How to Connect LED Lights Together?
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# How to Connect LED Lights Together?
One of the greatest innovations in the world of lighting is the LED Strip Lights. These lights are versatile and can be used to enhance the aesthetics of your artwork, home, kitchen countertop, and even as stair or roof lighting during festive seasons. These lights come in long strips that can be cut to the desired length and can also be connected together to increase their overall length. In a previous guide, we addressed the question of whether LED Strip Lights can be cut. In this guide, we will explore how to connect them together.
1. Introduction
LED Strip Lights are popular due to their customizable length. It's easy to trim the strip to fit precisely on a kitchen countertop or connect additional strips to cover an entire roof during the holiday season.
You can find LED Strips in two options: single-color, which includes White, Red, Blue, and other colors, with all LEDs in the strip being the same color; and fancy RGB, which allows you to use a remote control to choose your preferred color, adjust brightness, and select various modes like fading, flashing, or running LEDs.
Certain LED strips are designed with a weatherproof coating, typically a layer of silicone on top of the actual LED strip, rendering it impervious to water. Such strips can be utilized outdoors without any worries about the weather. Conversely, there exist LED strips that are solely intended for indoor use.
LED strips measuring 5m, slightly exceeding 16 feet, are the most sought-after. Nonetheless, one can acquire shorter variants, such as those found in car LED strips, or longer spools of LEDs that stretch beyond 50 feet.
2. Can You Connect Multiple LED Strip Lights Together?
Yes, but there are certain precautions you need to keep in mind. We'll discuss them as we move forward.
If you have previously cut the LED strip and wish to reconnect it to the same strip, there is no need to be concerned. Simply follow one of the methods mentioned below, and you can resume using the extended LED strip lights.
It is evident that connecting two dissimilar LED Strips is not possible. For instance, if one strip has a single color while the other is an RGB LED Strip, they are incompatible and cannot be connected.
In another scenario, if you possess LED strips of two distinct brands, what should you do? You can connect them if they have the same layout and are rated for the same voltage, indicating that they are compatible with each other.
Before connecting LED lights together, it is important to take into account the voltage. This is because different LED strips operate at different voltages, with some running on 5V DC and others on the more commonly used 12V DC. Although there are also LED strips that run on higher voltages, such as 24V, the 12V strips are particularly popular.
3. How to Connect LED Lights Together?
Once you've confirmed that the LED strips you wish to join are compatible and have the same voltage rating, the next step is to connect them. However, you may be wondering, "What is the best way to connect LED lights together?"
There are two methods available for connecting LED Strip Lights together. The first one is the traditional approach of soldering, while the second one involves the use of modern LED Strip Connectors.
We will examine each of these methods in turn to learn how to connect LED lights together.
3.1. Solder Two Strips
The ease or difficulty of connecting two LED strips via soldering hinges on your level of expertise. We suggest opting for this approach if you possess the required equipment, hands-on proficiency, and familiarity with soldering.
Prior to soldering, it is important to verify the polarity of the copper pads on the LED strips. If dealing with a single LED strip, there will be two pads - one for positive supply and the other for negative supply. It is crucial to ensure that you connect the positive of one strip to the positive of the second strip, and likewise for the negative.
To complete the task, just add a small quantity of solder onto each copper pad and then solder the strips together with a slight overlap. The process is straightforward.
If you're planning to link up two compatible RGB LED strips, you'll need to exercise caution. Unlike single-color strips, most RGB strips have four copper pads located in the same area as the two copper pads.
The copper pads have decreased in size slightly, which can make soldering a little challenging, although not impossible. It is still necessary to properly align the pads on both LED strips. With the appropriate soldering tip, the process can be made easier.
Regardless, the process remains unchanged for both single-color and RGB LED strips: verify that the strips are compatible, align the copper pads accurately and securely, and solder them together.
3.2. Use Connectors
In this guide, we'll explore a simple method for linking LED strips using connectors. Specifically, you can purchase LED strip connectors that are compatible with your LED strip type - whether it's a single-color LED strip with two copper pads or an RGB LED strip with four copper pads.
To our current understanding, there exist three types of connectors. The initial variant is a clamp-style connector clip that fastens the LED strips together and conceals them with a flip cover. Using this type of connector creates a smooth, uninterrupted connection between the two LED strips, giving the appearance of a single, continuous strip.
The second kind involves connector clips featuring pins on both ends, with a short cable in between. This version is highly advantageous for creating angles with LED strips or circumventing any obstructions.
The third type of connector features a connecting clip on only one end of the cable, with the other end consisting of exposed wire. This type of connector is particularly handy for linking the LED strip to a power supply at the beginning or end.
4. Keep an Eye on the Power Supply
As noted in the previous section, voltage was discussed. It is also important to take into account the wattage of the power supply.
Let's say you have a 5-meter LED strip that consumes approximately 24W of power. If you intend to attach another strip of the same length to the initial one, the overall power consumption would increase to 48W.
To ensure that your power needs are met, it is important to verify that your power supply is capable of delivering the required amount of power, with a recommended 20% margin. In this case, a minimum of 58W power output would be necessary. Therefore, selecting a 60W power supply would be a reliable choice.
LED Strip manufacturers typically indicate the power consumption on their packaging or website. It is important to take these numbers into consideration and use a suitable power supply to prevent any accidents.
5. Conclusion
LED strips have the ability to enhance the aesthetic appeal of various objects and subjects. They can be utilized in an array of settings including cars, computers, homes, offices, as a form of art decoration, to illuminate kitchens and more. The key advantage of LED strips is that they can be effortlessly cut to desired lengths and additional strips can be added to increase the length. One important consideration when connecting LED strips is how to do so effectively. This guide outlines a few uncomplicated methods for connecting LED strips.
