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Using LED strip as a means of lighting has a number of advantages. First of all, these are energy savings, ease of installation, absence of high voltages and other advantages. This one appeared relatively recently and has already come into very wide use for various purposes.

LED strip is a flexible plastic strip on which LEDs are soldered and connected into an electrical circuit. Thus, they are already ready for use and all you need to do is connect the power supply to it.

The main use of the device is decorating any place with light or spot lighting. Due to its brightness and color, it is used in car tuning, in the interiors of restaurants and cafes, and in individual home design.

However, despite the ease of operation and installation, there are some peculiarities when using this type of lighting. Before installing the LED strip, you need to choose it correctly and determine the power of the power supply. You also need to know how to properly cut the required length and connect the power wires. The lines of this article will tell you about all this.

Selecting LED strip by glow

Before you make an LED strip, you need to decide what color glow you need. There is just white light and multi-colored light. A tape with different colors is labeled as RGB (R - red, G - green, B - blue). In the case of the usual single-color version there are only two contacts, and in the color version there are four. It is worth noting that a multi-colored ribbon can have different glow modes, while a single-color ribbon can have only one.

The choice will also affect the characteristics of the power supply. It must provide the necessary power and polarity of the supply. In addition, the power supply must have a power reserve of 20% upwards.

It is also worth considering that before connecting the RGB LED strip, you need to plan where the controller for it will be located. Since it is often controlled by a remote control, access to it must be within line of sight.

Calculation of LED strip and power supply

The density of LEDs per meter of strip can be different. Basically it is in the range of 30, 60 and 120 pieces. There is also a dual wide strip with 240 diodes. The methodology of how to calculate the LED strip for its correct operation depends on this.

For diodes brand SMD 3528 is:

60 diodes per meter consume 4.8 watts.
120 diodes per meter consume 7.2 watts.
240 diodes per meter consume 16 watts.

For SMD 5050 brand diodes, the power consumption is:

30 diodes per meter consume 7.2 watts.
60 diodes per meter consume 14 watts.
240 diodes per meter consume 25 watts.

For all cases, if the length of the tape is more than one meter, it is necessary to sum up the entire load and select the appropriate power supply. For example, if the tape has SMD 5050 diodes with a density of 60 pieces per meter, and the length of the tape is 5 meters, then the power of the power supply must be at least 70 watts.

Selecting a power supply

To do it well, you need to choose the right one for it. After the power consumption has been determined, you need to decide on the type of power supply. This procedure depends on where the backlight is installed. If the tape will work in harsh outdoor conditions, then you should pay attention to sealed plastic or metal versions. They are completely protected from harmful influences and are compact in size. But for these advantages you will have to pay a little more.

If the installation location is indoors and there is enough space for installation, then it is advisable to choose an open power supply. It is larger in size compared to previous options, but its cost is much lower.

There are also portable power banks that are similar to phone chargers. They are designed to operate in portable devices that do not exceed a power consumption of 60 watts.

Determining the protective properties

To protect from external influences, the LED strip can be coated on top with a protective layer of silicone or transparent plastic. This applies to those options when outdoor installation is needed. If everything will be installed indoors, then you can use tapes without protection.

Silicone tape is suitable for use in corridors, large rooms or other places where both mechanical stress and the possibility of exposure to liquids are possible. For outdoor use, full protection is required. This tape is a round elastic rod. It has complete protection against all influences, including temperature. Therefore, before installing this type of LED strip, special fastenings may be required.

How to connect two ribbons together

In order for the diodes to work properly, you need to know how to connect the LED strip correctly. For this purpose, two options are possible. The first and easiest way, in which you need to purchase special connectors, when using them, you can make a connection in a matter of seconds. The disadvantage of this method is the likelihood of contact oxidation and, as a result, loss of power.

The other method is more reliable, but requires some skills in handling a soldering iron. The two ends of the tape are soldered with special solder. In this case, the connection is very reliable. After this procedure, it is advisable to cover the contacts with heat shrink tape or special glue. In both options, in order to know how to properly connect the LED strip, you need to not mix up the polarity of the conductors. They are connected according to the principle “+” to “+” and “-” to “-”. It is worth noting that multi-colored ribbon cannot be combined with a single-color ribbon. Only tapes of the same type can be summed.

Connecting the tape using soldering

Before connecting the tape to the power wire or connecting two sections together, you need to purchase the necessary tools and consumables. We will need:

Low power soldering iron.
Tin based solder.
Flux.
Connecting wires.
A sharp knife for stripping insulation.

