Over the last few years, LED lighting has gained the status of one of the cheapest light sources. Undoubtedly, the advantage is that it does not heat up like traditional light bulbs and does not contain substances harmful to health. In addition, thanks to the long service life, it is enough for many years of use. Although in recent years we have been using LED lighting more and more often, knowledge about its installation is not so common. Installation depends, of course, on the lighting model we choose - LED strips are currently the most popular choice
Before we buy the LED strip
Before buying LED strips, let's pay attention to the differences between them. What to consider when choosing an LED strip?
- Power - it is important that we can choose the right power supply for it.
- IP protection class - depending on the purpose of our tape, we can choose those that are for outdoor use, for example IP68, or those most often chosen for interiors with a low level of protection against moisture, for example IP20.
- Number of LEDs - light emission depends primarily on the type of LEDs used and their number. The fewer LEDs, the less light they will emit.
- Light color - the choice of color depends on the intended use of the lighting. Warm light will create a cozy atmosphere, and cold light will have a stimulating effect.
- Gel-embedded diodes - can be used without additional profiles.
- LEDs without gel - are most often used together with LED profiles that protect them against damage and external factors.
Methods of connecting LED strips
We answer the question of how to connect LED strips? There are two connection methods - parallel or serial. What are their advantages and disadvantages?
- Parallel method - is a slightly more difficult assembly solution, but it allows for convenient placement of individual LEDs in the apartment. The LED strips will have two separate wires (attached to the power supply). They will not be connected directly to each other, which will ensure convenience when installing them in the room. The advantage of connecting the strips in parallel is also the prevention of voltage drops that may occur in the case of long sections of LED strips connected in series. The disadvantage of this method is the large number of wires, especially when connecting tapes to the power supply.
- • Serial method - it consists in connecting LED strips with the same single cable one after the other. LED strips, like batteries, have positive and negative poles. The positive pole of the power supply must be connected to the positive pole of the tape, which will be connected with a wire to the next strap. It is important not to make strap chains too long due to the risk of voltage drops.
Before choosing the installation method, let's define the arrangement of lighting in the apartment.
If we plan lighting, for example on opposite walls of the room, use a parallel connection. If you want a straight line along the wall, choose a serial installation. Most often, LED strips are in the form of 5-meter rolls, we can also buy shorter strips that we will combine into a system. However, in order to avoid overheating of the installation, it is recommended to purchase one long tape and cut it to the appropriate dimensions.
Accessories for LED strips connecting
There are various types of LED accessories on the market that facilitate the installation of LED strips and necessary if we want to connect individual elements without soldering.
How to connect LED strips with accessories? We can use various types of couplings for this:
- Angle connectors - allow you to connect the LED strips at an angle, without the need to use a soldering iron. These connectors have two clips perpendicular to each other, in which we clamp the LED strips. They are perfect when we want to connect tapes in parallel.
- Quick-couplers - enable connecting sections of tapes so that the place of their connection is as little visible as possible. Unfortunately, they will not fit inside the profile - if we want to use LED profiles, soldering will be necessary.
- Clamp connectors - allow you to connect two sections of the LED strip at any angle. It is pressurized and protects against short circuits.
Among the LED accessories, we also find mounting materials, such as:
Practical installation advice
When starting the assembly, let's be prepared for the fact that trimming is an integral part of it and soldering. Make sure that the LED strips are soldered with the power supply turned off - we can use a transformer soldering iron, the temperature of the tip should be within between 320 and 380. Make breaks during soldering so that the neighboring points have time to cool down. If we want to mount LED strips in aluminum profiles - it is worth soldering them before sticking to the profile. Before cutting the tape to the desired length, make sure to accurately measure how many centimeters we will need. There are special markings on the strips that show us safe places to cut - usually every 2.5 or 5 centimeters. We can do it with ordinary scissors - let's cut only in designated places so as not to damage the installation. Let's avoid the most common mistakes, such as too small cross-section of the wires, lack of grounding or connecting LED strips in long strings.
