LED replacement bulbs going bad, bleeding over to other circuits

[rockwind1]

2007 attitude 33' toyhauler

replaced all my bulbs in my trailer with LED's a while back and nothing but trouble it seems.  worked great at first but then all the bulbs started burning out and they are supposed to last like a million hours or something. 

they usually start flickering first, for a while and then they just go.  the place i bought them said they would replace them but it's such pain to ship them back plus it's been a while so they probably wouldn't now. 

the other thing is right by the front door there is a panel of abut 5 switches, one is for the main cabin which has 3 double lights on that circuit, and then another is 2 circular flood lights for the starboard? side of the trailer (which i also put LED bulbs in).  however, whenever i turn on the main cabin lights, (at this point on 2 of the 6 bulbs are working), when i go outside,  the flood lights are partially on, just kinda dim. 

it's like some electricity is bleeding thru some how, even if the switch is off to the outside lights. 

any thoughts on here?    thanks

 

[AStravelers]

The first issue of the LED's burning out:  Some or many LED's are designed to work on 12V and if the voltage goes much higher, say over 13V or 13.5V they will age or burn out.  Most chargers will put our 14V or even up to 15V if the battery is pretty well discharged.  Try to look for bulbs which are rated for 12-18 or higher.

The other problem probably means taking a multi meter and measuring voltages, removing one or more bulbs to see what the problem is.

Edit:  The second problem could be caused by a ground problem (the negative part of the 12V circuit).  Corrosion on the negative wire or a loose connection causes all kinds of problems.  Voltage bleeds through back circuits to find a good ground.  The multi meter may help finding the problem. 

 

[rockwind1]

i think these are rated 12-30 volts so i am surprised they didn't last. 

 

[DonTom]

2007 attitude 33' toyhauler

replaced all my bulbs in my trailer with LED's a while back and nothing but trouble it seems.  worked great at first but then all the bulbs started burning out and they are supposed to last like a million hours or something. 

they usually start flickering first, for a while and then they just go.  the place i bought them said they would replace them but it's such pain to ship them back plus it's been a while so they probably wouldn't now. 

the other thing is right by the front door there is a panel of abut 5 switches, one is for the main cabin which has 3 double lights on that circuit, and then another is 2 circular flood lights for the starboard? side of the trailer (which i also put LED bulbs in).  however, whenever i turn on the main cabin lights, (at this point on 2 of the 6 bulbs are working), when i go outside,  the flood lights are partially on, just kinda dim. 

it's like some electricity is bleeding thru some how, even if the switch is off to the outside lights. 

any thoughts on here?    thanks

Are you sure the bulbs have blown out, or could there be an issue with the connections or something else?

-Don-  Reno, NV

 

[Lou Schneider]

The other thing is right by the front door there is a panel of abut 5 switches, one is for the main cabin which has 3 double lights on that circuit, and then another is 2 circular flood lights for the starboard? side of the trailer (which i also put LED bulbs in).  however, whenever i turn on the main cabin lights, (at this point on 2 of the 6 bulbs are working), when i go outside,  the flood lights are partially on, just kinda dim. 

it's like some electricity is bleeding thru some how, even if the switch is off to the outside lights.

You most likely have some leakage through the switch controlling the outside lights when it's off.  Instead of completely shutting off the current flow it's letting a few microamps leak through.

This miniscule amount of current isn't noticeable with standard bulbs because it's not enough to heat the filament to glowing temperatures, but it can  create a noticeable glow from an LED, which produces some light as soon as any current flows through it.

Pull out the multiswitch panel and make sure there isn't any dust or dirt around the wires that could create a leakage path around the switch.  If this doesn't stop the glowing, pull one of the wires off of the switch to confirm the leakage path is through the switch and not via another means.

If this proves the switch is bad, i.e. the lights go out, replace it. 

 

[AStravelers]

i think these are rated 12-30 volts so i am surprised they didn't last.

Look at my edit on my reply above for possible cause of the 2nd problem.

 

[John From Detroit]

I will give you my expierence.. and the implied suggestion

First LED's I got were... not good.. And I think only one (out of 10) or 2 still work... The rest failed in the manner you describe.
THen I got a few ECO LED's now these puppies are EXPENSIVE (About $20.00 a pop) but WOW.. I like COOL WHITE because it is bright and white (Not yellow or blue.. oh the first were too blue) and years later they are still Bright and White.. one of them is on most all day every day.

I've gotten some assorted brands. NONE as good as the ECO-Led's but close enough. and the prices vary

Last purchase was "indicator lamp" size for basement use.. Mild disappointment. but given where I'm using them. not that much...

Make sure you get your LED's from a reputable vendor.. Others here can likely point you to them

OH.. over the last 3 or 4 years I replaced my Fluorescents with strips of LED's 5 Meters per fixture.. A few segments have gone bad on the oldest.  but not enough to make it worth fixing yet.  Less than 10 bucks per 5 meters on Amazon.

 

[Ernie n Tara]

LED's seem prone to bad connections where they plug in. Mine act like you describe (flickering), then go dim, and finally no light. A temporary cure is is to unplug and reinsert several times. I just got a can of contact cleaner and am looking at two in the out mode. I'll get around to it sooner or later (mostly reading on my Kindle so not bothered by dim).

Ernie