First of all, we clean the contacts on the tape. If there is silicone protection, then carefully remove it with a knife. We also strip the wires for soldering. The length of the bare conductor should be approximately one centimeter. Then we take a heated soldering iron and lower it into the flux, and then quickly into the solder. After making sure that some of the solder has stuck to the tip, we apply the stripped conductor to it. After this operation, part of the solder should transfer to the conductor. The next step is to solder the prepared conductor to the corresponding contacts on the tape. To do this, a conductor is placed in the right place, and a little flux is placed on top of it. After this, you need to touch the assembly with the soldering iron tip for one second. The result should be a soldered conductor.

Connecting the tape using connectors

Before connecting a tape to a power supply or another tape using connectors, you need to select them correctly and attach them properly. In the case of connecting two segments, you will need a pair of connectors, which must first be soldered together. For soldering, you can use the guide described above.

After the two connectors are ready, insert the stripped edge of the tape into its special slot with the locking buttons open. After this, you need to press these buttons and fix the contacts of the tape. If you connect power, everything will happen the same way, but with one connector.

In both cases, care must be taken to ensure that the polarity of the connection matches correctly. If you mix anything up, the tape will not burn. But you shouldn’t be too upset about this outcome, it won’t burn her out.

How to cut the required length of ribbon

Before attaching the LED strip, you need to make a segment of the required length. To simplify this operation, the LED strip has a clear location for possible cutting. Often these places are located every four light elements, but there may be another cutting frequency. Therefore, we find a suitable place and use a sharp knife or scissors to make an even cut. It should turn out that both ends have two contacts to which you can connect power.

If the tape has special protection in the form of silicone or plastic, then before cutting it, you need to clean out a small gap. You can use a knife for this purpose. You need to act very carefully so as not to damage the contacts.

Preparing for installation

Before attaching the LED strip to the chosen location, the entire system must be checked for functionality. To do this, the entire electrical circuit is assembled on the table and checked. If there are no comments in the work, then you can proceed to inspect the installation site. To do this, you need to make sure that the tape will not be affected by negative factors in the form of liquids and mechanical influences. It is necessary to design the place for laying the tape so that the bending radius is not less than 20 millimeters. Otherwise, strong bending may damage the tape.

Sometimes the LED strip has an adhesive side for installation. It allows you to attach it to any hard surface. But before you do this, you need to clean this surface and degrease it with gasoline or acetone. If you do not have the means for installation, you can use double-sided tape or other means.

Features of connecting RGB tape

Before connecting an LED strip of this type to a power supply, you need to check its operation with a special controller that regulates the voltage. It supplies power to those LEDs that should be lit. When connecting, you need to match all four contacts. All terminals on the controller and power supply are labeled, and this operation is not difficult. If everything worked out and the tape works in all color modes, then you can start installing it on your workplace.

Special plugs and sockets can also be used to connect power. They greatly simplify all the work and allow you to ensure a reliable connection. To do this, a socket with the required number of contacts is soldered onto the tape, and a corresponding plug is soldered onto the power wire.

Installation in the car

Before installing an LED strip in a car, you need to make sure that it is not exposed to harmful factors. This may include physical activity, bending and increased vibration. For this purpose, it is usually installed in specially prepared places. For example, it could be a special corner made of plastic or metal that is attached to the body.

In addition to the correct installation location, you need to use a stabilized voltage to power the backlight. To do this, a special electronic stabilizer is connected to the circuit. It will allow you to equalize the voltage to 12 volts when lowering and increasing it in the on-board network. This device can be purchased at any auto parts store. It always comes with connection instructions, and if there are none, the seller must explain everything.

During direct installation and when connecting the power cable, it is necessary to remove the terminals from the battery. This action will avoid short circuits and other unpleasant situations.

This article provided basic tips on how to install an LED strip and connect it correctly. Compliance with these rules will help to avoid unpleasant operational situations in the process, as well as in the future.

If you decide to make spectacular lighting in a car or beautifully decorate certain places in the house, then for this purpose it is better to choose a ribbon with a multi-colored glow. This will allow flexible control of external design.

For lighting that should be purely practical, white light is more suitable. It does not impose additional shades on surrounding objects and will be more natural.

Finally

LED strip is one of the long-lasting light sources. It is preferred in cases where low voltage power is required. When connecting it, it is impossible to suffer an electric shock, since it is too small for this. Therefore, such lighting can be used without fear in damp rooms and basements.

Illumination of living rooms using LED strips has become a mandatory element of the decor of modern apartments. Thanks to a wide range of colors and different powers of installed SMD LEDs, the user has the opportunity to create backlighting with the most suitable parameters. But the main thing is that the fastening part of the tape is made in such a way that even a child could cope with its installation. However, even such a simple matter has its own subtleties. How to glue an LED strip to avoid operational problems later? Let's talk about this.

What can you stick LED strip on?

Unfortunately, not all materials are capable of holding the tape for a long time and reliably. The main factor influencing the quality of fastening is the cleanliness of the surface on which it will be fixed. From an unprepared and contaminated surface, sooner or later it will begin to fall off in different places.

