What kind of power supply do I need for LED lights?

LED strips, unfortunately, are not as simple as traditional incandescent light bulbs when it comes to installation and set up. Because they run on low voltage DC, they require a power supply device that converts 120V/240V AC (depending on your location) into the voltage signal that LED strips can use.

What voltage is best for LED lights?

Voltage surges can have a destructive effect on electronic equipment, including LED light bulbs. LEDs often require a certain amount of volts, depending on the type and color of the LED. Most experts recommend 2-3 volts for LEDs. However, you can look it up to be certain.

How to choose a power supply for LED strip lights?

Make sure the total wattage of your LED strip lighting is at least 20 percent less than the power supply’s rated wattage. For example, if you have an LED strip light that requires 80 watts of power to run, you’ll need a power supply that’s rated for at least 96 watts.

Do LED lights need a regulator?

Most LEDs need a current-limiting device (whether that be a driver or resistors) in order to prevent LEDs from being over driven. This constant current driver or current limiting resistor is used to regulate current to the LEDs, keeping them running safe and maximizing their lifetime.

Do LED lights need AC or DC?

In most applications, LEDs are driven by a DC power supply, but AC offers several significant advantages. Lynk Labs has developed technology that allows LEDs to be driven directly from an AC supply. LEDs are usually considered to be DC devices, operating from a few volts of direct current.

How many amps do I need for LED strip?

To find the total maximum current draw per meter, we would multiply 60mA x 10 (ten segments per meter for the 30/LED per meter strip) = 0.6 Amps per meter OR 60mA x 20 (twenty segments per meter for the 60/LED per meter strip) = 1.2 Amps per meter.

How many watts do I need for LED strip?

The LED strip has a power consumption of 14W / m. 14 x 8.5 = 119 Watts in total. So you need a LED power supply (sometimes referred to as a LED driver) that can deliver at least 119 Watts.

Can I use 12V AC for LED lights?

To run an LED-based fixture from a mains supply (e.g. 120 V AC) requires electronics between the supply and the devices themselves to provide a DC voltage (e.g. 12 V DC) capable of driving several LEDs. A new approach is to develop AC-LEDs, which can operate directly from an AC power supply.

Can LED lights run on 12V AC?

Yes, because LED’ s really are a Direct current device light that is hooked up to a circuit. When looking at the circuit there is the 12 volt DC battery, a switch, and the LED. LEDs are DC devices. An AC LED simply adds a rectifier for the AC (plus some other gubbins to set the current and ‘smooth’ the rectified AC).