it is red. and took one off and it measures 129 ohm. But i question my multi meter for accuracy also! let me work on getting the picture for you https://imgur.com/a/upKHsnI i hope this picture post works, thanks sk8r Last edited by zheka757; 07/15/2020 at 11:55 AM.

07/17/2020, 02:06 AM	#8
blowmecius Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Maryand Posts: 177	They are not resistors. They are diodes, probably zener diodes. See if there is a part number printed on the case. If not read this thread it explains how to determine the correct one: https://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...light=Resistor __________________ Homer no function beer well without.

07/18/2020, 11:57 PM	#10
blowmecius Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Maryand Posts: 177	I am not familiar with this particular circuit design but I will assume that the diode in intended to protect the led from curent spikes. A zener diode will blow from overcurrent so using a higher rated one might help. I suspect their design lacks sufficient surge protection. I suggest using a surge protector. I use these for my aquariums: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D6QD9NF...ing=UTF8&psc=1 __________________ Homer no function beer well without.

07/15/2020, 07:05 AM	#3
Alex114 Registered Member Join Date: May 2019 Location: Northeast Ohio Posts: 162	Yes resistors are color coded. They are fairly easy to read once you know how. Can you see all of the colors and how many color bands there are and where the gap between them is? If you tell me I can tell you what the resistor reading is

07/15/2020, 01:44 PM	#5
zheka757 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: North Port Florida Posts: 283	got a new meter and retested one of the resistors, and it showed 4.6M ohms. also its only measures one way on resistor. and i thought resistors are not directional component, and can be measured both ways.

07/15/2020, 05:16 PM	#6
Alex114 Registered Member Join Date: May 2019 Location: Northeast Ohio Posts: 162	Dang I’ve never seen a resistor like that. Can you contact the manufacturer to ask? And 4.6M seems a little large but not unreasonable. And yes resistors should be non directional. My guess is the multimeter might only read one way or you couldn’t get good contact when measuring across the one side.

07/16/2020, 11:57 AM	#7
zheka757 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: North Port Florida Posts: 283	so contact manufacture, and of course they not telling me what resistors they use in them. but i think its because of resistors my led chips burn out so often. or what ever problem is elsewhere that burns resistors out also. and i mesure my resistor, most of them resumes 4.6m and some measures like 3 owns some nothing at all. but they also tells me that its ok to not use resistor in there also. Im so confused now.

07/17/2020, 10:27 PM	#9
zheka757 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: North Port Florida Posts: 283	WOW man thank you! I had no idea it was diode. i thought the whole time it was resistor. so i talk to them in china again, who makes it, because im trying to understand why my leds burn out prematurely. they cant answer that. however they did say its a diode 5.1 volt and its 1w, but you can also use 3w. i wonder if becouse they use 1w diode on a 3w led chip, if that the reason they burn out prematurely.

07/21/2020, 01:11 PM	#12
zheka757 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: North Port Florida Posts: 283	So figured out that those are a 5.1v .5w diodes. Ordering 5.1v 1w diodes and will see if that can do a better job at not burning my LEDs prematurely.