LED strips are considered one of the most popular and common types of lighting fixtures. This is due to a large number of advantages. They are characterized by small size and economical power consumption.
Types of LED strips
According to the installation methods, this type of lighting fixture is divided into two types - DIP and SMD. In the first case, the LED bulbs are placed directly into the body of the tape, from them there are two outputs on each side. In the latter case, resistors and LEDs are soldered to the tape on the surface.
Visually, the DIP tape is a series of small cylinders, while the SMD is flat.
Also, when choosing an LED strip, the color of the bulbs is of great importance. It not only creates mood and affects the emotional state of a person, but also determines performance. By color, LED strips are divided into the following types:
- Monochrome ribbons. They are made from LED bulbs of the same type. They can be of different colors, for example, yellow, red, green, blue and white. If desired, you can find non-standard colors - orange or pink. There are also tapes with ultraviolet and infrared radiation.
- The multi-color ribbons are equipped with three LED crystals in one chip, which makes the ribbon emit different colors.
There is a wide variety of shades of white. LED strips can emit cold or warm white, neutral.
Calculation of the power of the LED strip
The power of the LED strip needs to be calculated in order to find a suitable power supply for it. With inaccurate calculations, you can purchase an insufficient or, on the contrary, too powerful device. The work will be incorrect, the LED strip will quickly fail.
Before proceeding with the calculation, you need to understand the variety of existing markings for LED lighting fixtures. The abbreviation SMDXXYY stands for the following:
- SMD is the type of technology used by which printed circuit boards were produced.
- XX, YY - dimensions of each LED, measured in tenths of a millimeter.
To calculate the power of the LED strip, you need to multiply the current (measured in Amperes) by the voltage (Volts).
The table can simplify the calculations:
| Type of LED bulbs | Concentration of LEDs per meter | Power consumption of 1 meter of tape |
| SMD 5050 | 120 | 25 |
| SMD 5050 | 60 | 15 |
| SMD 5050 | 30 | 7,2 |
| SMD 3528 | 240 | 19,2 |
| SMD 3528 | 120 | 9,6 |
| SMD 3528 | 60 | 4,8 |
Some manufacturers indicate the required power supply in the accompanying product documentation.
What you should pay attention to
LEDs are most often sold in bobbins 5 meters long each; the exact number of LEDs is recorded on the package.
When choosing a lighting device, you need to pay attention to the following parameters:
- installation methods;
- the type of LED bulbs installed (the level of illumination will depend on this parameter);
- degree of protection;
- power consumption (the parameters of the purchased power supply will depend on this indicator);
- supply voltage;
- number of LEDs;
- color.
Build quality
The build quality and the materials used in the manufacture directly depend on the manufacturer.The most demanded products on the market are Arlight, Gauss, Cree, Feron, Navigator and OSRAM.
It is recommended to purchase lighting devices in those places where they provide a guarantee, and it is also possible to check the operation of the device, hold it in your hands.
In the manufacture of LED bulbs, the following defects are most common:
- product soldering, made from several separate pieces;
- poor quality soldering;
- flashing or poorly performing sections.
If the buyer has decided to make a purchase through the online store, first you need to study the reviews about the seller.
Degree of protection
The degree of protection is usually fixed in accordance with international standards. This parameter must be indicated on the package. If information is not available, the quality of the offered item should be questioned.
The exposed LED strips are marked with IP20. They are designed to work in dry rooms where moisture protection is not required. Most often it is used to illuminate ceilings and cabinet furniture.
IP65 marking - products with partial protection against moisture. Used for installation in bathrooms, provided that the possibility of water ingress is excluded.
The IP68 degree of protection indicates the complete protection of the tape from moisture. The device can be used in a humid environment at a depth of 1 meter. However, in this case, for safety reasons, it is recommended to additionally use residual current devices.
Supply voltage and power
A specific model has its own supply voltage, these data must also be indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging. There are the following types of denominations:
- + 5V - applicable for lighting fixtures powered by USB connectors on computers. Recently, it is often used to decorate wardrobe items. The peculiarity of the work consists in converting energy from batteries with a voltage of 1.5V into a direct current of 5V.
- + 12V is the most common type of rating designed to power tapes. For uninterrupted and productive work, special power supplies are used - drivers.
- + 24V - used if there is a need for a backup power supply in the event of a power failure. The rechargeable battery will work much longer, provided that the current strength for segments of the same power will be half as much. There is another reason for using this rating - in the case of large distances between the tape and power supplies. This makes it possible to reduce the voltage drop caused by the resistance of the electrical wiring.
- + 36V - rarely used, since manufacturers rarely make power supplies with such a rating. If the device is out of order, it is unlikely that it will be possible to find a replacement quickly. The advantage of using it is the reduced current that the lighting device will consume.
You can also find out the power of the LED strip by the type of LED bulbs used.
LEDs with the same wattage but different colors will have different luminous flux. The general parameters should be indicated in the tables of the accompanying documentation. The fullness of the luminous flux depends on the power of each LED bulb.
Number of colors and color shade
LED strip manufacturers produce products in the following colors:
- RGB, multicolor;
- cold white;
- yellow;
- blue;
- red;
- green;
- warm white.
The color pink is gaining popularity. Its demand is largely due to the great benefits for the growth and development of plants.
Calculation of the power of the LED strip for one power supply
The required power of the power supply is found by summing the used LED strips.To ensure long-term, uninterrupted and, most importantly, safe operation of the device, it is recommended when choosing to provide a power reserve of about 20%.
It is often practiced to operate a computer power supply as a driver. Such blocks give out voltage levels: +3.3; +5.0; +12; -12 V. To ensure the operation of LED strips, only power supply units with a power of + 12V can be used.
It will not be difficult to find a suitable one, since the given performance of the device is always fixed on special stickers. For optimal performance, do not overload the power supply beyond 80% of the rating indicated on the label. If you neglect this rule of operation, the current transformer will work constantly in overvoltage and overheat. Such factors significantly reduce the service life of electrical appliances.
Before starting the power supply before turning on the LED-lamp, it is required to short-circuit two conductors.
