1. If I buy such a set or a similar one and later change my mind and want to buy a few more meters of LED strip, can I connect that as well?
- The sets in the webshop are assembled so that the adapter provided is only slightly stronger than the nominal consumption of the LED strip. For example, if an LED strip has a nominal consumption of 30 Watts and the webshop offers 24 and 36VA adapters, the set includes a 36VA adapter capable of providing a maximum consumption of 36 Watts. If you connect a higher consumption LED strip to it, it will light weaker, overheat, and may fail prematurely or turn off. These adapters have protection against overvoltage, overcurrent, and short circuit, but controllers generally do not. If you want to connect additional RGB LED strips to an existing set, electrical measurement and calculation are needed, i.e., more extensive electrical knowledge. Consult a professional. Failure due to overload will void the warranty. The key is to check the nominal consumption of your current and desired LED strips, and if it exceeds what the adapter can provide, it cannot be used as planned. Either you need a separate adapter for the new LED strip, or you need to replace the existing one with a stronger adapter and controller. These products indicate the maximum current they are designed for. For controllers, it can be 6-12 Amps or more, depending on the type. Multiply this Amp value by 12 Volts (or 24 Volts for 24V strips), and you get the maximum Watt consumption of the LED strip that it can still operate. Never exceed these values.
2. I have three shelves one above the other. I want to stick LED strips on the bottom of all three shelves. Should I buy 3 shorter sets, or can I buy a longer one and cut it up? But then what else do I need?
- You can buy a longer one that you can cut to the desired length at the marked places. This LED strip can be cut every 3 LEDs. If you cut it in the wrong place, the last 1-2 LEDs will not light up. You can clip a connector with pins to the cut pieces, or you can solder a power wire to them. The free ends of the pin connectors have a 4-pin connector plug. You can plug an RGB extension cable of the necessary length into this, then an RGB 3-way splitter cable.
- If you want to use a higher power, i.e., a longer LED strip and desire stronger light, it may be advisable to use a thicker wire. Information about this can be found HERE.
3. These sets are only connected from one end. If they receive power from both ends, they will light stronger. What else do I need to buy to connect it from the other end as well?
- Yes, these sets provide a simple retrofit solution. LED strips can emit more light and approach their nominal consumption more if they receive power from both ends. This is because all LED strips experience voltage drop along the strip due to its small cross-section, acting as a conductor. Essentially, the further an LED is from the power connection point, the dimmer it will light. The simplest way to correct this voltage drop is to connect power to the far end of the strip as well. This can be done without soldering by clipping an RGB pin connector with a 4-PIN plug to the far end of the LED strip. Plug an RGB extension cable of at least the same length as the RGB LED strip into this connector, but be careful because the wiring order is reversed at the far end of the strip. Thus, the black wire should not go into the pin marked with an arrow but to the opposite edge. You must be very careful about polarity to avoid short circuits. Insert an RGB splitter between the existing controller and the LED strip, and plug the other end of the RGB extension cable into one of the free branches of the splitter. At this end, the black wire will connect correctly to the pin marked with an arrow. Also, make sure that the weight of the wire does not pull down the LED strip at the far end.
Moreover, I want to cut it and provide connections at both ends of both pieces.
- In that case, you will need to acquire several 3-way RGB splitter cables and additional RGB extension cables and connectors accordingly.
- The article linked in the answer to the previous two questions provides an example of how to achieve this with larger cross-section wires and Wago wire connectors, which might simplify the implementation and reduce the chance of polarity errors.
4. Many LED strip sets in the webshop mention retrofit LED strip installation. What makes it a retrofit? What is it like if it is installed during renovation or construction rather than retrofitting?
- In a pre-planned LED strip lighting setup, the power supply is usually not plugged into a free-standing socket. This means the power supply is not an adapter but a fixedly connected power supply unit. This is hidden in an installation box, a drywall cavity, or a hidden compartment of a piece of furniture.
- A retrofit solution is also indicated if there is no wall-mounted RGB switch planned (although modern 2.4G RF remote controls make this less popular).
- A retrofit solution is suggested if the wires are visible and not hidden or embedded in the wall.
- It is a retrofit solution because a professionally pre-planned LED strip lighting setup ensures that several shorter LED strip sections are powered from both ends to provide uniform and stronger light. Although this can be achieved with additional connectors, splitters, and extension cables in such sets, it results in more visible wires.
- In a pre-planned LED strip lighting setup, the LED strip is not just stuck somewhere but is more likely glued into an LED profile. This provides a more aesthetically pleasing and reliable installation, and the heat conduction of the LED profile allows the use of higher power LED strips than those available in retrofit sets.
5. I know that an LED strip glued into an aluminum profile looks better, is safer, cools better, and is much easier to install and remove, etc. However, it’s cheaper to just stick the LED strip on, and who thinks about what happens if it fails? So, really, what happens if it fails? Do I have to rip out the entire thing that I carefully measured and glued in place?
- In a system, the power supply, controller, or controller remote, or the LED strip itself can fail independently.
- For an LED strip, the cause of failure can be:
- mechanical damage (indoor type LEDs are exposed), for example, hitting a LED off the strip with a hard object – it’s not easy but can happen despite the soldering,
- or if proper heat dissipation was not ensured, causing it to overheat and fail,
- or if it was installed in a humid environment where moisture has affected it,
- or despite the manufacturer recommending no more than 10-12 hours of daily operation, it is used for 24 hours continuously…
So in such cases, the LED strip can fail, resulting in a group of three LEDs going out or flickering. Then, cut out the faulty 3-LED group at the marked location on the strip with scissors. Since LED strips are available in whole meters, and the usage location rarely requires exactly a whole meter, there may be an unused leftover piece. Cut out a three-LED group from that leftover piece and replace it. The question is: – how?
- If you can solder, simply glue the replacement part in place and solder the free copper sections together. This means making 4 solder points for a single-color LED strip.
- If you can’t solder, you need to get 2 RGB connectors to clip the LED strips together. The connectors are wider than the LED strip itself, so if the connector doesn’t fit, soldering is the only option.
- A separate issue arises if the LED strip is in a hidden location, making it inaccessible for cutting, soldering, or connecting. In this case, you need to tear off a section large enough to pull out for the work to be done. Afterward, reattach the repaired LED strip with double-sided adhesive tape (usually available in stationery or hardware stores). For shorter sections, super glue or non-acidic silicone adhesive can also be considered.
- For waterproof LED strips, the silicone tubing poses an additional challenge. To make the connection watertight, use heat shrink tubing at the joint. Particularly, there is no other option if soldering was done, as the larger cross-section connector wouldn’t fit into an empty silicone tube.
- If the entire LED strip does not light up, it is likely not the strip itself that is faulty. The wire could be damaged somewhere, the power supply could be faulty, or the switch, controller, etc. However, if the power supply has failed in such a way (albeit unlikely) that it damaged the devices it powers, the entire LED strip could be faulty. The key point is that only a qualified electrician should locate and repair the fault. If the entire LED strip doesn’t light up, it might only require replacing the power supply, controller, or switch, but it could also require replacing the entire LED strip if, for example, it was damaged as a secondary consequence of a lightning strike.
6. I want to extend the power supply of the LED strip over a longer distance and operate several higher-power sections. What cross-sectional wire is recommended?
- This is a larger topic, and it is detailed separately in the post “What cross-sectional wire should we use for setting up RGB LED strip lighting?“.
General summary information can be found in the article “We have assembled easy installation LED strip sets“.