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Can a LED change colour over time?

I've had a blue LED set up for some time and it use to be a much brighter (ultramarine blue) now it's heading to a more greenish dull colour. How is this happening?

mad_z
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2 Answers2

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My guess is over-voltage or over-current, both of which can be caused by using an incorrect resistor with the LED, or by a power supply giving more voltage than you thought. Slightly overdriving a LED will often work at first, but it will wear it out much sooner than if the specs were followed.

davr
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Sadly, not all LEDs are well made, and some will deteriorate over time even without mishandling. How long have you had this LED running? If it's just a few hundred hours, it probably was damaged by something, but if it has been in use for thousands of hours, it may just be aging.

Monica
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