Regardless of the type of material, the surface must be degreased a few minutes before gluing the LED strip.

The ideal mount is an aluminum profile, specially designed for mounting LED strips of all types. Its smooth and clean surface serves not only as a reliable base, but also as an excellent radiator. The front part of the profile can be covered with a matte diffuser, thanks to which the lamp acquires a pleasant appearance and does not dazzle the eyes. Due to the high cost of the metal profile, many craftsmen replace it with a plastic cable channel without a cover. The tape adheres to its smooth surface no worse than to aluminum. But, the main thing is not this. LED strips assembled on SMD 5730 and SMD 5050, as well as strips of all types in a silicone shell (IP67 and higher) require improved heat dissipation during operation. Ordinary plastic is not able to cope with such a task, which leads to a premature loss of brightness of the emitting crystals. As a result, savings on the profile will lead to costs for a new LED strip.

The standard adhesive base is not suitable for long-term fixation either on pure wood or on similar rough surfaces. In such cases, it is best to ensure reliable fastening using a profile. If the profile does not fit into the interior in any way, then you will have to go to extreme measures and resort to the services of superglue. It should not be applied in a continuous stripe, but in separate drops every 10 cm.
A spot application of superglue is quite sufficient and, if necessary, the tape will be easier to dismantle.
If the aesthetic appearance is not of great importance or the backlight is generally hidden from prying eyes, then disposable nylon ties can be used as an additional fixation.
Just don’t follow the advice of would-be experts who recommend securely fixing the LED strip using hot-melt adhesive.

Of course, this method guarantees good adhesion to any surface, but it has its pitfalls:
modern LEDs emit so much heat that they can melt hot-melt adhesive, which will become a source of harmful odor;

Hot melt adhesive inhibits heat removal and, therefore, provokes overheating of the emitting crystals.

The lack of high-quality clamping can manifest itself not only due to defects on the mating surface. Poor contact may be caused by low-quality glue on the tape itself. By the way, even good glue loses its properties over time. Especially if the product has been lying in an unheated warehouse for several years with non-compliance with storage conditions. So, when purchasing, it will not be superfluous to pay attention to the date of manufacture.

Simple gluing option

The prevailing proportion of commercially produced LED strips have an adhesive base on the back side, protected by a smooth transport strip. In other words, led tape resembles double-sided tape, in which printed conductors with SMD LEDs are glued on one side, and the other is free for installation.

In the simplest gluing option, you need to perform the following steps:
indicate the direction for installation with a straight line, in the absence of a profile;
degrease and dry the installation site;
remove part of the protective film at the beginning of the tape;
Gently press the section with the LEDs onto the work surface;

remove the remaining film and glue the entire strip, adhering to the given direction.

In general, problems with installing an LED strip on an uneven surface should not arise if the recommendations described above are followed. Sufficiently high flexibility allows the LED strip to reliably adhere to arches, circles and other geometric shapes.

To enhance the adhesion of glue to a rough surface, it can be painted or varnished in advance. This will give the surface the necessary smoothness and increase the contact area.

What to do if the LED strip comes off?

The first step is to assess the scale of the tragedy. If the LED strip is hidden inside the profile, then you need to remove the diffuser and inspect it along its entire length. For local minor sagging, you can get by with a few drops of superglue without disturbing the entire structure. If the situation has become critical, then it would be more correct to re-stick the tape. To do this, you will have to carefully dismantle it, and clean the base to which it was attached from the remnants of old glue.

Then take thin double-sided tape and stick it on the prepared surface where the tape was before. After this, remove the film from the tape and attach the LED strip to a fresh adhesive base. If you do everything correctly and use high-quality tape, then high strength is guaranteed.

To re-glue the LED strip, it is recommended to use adhesive tape from the well-known 3M brand, which is a leader in the production of durable adhesive mixtures and products based on them. By the way, on the back side of some types of LED strips you can also find the “3M” symbol, which indicates the high quality of the applied glue.

How to connect an LED strip at home

Currently, LED strips 5 meters long are widely used. They can be easily extended or, conversely, cut into pieces of the required length, up to several centimeters. The tape bends easily and takes on absolutely any shape, therefore, in addition to installation on the facades of houses and shops, it is also used in home interiors. With its help, suspended ceilings, kitchen lighting, as well as aquariums, terrariums, etc. are decorated.

Each strip is characterized by the number of LEDs per meter of length. This parameter must be indicated in the labeling. Therefore, it is worth considering that the more LEDs there are per linear meter, the greater the light output and, accordingly, the power consumption. The LEDs themselves can be arranged in one row or in two. Also, they can be coated with varnish or silicone, or without any protection at all.

