Installing LED Tape

LED strip is a decorative lighting element with tiny diodes on the surface.Its length is typically 1-5 m. If necessary, the size can be corrected and cut the tape, but exclusively designed for this purpose.These products are mainly used as the backlight design when creating interiors.About all the nuances of the application and installation of the tape will be discussed in this article.

Features material

LED strip is purely decorative in nature, asit is not suitable for full coverage.These lighting elements have a fairly wide range of applications - designers often use it at registration:

• ceiling structures;
• stairs;
• decorative niches;
• furniture;
• shelves.

also lighting the tape can be used for commercial purposes.With their help, created lights advertising products, attractions, concert halls, shop windows.

This illumination makes it possible to simulate the sunset, daylight, or create any other light effect.With the help of LED strips can be obtained even illumination, which is not to dazzle or to create shadows.If desired, you can change the color and brightness that allows you to change your home decor.Due to its flexibility, the product is available on all designs.The tape can be cut into fragments, each of which is then separately connected.A significant number of the highlights are a self-adhesive base, which is in the process you just need to remove and attach the product to the right place.

LED strip.Photo:

The principle of

Work such tapes with special blocks with a rather wide range of capacity - 30-400 watts.To ensure that the backlight power supply must be connected to it by soldering contact wires with the correct polarity.For connectivity, power and control applies a special device - a controller that has three channels.Connection is made so that the plus lighting element was connected to a plus power supply, and the minus-minus, respectively.

to choose the right unit for LED strip, it is necessary to proceed from the required power rating.In its definition should focus on the length of the product, as well as the number of LEDs that are intended to connect and power at 1 m.

addition is necessary to provide an additional 20% capacity as a reserve.It is also important to consider the output voltage.The selection is made in the following sequence:

1. first step is to multiply the power consumption by the number of meters of material.
2. Further taking into account the result and the selected voltage unit.

Variety of LED strips

Feeds differ from each other by several criteria:

1. One is the number of LEDs per meter.The backlight can have 60 or 120 LED elements.The more of them, the brighter the light strip, lighting and more evenly distributed.
2. Another difference is the color of the glow.A wide variety of colors makes it possible to realize any design idea.
3. tapes also differ in the degree of protection and are divided on this criterion on these types:

• usual;
• waterproof elements.

Highlights related to the first type, designed exclusively for installation in rooms protected from moisture.Tapes with moisture barrier properties can be installed in rooms with high humidity levels and even on the street.

Thus, we can distinguish four kinds of LED illuminations tape:

• monochrome products - they may be blue, yellow, red, white or green;
• multicolour - RGB tape that change color with the help of controller;
• lights with self-adhesive base or without it;
• tape with moisture protection qualities.

Advantages of LED strips

Application design LED strip has its undeniable advantages.Among them is to provide such aspects:

1. Easy to install.Installation of LED strip is easy enough to do yourself without the help of professionals.
2. Minor electricity consumption, which contributes to the financial savings.
3. With the ability to cut the product, it is possible to form the desired tape length.
4. high efficiency.Unlike ordinary lamas, 70% of which is spent on heat energy, LED lighting virtually the entire electricity consumption for lighting.
5. tapes do not emit ultraviolet radiation.
6. In the case of power failure light will not go bad.
7. wide range of colors allows you to choose the product to any interior.
8. With lighting quality does not deteriorate over time.
9. Tapes are made on the basis of environmental material and does not pose a health risk.
10. decrease the voltage does not affect the operation of illumination thanks to the power supply.
11. prolonged period of operation.

preparatory stage

Application LED strip design design - a very unsophisticated way to create an unusual and aesthetic interiors.It is worth considering that the work begins with proper training, which includes the following stages:

1. Before installing the tape should be cut into pieces of desired length.The multiplicity of cutting is dependent on the density of the LED elements.This can be a 3, 5 or 10 cm. Area cut quite clearly stated by the manufacturer.For simple scissors suit.
2. Next you need to solder wires.This requirement applies to the holistic tapes that is not cut.Wires recommended to replace as their length does not correspond to the desired dimensions, and some tapes are commercially completely without wires.
3. it can be corrected with a similar situation occurs independently.To work need a soldering iron with a small capacity - from 25 to 40 watts and wire sizes up to 20 cm and a cross-section of 0.75 mm.

LEDs, as well as all semiconductors can not overheat.For monochrome ribbons recommended two wires of different colors.This will help to avoid mistakes with the polarity of the connection process.

