Often people are confused about Can I Connect LED Strip Lights Together? When LED strip lighting first became available approximately 15 years ago, hobbyists were excited by the possibilities of lighting up places in romantic red, modern blue, or dark purple.
LED strips are likely the most popular LED lighting project use. They can be used for various purposes and can instantly change the tone of a room. They can virtually travel anyplace because they’re in the form of thin, flexible stickable strips.
Can I Connect LED Strip Lights Together?
Yes, but the maximum number of LED strips you can link together depends on the strip’s power output and your power source. Strip lights can be linked through connectors, wires, or soldering.
Is It Possible To Connect Multiple Strip Lights?
Because LED strip lights come in reels with indicated dotted lines for cutting the strips to the size needed, connecting two of them is simple. These strips can then be connected in one of two ways: with connectors or by soldering the copper pads of the strips. Strip away the protective plastic coating using a sharp blade to reveal the circuit connection dots on the LED strip, ready for connecting leads or connectors.
Is It Feasible To Connect LED Light Strips From Different Brands Together?
You can connect multiple brands of LED light strips as long as the voltage is the same. Assume you’re attempting to connect two strips of different voltages. Due to the varied voltage needs for each strip, they will not work, and you risk destroying them. The destruction of money.
You must also confirm that the oppositeness is appropriately aligned while connecting them. The polarity of different brands of light strips may be wired somewhat differently; make sure the positive connectors are aligned. There should be a plus and minus symbol next to the copper pads to guide you.
It’s worth mentioning that different LED strip light brands might be made in various quality levels. If you connect LED strips from different brands, you can notice that one of them wears out sooner or dims. Even if it means stepping up a cheap price on a lower-priced brand, it’s always easier and preferable to connect LED strip lights made by the same firm.
Is Connecting Multiple Strip Lights Safe?
Buying quality, approved products is a no-brainer when it comes to safety. Because they employ thin material that cannot tolerate high currents and warms up quickly, cheap LED strips linked in series are recognized as a fire danger. The heat generated by LED strips put on wood or plastic surfaces might be a significant fire threat. Even if you’re utilizing an authentic product, you should still take certain measures.
Because you may have several various types of LED strips that you want to connect, you must consider their variances. An RGB LED strip, for example, consumes three times the power of a white LED strip. Because strip lights cannot share the same power source, they cannot be connected. The voltage of the PSU and the LED strip must match.
There are three possible ratings. If your LED strip requires 5 volts DC (VDC), your power supply must also be 5 volts DC. The same is true for LED strips that run on 12V and 24V. Aside from safety, you must also consider the most cost-effective method to power your attached strips.
Combining LED strips into one line & looping it back to the beginning point to cover a rectangle ceiling isn’t the most energy-efficient method. A sensible solution would be to install a power source in one of the rectangle ceiling’s corners. Then, from the power source, connect two LED strips in parallel.
Each strip runs down two sides of the rectangle, terminating at the opposite corner from the power supply. This eliminates the need for two power supplies and eliminates voltage drop, which causes strip lights near the end of the chain to fade owing to voltage drop.
how to connect led strip lights together?
LED strip lights are a versatile lighting solution that can be used in a variety of settings. One common question is how to connect these lights together. Here are some methods you can use.
Using LED Light Strip Connecting Clips
The most straightforward method to connect two LED strips together is to use a LED light strip connecting clip.
Step 1: Purchase a LED Light Strip Connecting Clip
These clips can be purchased online or at a local hardware store. They come in various forms, such as a male-to-male clip or a Hippo Buckle LED Strip Lights Connector.
Step 2: Connect the LED Strips
To connect the LED strips, simply clip the connecting clip onto the end of one LED strip, then attach the other LED strip to the other side of the clip.
Using Gapless Pin Connectors or Jumper Connectors
Another method to connect LED strip lights together is to use a gapless pin connector or a jumper connector.
Step 1: Purchase a Gapless Pin Connector or Jumper Connector
These connectors can be purchased online or at a local hardware store. They are designed to connect two sections of low voltage strip lights together without the need for soldering.
Step 2: Connect the LED Strips
To connect the LED strips, simply attach the connector to the end of one LED strip, then attach the other LED strip to the other side of the connector.
Using Pre-Applied Glue or a Hot Glue Gun
If you don’t have any special equipment, you can also connect LED strip lights together by attaching one strand of lights to another using pre-applied glue or a hot glue gun.
Step 1: Apply the Glue
Apply the pre-applied glue or hot glue to the end of one LED strip.
Step 2: Attach the LED Strips
Attach the other LED strip to the glued end of the first LED strip. Make sure to leave a little slack at the end of the strand to connect to the second strand of lights.
What Is The Best Way To Connect LED Light Strips?
