The online store offers over 600 types of easy, so-called retrofitted LED strip sets. These sets are packages selected from the store’s offerings, so if someone wants to add mood lighting with an LED strip afterward, they won’t need to search for accessories. These kits are designed so that you simply connect the components, stick the LED strip, fix the power connection point, plug the power supply into the outlet, and the LED strip will light up.
Additionally, you can choose from non-switch and about 10 types with switches, dimmers, infrared, or radio frequency remote controls. Options include warm white, cool white, red, yellow, green, blue, purple, or RGB (adjustable color) and RGBW. They range from 1 meter up to 10 meters, in 1-meter increments. If you need a non-standard length, choose a longer strip and cut it shorter in segments of three LEDs, close to the required length. For white LED strips, you can choose from 3 brightness levels, single-color strips have one, and for RGB and RGBW, there are two brightness options. Moreover, in the case of RGBW, the white chip is available in 3 color temperatures.
These sets typically include an LED strip of the desired length, in the appropriate type (brightness) and color, or color temperature. They include an adapter — a plug-in power supply, a switching option — unless a non-switch version was specifically chosen, and a pair of mounting clips or screws to ensure that the weight of the cable or switch doesn’t pull down the mounted LED strip. There are many variations for switching options, such as a switch on the cable, a mini push-button controller on the cable that allows dimming and selecting various lighting modes, or a remote-controlled option, which can be infrared or radio frequency. Among the radio frequency remotes, there is a 2.4G system option that allows one strip to be controlled by multiple remotes, or up to four different LED strips by a single remote, either simultaneously in the same way or individually in different modes. With an additional WiFi converter, you can even control it with an app on your mobile phone.
Why are these sets considered retrofitted?
In a pre-planned LED strip lighting setup, the power supply is generally not plugged into a freestanding outlet. Instead, it uses a fixed power supply that is hidden in a junction box, drywall cavity, or a concealed compartment in furniture. It’s also a retrofitted solution if there’s no built-in switch, and the adapter must be plugged in and out of the outlet, or a hanging cable switch is used instead of a wall switch. It’s indicative of a retrofit if the wires are visible and not hidden or embedded in the wall. A professionally pre-planned LED strip lighting setup ideally has multiple shorter LED strip sections powered from both ends to ensure even and stronger lighting. These sets can also include additional connection, splitter, and extension wires, but this might result in more visible wires. This means that with an LED strip connected at multiple points at both ends, you can get closer and closer to the official rated power consumption of the LED strip, while with these retrofit kits, the longer they are and the further they are from the connection point, the weaker they will light. Generally speaking, those who choose these kits will, depending on the type and length of the LED strip, not be able to use the rated brightness of the LED strip, i.e. the LED strip will be 10 or even 60% less bright than the LED strip of their choice is officially capable of illuminating. Naturally, the power consumption will be lower by the same proportion.
A designed LED strip lighting can be a remote control solution as well as a wall mounted switch, the switch can be dimmable, it can even be possible to use the same family of switches as the other switches in the house (for single colour) for wall dimming, and even to control the same LED strip section with wall switches installed in several different locations. With a power designed LED strip lighting, the LED strip is not just glued somewhere, but more likely glued into an LED profile. That means a nicer looking and more reliable installation, and because of the thermal conductivity of the LED profile, you can use higher wattage LED strips, unlike those available in retrofit kits.
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In summary, we must weigh the advantages and disadvantages of these LED strip sets against a solution designed and implemented by an electrical professional.
Advantages:
- Cheaper,
- faster,
- provides simpler (even DIY) implementation. It requires more attention and adherence to installation instructions rather than electrical calculation and implementation knowledge.
- Some of the disadvantages listed below can be partially mitigated with separately purchasable accessories.
Disadvantages:
- Limited length,
- uneven, i.e., decreasing luminous flux for LEDs farther from the connection point.
- The power supply might be in a visible location,
- which may result in visible, hanging wires.
- If the LED strip is in a visible location, it might be disturbing or cause glare where it’s placed, which can be avoided by placing it in an LED profile or opaque LED profile, making it less disruptive and more aesthetically pleasing.
- The more accessories we buy to make it match our specific ideas and improve the quality of our lighting, the more extensive electrical design, calculation, and implementation knowledge we need to have.
General installation and warranty information for LED strip sets:
- Must be installed by a professional only!
- Unroll the LED strip!
- Connect the DC-Jack socket of the LED strip to the DC-Jack plug of the controller or switch, if there isn’t one, then to the DC-Jack plug of the adapter. If the set has a switch or controller, then connect its DC-Jack socket to the adapter’s DC-Jack plug. (If you chose RGB or RGBW lighting, you will find 4 or 5 PIN connectors – pins and sockets – instead of DC connectors. The black wire is on the edge marked with an arrow. These must meet when connecting, otherwise it won’t light up.)
- If you want to place the strip at a greater distance from the socket or the adapter, buy a low voltage extension cable.
- Plug the adapter into the socket, turn on the lighting. If it has a controller, set it to the strongest white light.
- Hold the LED strip to the place where you want to stick it and check if the lighting experience provided by the strip meets your expectations.
- If the lighting experience or anything else doesn’t meet your expectations, exercise your right of withdrawal and return the product before sticking it.
- If you decide to stick it, i.e., remove the protection from the adhesive strip on the back, or cut it shorter, modify the LED strip, you can no longer exercise your right of withdrawal.
- Stick the LED strip by removing the protective paper from the back.
- Cut off the overhanging LED strip! It’s important that the LED strip can be cut at the marked places every 3 LEDs, and every 6 LEDs for 24 Volt ones. If you cut it in the wrong place, 1-2 LEDs won’t light up at the end of the strip.
- The LED strip can be stuck to dry, dust-free painted walls, or furniture boards, glass, plexiglass, metal surfaces, or LED profiles whose inner width exceeds the width of the chosen LED strip.
- If the LED strip’s name doesn’t include IP protection, or only IP20 protection is indicated, it’s not waterproof and not dust-proof, so it can’t be used in humid rooms either. If the LED strip is waterproof according to its IP protection, it can be placed even in driving rain depending on the marking, but the switch or controller and the adapter are never waterproof, so they can only be used indoors in a moisture-free place. LED strips should never be used in places exposed to radiant heat! Additionally, they can only be installed in rooms with normal room temperature at most! Higher temperatures shorten the expected lifespan of the LED, and moisture causes corrosion leading to malfunction. The ideal place for LEDs is not furniture board or room walls, but good heat-conducting surfaces like metal or glass. Metal, being a good heat conductor, is why aluminum LED profiles can be purchased separately, which not only increases the expected lifespan of LEDs due to good heat conduction but also provides a nice appearance for LED strips. Despite this, the heat production of LED strips available in sets is such that when stuck to walls or furniture surfaces at normal room temperature, heat dissipation is sufficiently ensured.
- The only thing that is not guaranteed is that the self-adhesive back surface of the LED strip will always maintain its adhesive ability. So, certain combinations of temperature, heat dissipation, and the adhesive surface provided by the wall or furniture do not always ensure proper adhesion. If the LED strip doesn’t stick or comes off the surface, it’s not a warranty defect. In this case, it’s the installer’s responsibility to reinforce the adhesion.
- Possible methods for this include: using double-sided adhesive tape (mirror adhesive tape or mounting tape), or using silicone adhesive, or even super glue can provide a solution when used in small sections between the back of the strip and the target surface.
- A typical detachment problem is that the power supply wire, despite its minimal weight, constantly pulls on the LED strip, and over time, an increasingly long section detaches starting from the connecting wire.
- To prevent this, a fastening lug is included in the set to take over the weight of the connecting wire.
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- Warranty defects can include if the power supply, the controller, or even a single LED on the LED strip malfunctions.
- So, if even a single LED fails, cut out a unit around the faulty LED from the LED strip. A unit means 3 LEDs. That is, the LED strip can be cut every 3 LEDs at the marked places, so even for replacement, you can only cut out the faulty section at such a place. Remove the cut-out faulty section from the stuck surface and send it back for replacement if the warranty is valid. Otherwise, if you cut off LEDs from the end of the strip during the original installation, you can now use this. The webshop will replace the faulty LED strip section during the warranty period, as well as the malfunctioned power supply or controller.
- Stick the LED section back in its old place, and ensure power supply again either by soldering or with a separately purchasable connector pair (can be purchased separately, available in several versions according to the strip type)!
- The wire and LED strip should only be disconnected when unplugged!
- Lighting turned off with a push button, remote control, or switch after the power supply is not yet unplugged, you must also unplug it from the socket.
- The warranty only applies to the purchased components, i.e., it cannot be enforced for further damages caused by product failure. The warranty does not cover the financing of additional work required to fix the fault and does not cover damages incurred during the replacement of the defective product. That is, only stick and fix the LED strip and its operating components where you also accept the appearance that results from its removal, or you accept that you may need professionals other than an electrician. That is, during the removal of the product, screw, nail, and adhesive marks will remain, and it’s possible that the adhesive may tear out pieces of paint or plaster when removing the LED strip.
- The nominal consumption mentioned in the product’s technical data, which is also the power value (Watt) in the name of the product, i.e., the set, is the nominal consumption value provided by the manufacturer for the LED strip. Nominal consumption means how much power the LED strip is capable of, but it’s only capable and not necessarily actually achieved, because that depends on the method of implementation. The longer an LED strip is – without multi-point power supply -, and the smaller its cross-section, and the higher power and more LEDs it has, with lower value resistors, the stronger the voltage drop on the LED strip. To prevent voltage drop in longer LED strips, power connection should be made at multiple points, i.e., from both directions on shorter sections. However, this makes the implementation more complicated. This set, on the other hand, is just a simple LED strip set connected at one end, so the full lighting capability of the LED strip is not fully utilized. Depending on the type and length, the consumption of some of the LED strips available in the set (e.g., 1-meter ones) may not deviate from the nominal at all, but the longer ones may deviate by 10-60%. This can be noticed by bending back the end of the switched-on strip to the first LED before sticking. The greater the “brightness difference” between the first LED and the last LED on the strip indicates a stronger voltage drop. If this is disturbing, it can be eliminated with separately purchasable additional connection elements. Besides the LED strip, the adapters also have a few Watts of consumption, as do the controllers and dimmers. These are not significant values, and manufacturers don’t disclose them.
- The set includes an adapter for each LED strip that provides pass-through power, allowing the operation of LED strips even at 100% nominal power. Therefore, if the buyer purchases accessories for connecting the other end of the strip to provide larger and more uniform light for the chosen LED set, or even cuts it into several short sections and provides power supply to both ends of each section, the adapter is still sufficient to provide the necessary power, and even the pass-through power of the controller is sufficient.
- However, if the user decides to connect additional LED strips to this set, electrical measurement and calculation are necessary, i.e., more extensive electrical knowledge is required. Use a professional because if you overload the power supply or the controller, it may only heat up more, resulting in a shortened lifespan, but it’s possible that the adapter, unable to handle the load, will shut off. Moreover, the controllers don’t have overload protection. On the other hand, malfunctions resulting from overload lead to loss of warranty.
You can find more information about Single Color LED strip installation HERE.
You can find more information about RGB LED strip installation HERE.