Are you stuck on how to choose the best LED power supply for your strip light? Well, no worries. This article will cover crucial factors to consider while selecting a 12V LED power supply. We would also discuss simple steps to choose the best power supply for your LED Strip Lights. 

Choosing an ideal power supply for your strip lights is a bit tricky as strip lights are quite different from traditional incandescent light bulbs. It is due to the reason that strip lights function only on low voltage DC supply. Therefore, a power supply device that can convert 120V/240V AC (depending on your location) into the voltage signal required for strip lights to work is necessary.

Without wasting any time, let’s dive right into the key factors to consider!

Factors to Consider While Choosing LED Power Supply

Three primary factors to consider while buying LED power supplies for strip lights are discussed below:

· Voltage (Watts)

Initially, figure out the number of watts your strip light will consume. If you desire to run more than one light off one power supply, you should sum the wattages to observe the total watts utilized.

Try to have an adequately huge power supply by giving yourself a 20% pad over the total wattage you compute from your LEDs. This should handily be possible by multiplying your total wattage by 1.2 and afterward observing a power supply evaluated for that wattage.

Say, for instance, we have four runs of LED strips that run at around 12 watts each. Essentially replicating these will show that our current wattage should be 48 Watts. Now we can include the 20% suggested pad with 48 x 1.2 = 57.6 Watts. A 60-Watt (or higher) power supply will get the job done for this task.

· Power Consumption (Joules)

We utilize this standard guideline to guarantee that your ac dc LED power supply doesn’t overheat and bomb rashly. Ensure the total wattage of your LED strip lighting is somewhere around 20% more than the evaluated wattage.

Now measure the length of your LED strip in feet and increase it by the watts consumed per foot, then, at that point, multiply by 1.2.

This will give you the base measured power supply you’ll have to run your strips. Since power supplies are accessible in an assortment of wattages, you’ll take the number you concocted and observe the nearest power supply that has a wattage rating higher than that number. 

· Dimmability of LED Strip Light

Assuming your LEDs are dimmable and you might want to change their brilliance, ensure you pick dimmable power supplies that have diminishing abilities. Power supply details should list regardless of whether a power source is dimmable and what dimmer control type it utilizes. We will talk about the two control types briefly:

1. PWM Dimming

Also known as heartbeat width balance darkening, it can be utilized on all power supplies. Indeed, even the power supplies on our site that don’t say ‘dimmable’ squarely in the specs can be darkened through divider mounted or far off PWM dimmers. 

2. TRIAC Dimming

This sort of darkening considers LEDs to be diminished with standard dimmers. It would help if you hoped to ensure a power supply meets all requirements for exchanging current (TRIAC) darkening by actually looking at the specs.

Steps to Choose the Right LED power supply

To choose the perfect LED power supply for your needs, follow these steps.

1. Determine the Voltage of the LED Strip Light

The initial step is to sort out the voltage of the LED strip. Most of the LED light strips work at 12vdc. Others are principally at 24vdc.

If you don’t know, check the item photograph out. Most LED strips will have an imprint showing output 12V or 24V.

Now, check that the voltage on the power supply matches the LED strip. For this situation, the power supply is additionally 12Volt, so we are all set.

2. Evaluate the Power Consumption for LED Strip Light

Then, search for either a wattage (W) or amperage (A) detail for the LED strip. This could be recorded as one or the other W/m or A/m, or essentially W or A. For instance,

The LED strip records the total wattage as 24 Watts or 4.8 Watts per meter if it has 5 meters for each reel and 4.8 Watts/meter * 5 meters = 24 Watts.

Although it’s not recorded here, we can calculate the amperage utilizing the equation P = V x A, where P is the wattage, V is voltage, and A is amperage. To tackle for A (amperage) plugin 24 for wattage and 12 for voltage, and compute:

24 = 12 x A

Suppose that there is a rating of 36W or 3A. Once more, assuming we use the same equation P = V x A, this looks at because it is a 12V power supply.

This means this power supply is fit for providing up to 36 Watts, or around 3.0 Amps.

Since the power supply’s ability is higher than the LED strip’s power draw, we can securely say that these two items can be paired together.

3. Determine the Connection Method

Suppose the LED strip reel accompanies a DC plug. Assuming this is the case, it should be viable with the power supply attachment. You can straightforwardly plug the power supply into the divider toward one side and into the LED strip on the opposite end.

Then, if you are hoping to cut up your LED strip into numerous sections, let the whole reel accompanies only two exposed wires (regularly red and dark).

For this situation, you can have a connector that can associate the power connector from the power supply to the LED strip. You can then wire the free wire close into the connector, which thus connects to the power supply. And you are good to go!

4. Consider the DimmabilityOption

If you need a power supply that is dimmable, ensure it explicitly says so in the specs. These sorts of power supplies are somewhat more costly than non-dimmable ones, however, will permit you to diminish your LED strip down from 100% brilliance if necessary.

5. Choose the Right Size for Your Needs

The size of the power supply is essential to consider so you purchase one that will fit into the space you have accessible.

For some led lights, they request very thin LED power supplies, like lightbox request max. 20mm height power supply. The size of the power supply is generally recorded in millimeters or inches and might be found on the power supply itself or on the guidelines.

 Final Verdict

Thus, three main factors to consider are dimmability, voltage, and power supply of LED strip lights. Most often, 12v LED power supply is well and suitable for all types of LED strip lights.

In this article, we have told you all you need to know before choosing an ac dc LED power supply for home or office. Happy installation!

If you search for the constant voltage power supply or constant current LED driver, please know your input voltage range, what’s the IP rate, waterproof power supply or non-waterproof power supply or rainproof power supply. what would you like to connect, LED strips or LED ropes, LED modules or LED display, lighting project which decides the output voltage to 12v, 24v or 5v, 9v, 48v. JHY power would be a good source for 2 years warranty for good quality LED power supplies from China, their price is much lower than Mean Well. Contact them for more power supply specifications and service. Free indoor and outdoor samples are available.

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