Unless you’re lighting a very small project, you’ll definitely have to cut and attach LED light strips. One of the most important advantages of LED tape lights is this. To light larger spaces and unique nooks and crannies, connect many strips. LED tapes can be attached in two different ways:
Clipping
A LED light strip connecting clip is the easiest way to connect two LED strips. A male-to-male clip can be used to connect two LED strips.
Hippo Buckle LED Strip Lights Connector
The Hippo Buckle light strip connector causes it easy to connect two LED strips. This connector includes enough for an LED light strip on each of its two ends. Simply hook one end of your strip to the hippo buckle connector to link the two strips together.
These connectors can join two strips or connect your LED strip to the power source. In either case, these connectors assist you in successfully extending the range of your LED light strips. This connector can connect single color and RGB LED light strips.
Solder-Free LED Strip Lights Connector
Hippo clips are great for joining individual LED light strips, but they don’t have enough area to join parallel LED tapes. The larger solderless LED strip lights connection comes in helpful in this situation. There is enough space to attach many LED strips.
This connector can join single color and RGB LED ribbon lights. Dimmable LED strip lights are also consistent. The LED strips are held in place by plastic clips, keeping the connection tight.
Solder-Free LED Wire Connector
For your project, your LED light strips may have to go around a corner or take on a unique shape. This was when breadboard LED wire adapters came in useful. These wire connectors contain clips, so you may use them to connect two LED light strips.
They’re excellent for extending the life of your LED light strips. A good way to hide dark corners and other aspects of your room is to use a wire connection. This is due to the fact that these cables do not have LEDs attached to them. They’re only useful for lengthening the strip. LED tape lights can be joined in a variety of ways.
The Soldering Process
When connecting LED light strips, clipping is a simple and effective method. However, there are some circumstances where clipping is not an option. Linking strips to be placed in aluminum frames, for example, is not possible using clips. In this case, you’ll need to join the LED tapes together.
LED light strips can be connected with a simple soldering process. Although it does require some specialized equipment, the learning curve is severe. Using a soldering iron solder the ends of two LED strips together after trimming the strips to the required length. Read the study below that indicates how connecting different light colors can provide required lumen output.
When Clipping & Soldering LED Strips There Are A Few Things To Consider
While trimming and connecting are two different ways to join LED strips, they need certain requirements to work. When putting LED tapes jointly, there are rare things to keep in mind: Carefully cut LED wires from the copper connectors in the LED tapes, which can be found every 2 inches. To protect the LEDs in the tapes must be done.
For soldering and clipping, LED tapes must be exposed. When this is the case, carefully remove the tapes’ plastic covers. Make sure the letters are visible. Using hippo connections eliminates the need for this step.
When connecting LED strips with solder or wire connectors, ensure the correct wires are attached to each LED strip. The outcome is that the colors red, green, and blue are all related. Use a heat shrink cover to keep the connections safe. Ensure you get the right heat shrink cover for indoor and outdoor use.
A Study: Color reproduction for LED-based general lighting
In a 2006 study by researchers B. Salters and M. Krijn, they delved into the advancements and challenges of Solid State Lighting. This technology has seen significant progress in terms of lumen output and energy efficiency. However, when it comes to color consumer lighting products, such as the Philips Ambilight television sets, there is still room for improvement in color reproduction and intensity uniformity.
Creating a lighting system that can accurately reproduce a wide color spectrum requires the use of three primary colored LEDs. This method, however, presents challenges. For instance, producing a white color without color fringes is a complex task as it requires the light from each primary color to be identical at every position within the light bundle.
The study primarily focuses on systems that use a limited number of high-power LEDs. The lumen output of these LEDs is so high that even a single red, green, and blue LED combined can provide the necessary lumen output for certain applications.
To optimize both luminance and color uniformity, the researchers explored various design options. They compared ray tracing simulations to the performance of real-size prototypes and provided recommendations for the design of color lighting systems.
So, how do smart light switches save money in this context? Smart light switches, particularly those using advanced Solid State Lighting, can offer superior energy efficiency.
The high lumen output of the LEDs means that fewer lights are needed to achieve the desired brightness, leading to lower energy consumption and, consequently, reduced electricity costs. Furthermore, the ability to accurately control the color and intensity of the light allows users to adjust the lighting to their needs, preventing unnecessary energy usage.
Therefore, smart light switches, especially those incorporating advanced LED technology, can indeed lead to significant savings.
Conclusion
In the nutshell Can I Connect LED Strip Lights Together? LED light strips are an excellent method to add extra illumination to your projects. They can be easily installed and stretchy enough to fit into tiny areas.
They have a very low carbon impression and create very little heat. You won’t have to worry about costs, and they use less energy than usual lighting sources. LED light tapes may be readily attached to fit your background.
