Choosing LED Strip Home

Single color or multi-color?

The first thing you need to decide when choosing - what type of LED strip you need in the house or apartment.To date, there are monochrome products, which can only shine white, blue, red or green, as in the photo below.

Alternative - multi-color (RGB), which can change its color according to the controller signal, which you and will manage.To choose a good LED strip, you first have to deal with her appointment.For decorative lighting of the room is better to choose the RGB version.For high-quality illumination of the working area - a countertop in the kitchen table with the tools in the garage suggested to select monochrome white ribbon.

Brightness

on brightness affect the LEDs are installed in the product.Now manufacturers of LED strips can be installed LED type SMD3528, SMD5050 or SMD5630 same.Four figures in the marking indicates the size of the light sources themselves.For example, "3528" makes it clear that the size of the LED is 3.5 * 2.8 mm, which is clearly seen in the picture below.

Accordingly, the larger the size, the better the brightness of the LED glow.To make it clearer, to give the light output of each of the types of LEDs:

• SMD3528 - 5 lumens;
• SMD5050 - 15 lumens;
• SMD5630 - 18 Lumen.

At the same time, to select the brightness of the LED tape, you must determine the number of LEDs per 1 meter of the product.The minimum number of lights per meter is 30 units, the maximum - 240 SMD3528, SMD5050 120 and 72 for the SMD 5630.

The greater the density of the installation of LEDs, so, consequently, more brightly lit lights.From this setting, by the way, it depends on the capacity of the fixture.If you do not know how to choose the LED strip power, consider the following advice:

1. for local lighting or, for example, lighting of shelves in the closet is enough tape capacity of not more than 10 W / m.
2. For the main lighting power must be higher at least 14.4 W / m.

Power supply

next, equally important criterion for choice - the power and the type of source (unit) power.How much is consumed by the LEDs, and add to that the value of the power margin to 20% to choose the right power supply unit LED strip is enough to count.

For example, you have chosen the product with LED SMD 3528 (areal density of 60 pieces / m).Power consumption this LED ribbons is 4.8 W / m according to the table below.

Total 5 meters consumption is 24 W + 4.8 W stock, in the amount of - 29 watts.To illuminate the ceiling or shelves you need to select the power supply with the feature of not less than 30 W, preferably more.Similarly, this calculation you need to pick up the controller and, if a multicolor (RGB) tape.

addition, it is important to choose the correct voltage LED strip itself, power supply and controller.The most common use LEDs operating on 12 volts.Accordingly, the power supply to choose 220-12v.The controller is selected at a similar voltage.

By function controllers can be quite varied.Expensive models allow us to smoothly change the brightness and color of the glow.The cheaper pushbutton controllers will only choose 1 of 4 colors.

More useful information about the power supplies, you can learn by viewing this video:

Build Quality

to choose high-quality LED strip just enough to look at it and see how soldered resistors and LEDs.If poor quality soldering - elements installed crooked, it is better to find another store or even producer.

also advise when choosing to pay attention to the characteristics of the resistor.The quality resistor products of at least 150 ohms (marking 151) or 300 ohms (301).If the LED Tape is cheap and has a questionable quality, the resistor may have a resistance of 100 ohms (101).

Protection

As you can see, there are several variants LED strip - reliably protected against moisture and dust, partially protected and completely without protection.Roughly, the design may be bezsilikonovaya and silicone.The first embodiment is recommended for use on the street, or in a place with a probability of moisture.For example, if you want to make a hidden floor lighting, better to choose a protected LED Strip sincethere is a chance to wet it with wet cleaning.To just make lighting shelves in the closet, it is sufficient to choose a model without protection.

By the way, on the same principle to choose and the power supply.For outdoor use using the product, the degree of protection IP in which at least IP65.For home use is enough to put the power supply with IP20 feature, if it is, of course, not a bathroom.

Manufacturer

To date, the best manufacturers of LED strips are considered firm Elektrostandard and Gauss.The cost of production of these companies, of course, is high, but the quality justifies the price.If you want to choose cheaper, be sure to pay attention to, though Chinese, but still quite popular manufacturers - Feron and MAXUS.

Fitting

This brings me to the final part of the article - Tips for Choosing LED strip for each of the rooms.Next, we will briefly look at how to choose the product according to the brightness, color and the degree of protection for different types of premises.

In the garage, to illuminate the work area is better to choose a spill-resistant tape bright white light.In this case it will be convenient to wipe off the dust, and can operate in a well-lighted area.The same embodiment is recommended to choose the lighting in the kitchen worktop.If you want to install the LED strip under the cabinets above the kitchen apron, select monochrome white LEDs coated with epoxy resin.

for main lighting or tension ceiling in the living room is better to choose a bright monochrome LED strips, placed in a special profile contour of the ceiling.In this case, the light will be slightly muffled, as in the photo below, but still quite suitable for these rooms.

in the hall and the bedroom is recommended to use the RGB model, to give the interior a more original look.In addition, using the controller, you can always change the color to a dark / bright.

recommend using waterproof version of the execution, including the power supply to the bathroom.If you want to make a mirror or lighting niches recommend choosing RGB tape.

not need to do too much light in the children's room.Therefore, for the lighting of one of the zones, for example, a game, it is better to choose muted glow LEDs, and only for learning to use a desk lamp.

That's all that I wanted to tell you about how to choose LED strips in power, color and manufacturer.We hope you now know which option is best for different conditions in your home!

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