How To Test Led Lights?

Posted by Mark Stephen on February 27th, 2019

Testing LED lights is simple with a digital multimeter, which will give you a clear reading of how strong each light is. The brightness of the LED while you test it will also indicate its quality. If you don't have a multimeter to use, a simple coin cell battery holder with leads will let you know if your LED lights are still working.

  • Purchase a digital multimeter that can take diode readings. Basic multimeters measure just amps, volts, and ohms. To test LED lights, you will need a multimeter with a diode setting. Check online or at your local hardware store for mid-to-high-range multimeters, which are more likely to have this feature than inexpensive models.
  • Hook up the red and black test leads. The red and black test leads should be connected to the outlets on the front of the multimeter. The red lead is the positive charge. The black lead is the negative and should be plugged into the input labelled "COM."
  • Turn the multimeter dial to the diode setting. Turn the dial on the front of your multimeter clockwise to move it away from the "off" position. Keep turning it until you land on the diode setting. If it is not labelled explicitly, the diode setting may be represented by the diode circuit symbol.
  • Connect the black probe to the cathode and the red probe to the anode. Touch the black probe to the cathode end of the LED, which is usually the shorter prong. Next, touch the red probe to the anode, which should be the longer prong. Be sure to connect the black probe before the red probe, as the reverse might not give you an accurate reading.
  • Check the value on the multimeter's digital display. When the probes are touching the cathode and anode, an undamaged Led light should display a voltage of approximately 1600 mV. If no reading appears on your screen during the test, start again to make sure the connections were made properly. If you have performed the test properly, this may be a sign that the LED light is not working.
  • Use Smart Tilt LED Ceiling Spot Lights and try to test them.

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Mark Stephen

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Mark Stephen
Joined: February 27th, 2019
Articles Posted: 7

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