Choosing the compatible power supply for LED Tape lights can be a challenge. Step 1 Dezigns LED tape light strips are either 12V DC or 24V DC which require a constant low voltage power supply to run the led strips. The LED power supply (also known as LED driver or transformer) which connects to a 120V AC power source and converts the current to 12V or 24V DC. The most commonly used voltage used in commercial or residential application is 12V DC or 24V DC. The Low voltage output provides the most safety and protection and consumes less current.
Let’s start with the basics. The LED power supply is to provide the correct amount of electrical current to LED lights so that they do not overheat or fail prematurely due to overloading. It also regulates the flow of current to your tape lights to ensure the best functionality. Since Step 1 Dezigns LED strips are customizable in different lengths and sizes, and the compatible LED power supply would depend on the LED tape lights Voltage and wattage. All LED Strips are Dimmable when used with compatible LED driver.
Follow the step by step instructions and example in Orange to find out which power supply will be suitable for your application.
Important Factors to consider when selecting the right LED Driver:
- Input Voltage of the LED Driver: 110-277V AC
- Output Voltage of the LED Driver: 12V DC or 24V DC
- Power Consumption of the LED Strip Light (Wattage per ft)
- Total Run of LED Strip Light (Total Length in ft)
- Dimmable or Non-Dimmable
*You can find the above factors from each product page or specification sheet on our Web Site. The recommend the max run of LED strips light is 32 ft before requiring an additional power supply.
Step 1. Check the Voltage of your LED Tape Light. Determine if the LED tape light is 12V DC or 24V DC. Check for markings indicated on the LED strip or the product specifications at step1dezigns.com. This step is very important because of the wrong supply voltage could be a safety hazard or cause malfunction of the tape light.
For our example project, we will use 6 ft of the 12V DC LED Standard Tape Light.
Step 2. Check the watts per ft. This is also important in determining what size of LED Driver you will require. If you have insufficient power feeding to the LED strips, it may cause a flicker, or diming, or will not light up at all. The power consumption can be found in the product specifications.
Step 3. To Calculate the power usage, use the following formula:
Power (watts per ft) x Length (ft) = Total Power Consumption (Watts)
So in our continued example, the 12V DC LED Standard Tape Light is rated at 2.4w/ft, so:
2.4 w/ft x 6 ft= 14.4 watts
Step 4. When selecting the LED power supply, it's always advisable to de-rate the power load by 10% to increase the lifespan of the LED Driver. This can be done by dividing the total power or wattage of the LED strip by 0.9.
Our continued example would be 14.4w / 0.9 = 16 watts minimum driver capacity.
Step 5. Once you have identified voltage and calculated the total power consumption, you can select the power supply which would depend on your installation or application. Step 1 Dezigns offer a wide variety of LED Drivers including dimmable and non-dimmable drivers.
To complete our example, the required driver for this application would be a 12V DC LED Driver that has a minimum of the required 16 watts load.
If you have any questions about choosing your power supply, please do not hesitate to give us a call at 949-270-0250 or email sales@step1dezigns.com.