LED Light Remote Is Not Working – (7 Possible Reasons)

A malfunctioning or damaged remote is the most disgusting thing you may face while owning LED light strip. Most of the time, you’re left with two options if your LED remote is not working: 1) Fix The Remote, 2) Replace The Whole Setup. 

LED-light-Remote-not-Working

A few days earlier, my LED strip remote suddenly stopped working. I couldn’t find what happened until I did some thorough research. It turns out my LED remote’s on/off button is not working, but the remote is fine. If you are one of the sufferers of malfunctioning LED remotes & wondering, “why isn’t my LED remote working” – this article is for you.

Most of the time LED remote doesn’t work if there are problems with the circuit board, infrared sensor, or buttons. Apart from these reasons, physical damage and programming errors can also cause a LED remote to stop working correctly. 

If you want to know the above reasons and solutions, continue reading this article. I’ll also discuss some extra topics/reasons which might seem illogical but they can help you fix your LED strip light remote. 

Reasons Why LED Remote Stops Working – and How To Fix Them

There are several reasons why LED remotes stop working; here are some of them with solutions: 

1. The Battery is Dead Or Inserted Incorrectly 

The most common reason behind a non-functioning LED remote is a dead or wrongly inserted battery. Inspect the battery & see if it’s connected in the right way. Later on, check & replace the battery if it’s dead. 

2. The Remote Has Been Unpaired

Sometimes the remote can act up & unpair itself. It is only possible to tell whether or not the remote has been unpaired once you pair it again. Here’s how you can pair the remote step by step: 

  • Step 1: Turn off the power supply of your LED light strip. 
  • Step 2: Now Turn on the power supply & click on the on/off button of the remote at a time. 
  • Step 3: Don’t forget to face the remote to the receiver while performing this task. 

3. The Infrared Sensor Is Malfunctioning 

There can be many reasons why the infrared sensor is malfunctioning, some of these causes are: 

  1. Distance: The distance between the remote & receiver might be very high
  2. Interference: If there are other electronic devices such as TV, Radio or AC, they might disrupt the infrared sensor. 
  3. Dirt & Debris: If the infrared sensor is very dirty, this might cause the remote not to work at all. 

To fix the infrared sensor malfunctioning, you can use the remote closer to the receiver & clean the infrared sensor properly. If these don’t solve your problem, try resetting the remote. Here is how you can reset your remote: 

  • Step 1: Turn off the remote.
  • Step 2: Unpair the battery & wait for some seconds 
  • Step 3: Insert the battery again & click on the On button.

Caution: The steps mentioned above might only work on some remotes.

4. Dirty or Damaged Circuit Board

Open the remote & see it’s clean. If it’s not clean, try cleaning the remote by opening it & cleaning it with some isopropyl in a cotton bud. Replacing the remote is the best solution if you see damage to the circuit board. 

5. The Remote Is Ok, but Some Buttons Aren’t 

Your remote can be perfectly fine, but it won’t work if the on/off button is not working. To make sure those buttons are causing the issue, open the remote & inspect the ON/Off buttons. 

If you find the underneath surface of those buttons is damaged & not reaching the circuit board properly – you can use foil paper to fix it. Here is how you can do it: 

  • Step 1: Take a piece of foil paper & cut a tiny portion. It should be smaller than your fingertips. 
  • Step 2: Place that little piece of foil paper underneath the buttons. 
  • Step 3: Reassemble the remote.

The foil paper will work as the conducting material for the switch to reach the circuit board. 

You can also watch this video.

6. Reprogramme The LED Remote

Reprogramming requires an owner manual. You can have clear instructions in that manual. However, if you don’t have the owner’s manual and using a 44-key IR remote – I can help reprogram that LED strip remote. Follow these steps: 

  • Step 1: First, press the Red button; it should trigger any other lighting color but red. 
  • Step 2: Press the power off button.
  • Step 3: Press the Fade 7 button.
  • Step 4: Now press the power on the button & see which lighting color it is.
  • Step 5: If it’s not red, press the power off button again & repeat step 1 to step 4 until it shows red light after pressing the power on button. 

7. The Receiver Is Not Responding

Though there is no sleep feature of a LED strip light receiver, sometimes the receiver can get unresponsive to commands. To fix this issue, follow these steps: 

  • Step 1: Perform a loose connection of your LED light strip to the receiver. Just make sure both connectors (of the strips & the receiver) are touching each other. 
  • Step 2: Press the On button of your remote & your remote should start working. 
  • Step 3: Now connect the receiver & LED light strip correctly. 

You can also watch this video.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

Can I Connect a Different Remote To My LED Strip Lights?

Yes, you can connect a different remote to your LED strip lights if the remote matches the RF (Radio Frequency) of the previous remote. You can buy the same LED light strip model & the provided remote should work with the older LED strip lights. People use different remotes when their led light remote is lost or it’s not working.

Is It Possible To Use Multiple Remotes To Control A Single LED Strip?

Yes, as long the frequency matches & the receiver can read the signals – you can use multiple remotes to control a single LED strip. Remember, if you are using multiple remote control to control a strip of LED lights, the settings for the LEDs will be determined by the remote control you used most recently.

How Long Do The Batteries of The LED Strip Remote Last?

Depending on the batteries, LED light strip remote batteries can last 2 months to 6 months. If your LED remote uses CR2025 batteries, they can last 4 to 6 months. On the other hand, if your LED remote uses AAA batteries – they can last 2 to 3 months. 

Conclusion

I hope this article was helpful enough in fixing your LED remote. I have mentioned a lot of possible problems with solutions; if you still can’t find the problem – you better replace your LED strip light setup with a new remote. 

Meta: Don’t know why your LED remote isn’t working? Don’t worry; I’ve got you covered. Follow this article to fix your LED strip light remote.

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