1. wires need to clean up at both ends, and then process the rosin or tin and solder.
2. soldering place recommended to insulate.This will require a fragment shrink tubing 2 cm long, which you just need to put on the soldering station.
3. Then this tube to be heated by means of a building dryer with a special nozzle, which will prevent the ingress of hot air to the LED.
4. In the absence of a hair dryer is allowed to use conventional lighters or matches, but the quality of the work for this reason may be impaired.
5. This measure will make the ration more robust and create isolation from various influences.

How to Install LED Strip

As noted above, are available with self-adhesive base for maximum consumer convenience, many lights.For those products that do not have such benefits, you need to prepare double-sided tape.Installation is as follows:

1. On work surface, you must first remove the existing dust and other dirt, and then the base grease.
2. Next to highlight the protective layer is removed, after which it is pressed to the desired site.
3. The installation of LED tape with his own hands is completed.

Despite the apparent simplicity of the installation process, the work should be carried out subject to certain rules:

1. Mostly tape enters the point of sale in the coils, each of which is located on the 5 th of the material.
2. If there is a need for a division into fragments, should take into account the type of tape and density of LED elements.
3. combined in a single fragment can be no more than 15 meters illumination.It is enough for the ceiling structure in the apartment with a standard metric area.
4. If you want to illuminate a large room, the amount of material is not enough.In this case, the optimal solution would be the separation of illumination on areas up to 15 m. For each of them it is necessary to provide a separate power supply.Otherwise, if the electricity will take place on a large series connected fragments, the first tape will be given a lot of stress, which ultimately lead to their rapid burnout.For this reason, it is recommended to divide the backlight.
5. Installing LED strip on the ceiling is done so that the bottom is not within sight.For this purpose, the backlight is fixed on the protruding lower level in the upper part.In this case, the light is distributed on the upper level of the ceiling structure.
6. In determining the distance, which will be placed ceiling levels, it is important to take into account the brightness of the tape.When there is insufficient space, the lighting will uneven, and in this case will be visible LED placement locations.Excessive distance worsen the lighting, because the light will be scattered.

Connect LED strip

First, consider the process of connecting a monochrome ribbon.For its operation will require a source with a voltage of 12 watts.Since the network component voltage is 220 V, you must prepare the power supply.It is equipped with a cord or two wires of the same color N and L, and two multi-colored wires.The polarity of the red corresponds to positive, and blue - minus.For the connection to be connected to the output of the backlight unit.

We now consider how to connect the RGB LED strip, ie lighting, the color of which can be changed with the help of a special device:

1. In this case, in addition to the tape and you need to prepare Power Supply Controller.It is connected to the wire unit with the correct polarity.
2. Next to the lights connected to the controller.This element is connected with a ribbon wire 4, 3 of which are for color management, and power is supplied for the 4th.

Important!RGB LED tapes can have a large capacity, which consumes a significant amount of energy.Usually they are located on separate sites.The controller can not withstand such a voltage, and the power supply will turn large.In this situation it is recommended to use signal amplifiers.

need two power supply with low power to connect to the controller and amplifier.One end of the tape connected to the controller and then to the second end fluster wires and connects it to the amplifier.

operating principle of the following amplifier: it has two pairs of contacts.One receives the signal, and other signal passes through the second portion of illumination.Thus, changing the brightness of the sites and their color.A more detailed understanding of this process helps to LED circuit tape.

recommendations to the process

1. should not be provided on the backlight mechanical action such as pressure or kinks.This will negatively affect the quality of the product.
2. also need to monitor the integrity of the track on which the current flows and feeds the tape.
3. Installing LED ribbon should be carried out on aluminum profile, as this material has the ability to dissipate heat.And overheating as mentioned earlier, it has a negative impact on the LEDs, reducing their life.
4. should be possible to repair the backlight in the future on the assembly stage.
5. necessary to provide conditions for work with a soldering iron at the location of the tape and block.For this reason it is not recommended to install the product of tension or suspended ceilings, for repairs in this case, would have to dismantle part of the structure.

Error:

• in the backlight unit, and connections with reversed polarity;
• use inadequate power supply capacity;
• mechanical load on the LED string;
• not taken measures for insulating the product label on the surface, a conductive electrical voltage;
• series connection of long sections.

Conclusion

main function of LED strips is to provide a decorative effect.These lighting elements have a considerable number of advantages, that distinguish them from ordinary light bulbs.Among the main advantages can be identified ease of installation and aesthetic appeal.A certain number of tapes available for sale with a self-adhesive base, which minimizes the effort for assembly.Installation of products that do not have such a framework, is also available and does not require expert knowledge or skills.

Features connecting tape shown in the video: