The Definitive Guide to LED Striplights.
Strip lighting lets you get creative with the lighting in your home. Whether you want to add subtle ambiance to your kitchen units, or a splash of dazzling colour to your wardrobe, the options are limitless. But there are a few things to consider before you rush out to buy your new LED strip lighting, and this article will help with any lingering questions you may have.
What transformer do I need?
This is one of our most common queries when it comes to LED strip lighting.
Firstly, it’s important to note that LED strip lighting needs LED transformers if you’re wiring them to your mains because they have a significantly lower (12V) voltage.
The transformer you need depends on multiple factors, such as; length of strip, watts per chip and total wattage.
- For the 60 small chip size, calculate 5 watts per metre
- For 120 small chips, 10 watts per metre
- For 60 large chips, calculate 15 watts per metre
We suggest adding another 20% to avoid a potential overload. E.g 5 metres of 60 small chips needs a 30W LED transfomer
Please make sure you check how many chips per metre the strip lighting you want has, and whether those chips are large or small.
There are plug and play kits available that work with a standard plug, which can be installed in just 5 minutes. Just keep in mind, you’ll obviously have more plugs to consider and less flexibility. See our LED transformers here >.
Where can I use my strip lighting?
There is no limit to what you can do with strip lighting. Our customers often use them in their wardrobe, kitchen counters, banisters, back lighting etc. However, you can get non-waterproof, splashproof and waterproof strip lighting. This is obviously important to consider if you were to place the lighting in an area that’s exposed to water, or in your kitchen near a kettle, for instance.
How bright should my strip lighting be?
The intensity of the light is dependent on the amount and size of the LEDs. The number of LEDs vary from 60 LEDs per metre to 120 LEDs per metre and there are two sizes, SMD 3528 and SMD 5050. The SMD3528 are 3.5mm x 2.8mm and are 0.08watts, where-as the SMD5050 are 5mm x 5mm and consume 0.24 watts.
How do I install my LED strip lighting?
To get your strip light working, connect the transformer / driver to the strip light ( extending the cable with 2 core flex if necessary). Then you connect your transformer / driver to the mains via a plug or direct to the mains and you're away.
For RGB (multi-colour) strip lighting, the process is slightly different because it needs an additional controller:
What strip light colour is for me?
Like LED bulbs and spotlights, strip lighting comes in a variety of different colours. As well as your classics such as Warm White and Cool White, you can pick Blue and even Multiple colour. Remember, for multiple colour strip lighting, you will need an additional RGB remote controller which allows for a smooth transition between colour, brightness and power. It means you can control strip lighting straight from your fingertips. The RGB controller can be found on our website here.
How much will LED strip lighting cost? At LEDHut, prices vary between £7 for Plug and Play kits, to £40 for splashproof strips. You can find our range here.
