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If you are considering how to connect multiple led strip lights or how to attach multiple led strips, then this is the article for you. One of the most common questions people have when it comes to connecting their LED lights is how many can they connect? The answer depends on how much power your remote supports and what type of connectors come with your strips. This post will go in depth into how to do just that!
LED light strips are a fantastic way to add light where it is otherwise difficult to get. Great for hard-to-reach places, LED lights offer vivid color and efficiency. Working on a DIY light installation project with standard lamps can be challenging, but installing LED strips takes all the hassle away and makes it easier to realize your creativity. Installing LED ribbon lights may seem like a difficult task, but with some simple steps you can increase your chances of success. Read on to learn how!
Unless you’re lighting a small project, you will probably need to cut the tape and connect it to other lights. This is one of the best things about LED strips. You can connect two strips together and light up a larger space or an unusual nook or cranny. There are two ways to connect LED tapes with each other:
The easiest way to attach two LED strips is with a clip. The male part of the clip needs to go on one strip, and the female part of the clip goes on the other strip. There are three types of Clips:
1: Hippo Buckle light strip connector: lets you run two LED strips together. It has space for one strip on each end. Install the first end by attaching it to the connector and then fasten it with the buckle, which holds both pieces in place.
2: Solder-free LED wire connectors: You might need to use your LED light strips to go around a corner or an unusual shape. That is where these wire connectors come in handy. These wire connectors have clips on both ends, so you can use them to connect two LED light strips together. They are great for extending the length of your LED light strips.
3: Solder-free LED strip lights connector: Hippo clips are great for connecting individual LED light strips with each other, but they don’t have enough space to connect parallel LED tapes to each other. That is where this larger solder-free LED strip lights connector comes in to play. It has enough space to connect multiple LED strips with each other. Plastic clips keep the LED strips in place and the connection secure.
Clipping is an easy and convenient way to connect LED light strips. It is not always possible, though. For example, if you want to connect two strips that will be mounted using aluminum frames, you cannot use clips to connect them. If this happens, then you must solder the LED tapes together instead of clipping them together. Soldering LED strips together can be a bit difficult because it requires some specific machinery and it takes time to learn how to do it well.
Now that your LED ribbon lights are connected, let’s see how you can connect strip lights to the power supply. There are many ways to connect your light strips to power. You can connect each strip directly to the socket, this is especially useful when lighting smaller spaces or projects. You can use LED light strip clips to make the connection. Or you can hardwire your LEDs directly to the main power source of your home or building. This last one is usually recommended for larger projects like lighting an entire building or office. No matter which way you choose to connect your LED lights, make sure the connections are always complete and that wires don’t slip out.
Ideally, you should already know how much power it will take to run your LED light strips. But there is still a chance that the number will change after you have connected them together. So, make sure to calculate the total wattage again.
You need to know the voltage for the LED lights. 12V or 24V. When you get it, make sure that it is compatible with your lights.
If you are using the same LED light tape for your entire project, then multiply the length of the strip with this number of watts per meter. This will show you how much power your power source can handle. For example, if you want to light up a 12-meter strip and that tape has 30 watt per meter, then you need 360 watts for that one strip. If there are different types of LED ribbon lights in your project, calculate how much each one needs to work and add them all together.
Now that you know how much power is needed for LED light strips, it’s time to pick out a power supply. Be careful though because you need to choose a power supply that will use only 80% of its total capacity to run the LED strips. This is important so your power supply will last longer and the LED light strips also last longer.
Firstly, if your LED strip needs 19 watts, you will need a power source that has a minimum output of 23 watts. This is so the power supply won’t get overheated. There are three ways to provide the electricity: use an extension cord with a plug-in end; wire it into an outlet; or use batteries.
1: Hardwiring
You can connect your LED light strips to the power wiring in your space. This is a good way to power your tapes, especially if you are lighting an industrial or commercial space. If you do this, you will need an Aluminum Case LED Power Supply.
2: Plug Ins or Sockets
You can choose to power your LEDs by connecting them to the sockets near them. You will need a desktop LED power supply that you will plug one end of it into the LEDs and the other end into an electric socket in your space. This is good for homes, small spaces, or task and accent lighting.
3: Batteries
Batteries can be used to power your LED ribbon lights. This is good if you want to power a small accent or take your LED lights on the go.
You need to choose the right power supply before you can connect your LED light tape. You can do this by plugging it in or by connecting it directly.
You can connect your LED strips to a socket in two ways. The first way is by connecting each length of the strip to a desktop power supply that you then connect to the socket. Or you can use wire clips and connect them that way. Either way, this will help with lighting your space without worrying about voltage drop if it is used correctly. You can also use plug connectors for your LED strips if needed.
You can connect different types of LED light strips together, as long as they have the same voltage. If you connect two strips with a different voltage, then the lights won’t work and could be damaged. You need to make sure that when you plug them in, all of the positive connectors are aligned.Some LED lights have a plus and minus symbol next to the copper pads.
It is important to know that different LEDs are made differently, with some being of higher quality and some not. When you connect different brands of LEDs, one might wear out faster or start to dim. It is best when connecting LED lights manufactured by the same company in order for them not to wear out quickly or dim easily.
In series circuits, you can only plug the power supply into the first strip in the circuit. The current is constant while the voltage is divided among all of the LEDs. This means that if one strip stops working, then everything stops working too. You need a power supply that has a constant current so that you will have good brightness throughout your whole house and not just on certain strips.
A parallel circuit means that the current is split between each strip. The voltage will be the same for all of them. It is more difficult to install at first, but if one strip fails, then others stay lit. If you have connected many strips, the current will not change much when one fails because it can be diverted to other strips. But if you only have two and one burns out, then there will be twice as much current for the other to handle and it might also burn out too! For complicated circuits that have lots of LEDs, a parallel circuit will be more difficult to install but it should stay partially lit if one strip fails.
If you use too many strips, it can make your driver in the circuit die and shorten the life of your LED strip. So be careful when deciding how many strips to use and what power supply to use. To calculate how much power to get, multiply the watts per meter of your LED strip by its length in meters. Then choose a power supply rated for about 20% more than that amount.
Let’s pretend that you have a power source with 60 watts. It is likely that 10-20% of this power will be unused, which would be 54 watts. So we can expect to use about 54 watts from our power supply unit.
Then, you should find out how much electricity the strip needs by multiplying your length into the number of watts per foot on the strip and then adding it all up. Divide this number by 54 to determine how many strips will work for you.
LED light strips can be connected together. You need to know how many different strips you can connect together. The number of connections will depend on what the specs are for your devices and what power supply (PSU) you have. Most manufacturers recommend 2 to 3 strips, but some will say more or less than this depending on the device. I’ve made a calculator that helps you with this math.
It is possible to connect multiple LED strip lights to one remote. You just need a device that can control the power of each strip separately, such as our Remote Controlled Dimmer . With this device you can change how bright or how dark your strips are. Here’s how it works:
It is possible, but it’s difficult and time consuming! You will need to solder the wires together at each connection point. It might be worth considering how much work that would take if your strip ever needs replaced.
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