When viewing installed LED lights and light strips, you might not know which components accompany the fixture in the background to make it work. Therefore, if you decide to do a DIY LED project, you need to understand the roles of the various LED accessories for error-free installation. Let’s get right into it! We will shed light on the LED light accessories you need for the project and what each component does.
The LED Strip Lights
The primary component in an LED light strip kit is the LED strip light. This light strip has several parameters that differ, such as the color temperature and brightness level.
For instance, some are RGB strip lights, while others are white LEDs. Also, there is the waterproof rating, which determines whether the light source is ideal for indoor or outdoor use.
An LED strip light
LED strips feature different emitter densities (number of LEDs per foot or meter), which determine the brightness and power consumption.
Consider all these factors before buying the LED strip to enable you to pick the best one for your project.
Power Supply
Since LED strips come in different types and with varying emitter densities, their power supply usually differs per strip combination.
Therefore, you need to calculate the LED strip wattage by multiplying the energy consumption of each LED by the number of LEDs per foot or meter. The resulting value will give you the power consumption per foot or meter, which you can multiply by the tape strip length.
An LED strip’s power supply
Use the total power consumption figure to pick a power supply unit. Get a power supply with a slightly higher wattage rating than the calculated figure to create a cushion.
With that in mind, there are two power supply types.
Plug-in Power Brick
As the name suggests, this unit plugs into a wall outlet and converts the line voltage to 12V DC for the LEDs. Go for this option if you don’t want to deal with many wires and have a way to conceal the cables.
A plug-in power brick
Hardwired
Hardwired units function like the plug-in type but can be challenging to install because they have several wires that require soldering. However, you can conceal them (via in-wall installation) to create a professional LED setup.
Hardwired power supply units for LEDs
LED Strip Light with On/Off Switch
Toggle switches can give you on/off control over your strip light. They usually comprise a 12-inch cable between 2.1mm male and female connectors. The female end connects to the 12V DC power supply while the male end attaches to the strip light. This component comes in handy if the dimming controller or remote control fails.
Dimming Controller
Wi-Fi LED controllers give you dimming control conveniently on your smartphone or via voice assistants like Alexa. Dimming controllers enable you to adjust the brightness intensity of the strip light. RGB strip lights require 3-channel controllers, but white strips can work with a single channel.
An LED dimmer with a remote control
However, whether it is a wall or Wi-Fi controller, dimming controllers come in these three types.
- Potentiometer
- 1-10V or 0-10V connector
- PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) dimming control
Connectors
Connectors provide reliable connections between light strips to avoid issues like flickering or lights not working. They include several types, such as.
- 2-pin strip connectors (for single-color light strips)
- 4-pin strip connectors (for RGB light strips)
2-pin and 4-pin strip connectors
- IP67 strip connectors (for waterproof strip lights)
- End-to-End connector (for connecting two strip light ends)
End-to-End connectors
- Strip to wire connector (for connecting the lights to a specific place, but there is a gap in between)
Several LED strip light connectors
Splitters
LED strip splitters enable you to connect multiple light strips to a single power source. Also known as Y splitters, these pieces can split the power supply into two or four channels. The former is a single-color splitter, while the latter is ideal for RGB strips.
A Y splitter
LED Strip Jumper
A light strip jumper is an extension cable that runs the gap between the power supply and the strip. Like splitters, it comes in a single-color (2-pin) and RGB (4-pin) configuration.
However, the 2-pin jumper features 2.1mm male and female connectors. The male end plugs into the single-color strip light while the female end goes into the power supply adapter.
Jumper wires
On the other hand, the RGB jumper contains a 4-pin male and female rectangular connector on the ends.
Either jumper type comes in several length options, including 30cm, 50cm, 1 meter, 2 meters, 3 meters, 5 meters, and 10 meters.
Wires
Jumpers are wires but with limited length options. Therefore, you can use wires to prolong LED strips further or when you want a customized extension that the jumper cannot provide.
But instead of running multiple parallel wires, this LED light accessory combines them into the following two types.
2-Conductor Wire
This cable comes as two (red and black) 22-gauge wires for single-color strips. It can also connect 2-pin LED strip connectors.
LED Light Accessories: 4-Conductor Wire
4-conductor cables comprise four (red, blue, green, and black) 22-gauge wires for RGB strips or 4-pin jumpers/connectors.
A 4-conductor wire
LED Light Accessories: Splice Wire Connectors
When working with wires, you might have to splice two of them. We recommend using splice wire connectors to create clean, seamless connections.
2-way splice wire connectors
LED Light Accessories: Tying it all together
But first, ensure you get the most appropriate LEDs for your project, the primary difference being single color and RGB light strips. These are the essential accessories you need for the project. If you need help setting up, check out this LED strip light hardwiring guide to get you started.
Summary
In conclusion, successful LED strip installation requires several accessories to make the setup work. We hope this article has enlightened you about everything you need for your project. If you have any questions or need any of the above components, leave a message, and we’ll get back to you asap.
