What gauge wire do I need for LED strip lights?
What wire should I use? For single color strips, you only need 2 conductor wire, and for RGB strips, you need 4 conductor wire. We recommend using stranded copper wire 10-22 gauge.
How far can LED strips be from PSU?
The farther the light fixture is from the power source, the more voltage drop will occur. Voltage drop becomes a significant factor in any LED light installation when the distance between the lights and the power source is greater than 20 feet.
Can I use 12 gauge wire for LED lights?
Wire Gauges and Sizing
Many appliances and household lighting fixtures need wire that is around 12- or 14-gauge. This requirement is mentioned as a number, dash, and another number.
How do you power long run LED strips?
There are several ways to achieve longer runs:
- Use two power supplies and provide power at both ends.
- Use a single power supply and place it in the centre of a long run rather than at the end.
- Use an amplifier.
- Use 24v LED strip rather than 12v.
- Use LED Strip with a thicker copper PCB.
Can I use 18 gauge wire for LED lights?
Most people would likely recommend using a solid core 18-gauge wire for your LED lights. The cost difference between this wire size and a much smaller cable is negligible, and 18-gauge is about as big as you can go if you would like your wires to fit into most holders or terminals.
Can I use 22 gauge wire for LED lights?
We’ve found solid 20 and 22 AWG wire options, which work for most systems that use single color LED lights.
HOW LONG CAN LED strip lights be?
12V DC LED strip longest length is 16ft (5 metres). 24V DC LED strip longest length is 32ft (10 metres). 24V Constant Current (CC) LED Strip is 65ft (20 meters). 120V LED Strip maximum length is 164ft (50 meters).
How many amps is a 5m LED strip?
2.0 Amps
In electrical terms, we now know that at 12V, this LED strip will draw about 24 Watts per reel (5 meters), or about 2.0 Amps.
What power supply do I need for LED strip lights?
Make sure the total wattage of your LED strip lighting is at least 20 percent less than the power supply’s rated wattage. For example, if you have an LED strip light that requires 80 watts of power to run, you’ll need a power supply that’s rated for at least 96 watts.
Can you connect 2 5m LED strips together?
Yes you can. If you wire your LED strip lights in a ring main, you’ll be able to connect approximately 10 metres of tape in a single run. (So that’s twice the normal 5m length). This is because the ring main will power your LED strip from both ends; it’s just as if you are powering 2 x 5m lengths independently.
Why are my LED strips not bright?
Voltage drop comes into play when your LED strip runs, your wiring, or both, are too long. The resistance in these conductors adds up – and your LEDs start to operate below their optimal voltage range, resulting in dimming.
How do you fix LED strip voltage drop?
To prevent voltage drop: Divide long runs of LED strip lights into shorter strips, then connect additional “Parallel” wires from the power supply to each new LED strip. This process can be repeated as many times as needed.
How far can you run 12v cable?
12V DC Power Drop / Max Cable Distance Chart
| 24 AWG | 12 AWG | |
|---|---|---|
| DC 100mA | 216 feet | 3,508 feet |
| DC 200mA | 108 feet | 1,755 feet |
| DC 300mA | 72 feet | 1,169 feet |
| DC 400mA | 54 feet | 877 feet |
Can you use speaker wire for LED lights?
A lamp draws very little current, especially with modern LED bulbs, so ordinary speaker wire of even 18 or 20 gauge is fine.
How do you connect LED strip lights to power supply?
For this, all you need to do is connect the led strips to the ends of your led splitter and then plug in your female connector to the male connector on your power supply. This will ensure that power is distributed evenly and the lights are working as they should.
Can you hardwire LED strip lights?
When hardwiring the strips, you will just need to make solid connections between all your strip wires to the output wires on the power supply. This can be done with wire nuts or wiring all strips to a common positive and negative wire so you can make a one to one connection with the hardwired power supply.
Can you plug LED lights into an extension cord?
If this is what you mean then yes that should be fine. If you’re suggesting plugging the LED lamps directly into the mains extension lead then “DEFINITELY NOT” as they could explode and/or catch fire.