LED strip power supply comes from direct current with a voltage of 12 V or 24 V. Therefore, when choosing a tape, a prerequisite is the purchase of a transformer that will lower the voltage when connected to a standard network. Its characteristics are selected in accordance with the declared power that the LED strip will consume. Basically, it is 12 V or 24 V.

As mentioned above, for each type of tape there is a certain declared power, calculated per linear meter, which is indicated in the passport. Depending on these data, the necessary power supply suitable for these parameters is selected. If the length of the tape turns out to be significantly longer, then it must be cut into several parts and each of them connected to a separate transformer.

In order not to make a mistake with the parameters of the power supply when choosing it, you need to know the full power of the tape connected to the network. Markings with technical characteristics are indicated on the reel. Power consumption directly depends on how many diodes will be located on one meter of tape.

For example, if you think about how to connect LED strip SMD LED 3528, then you should know that the density of LEDs on it can be: 60, 120 or 240 (pieces per meter). In this case, the power consumption will be: 4.8 W/meter, 9.6 W/meter, 19.2 W/meter, respectively.

In this case, if we have 5 meters of 3528 tape with 60 diodes per meter (300 pcs per reel) and a voltage of 12 V, then we will need a power source: 4.8 x 5 = 24 W. It is advisable to choose a power supply with a margin of 25-30%, so the optimal solution would be a device rated at 36 W.

What should you pay attention to before connecting the LED strip?

1. Tape length.

Initially, it is necessary to calculate the total length of the place where the tape will be mounted. Here it is necessary to take into account in advance that cutting it can only be done at certain distances, depending on the number of diodes.

2. Observe polarity.

Unlike heating devices and incandescent lamps, the LED strip is a semiconductor device, therefore, when connecting it, polarity must be observed. But don’t be afraid to connect it to the network incorrectly. Nothing will happen to the tape - it simply won’t turn on, so you can safely change the connection of the power wires.

3. Cutting the tape.

It often happens that it is necessary to connect only a small part of the tape to the network, and not all 5 meters, as in a standard reel. In this case, it is cut at a place previously marked on it. Typically, a cutting line is drawn every three LEDs. This is due to the fact that they are parallelized in series in groups of three.

Of course, if you cut the tape not along the line pre-designated by the manufacturer, nothing bad will happen, and a couple of diodes that have an open circuit will simply not light up.

4. Connecting pieces of LED strip

The connection of two pieces of tape is carried out using soldering. There are special contact pads near each cutting line. Before soldering, they must first be cleaned and tinned. Next, each pad at the end of one part of the tape must be connected to a similar pad at the other end, using wires with a diameter of no more than 0.5 mm2.

Cut the tape at the indicated location. Let's take an example of how to connect an LED strip using soldering. Let's say there are three pieces of tape that need to be connected.

First you need to get to the contact pads; to do this, remove the silicone coating on the tape (available only on sealed copies). After this, we solder the wires to these pads.

Also, there are LED strips that are connected to each other without soldering, but using special connectors - connecting connectors. We will talk about this in one of the following articles.

This is what the connector looks like when closed. It turns out very neat.

The place where two pieces of tape are joined by soldering

We connect all three pieces in series

Connecting LED strip to 220V network diagram

After selecting the power source, you need connect the LED strip to this source.

1) Scheme: one power supply - one standard length tape

Typically, a standard LED strip is sold wound on a 5-meter reel. At its outer end there are short wires for connection. If there are no wires, then you need to solder them yourself. To do this, we take stranded wires of different colors (red - “+”, black - “-”), measure them along the length so that they can reach the power supply and strip them on both sides.

Using rosin and tin, we tin the wires and solder them to the tape tracks. This procedure must be performed with a low-power soldering iron and as quickly as possible, so as not to damage the LEDs with increased temperature.

It is advisable to install NShVI lugs on the free ends of the wires. With their help, you can achieve better contact with the terminals in the power supply. Here it is worth considering that to crimp the wire into the lug, a special tool is needed, which is used by electricians.

Soldering areas must be properly insulated using heat-shrinkable tubing. Next, the LED strip must be connected to the power supply.

2) A circuit with one power supply and two tapes (the power of the unit is designed for such a load).

Consider the following option: you need to install and connect an 8 meter long LED strip. It is very difficult to find a solid 8-meter piece, because... the standard size is only 5 meters.

In this case, there is only one way out - leave one piece 5 meters, and cut 3 meters from the second and connect them. To do this, you need to find a line along which to cut the tape with ordinary scissors. Next, you need to close the broken circuit with wires using soldering (this technology was given above).

After the wires are soldered and both pieces of the LED strip are ready, you can begin connecting.

There are options when you need to connect to one power supply a large number of LED strips that are located at different distances from it (for example, illumination of a store window or simultaneous illumination of several pictures hanging at different distances).

To do this, it is not necessary to pull wires from each section to the power supply. You can lay one main line and connect LED strips directly to it.

Errors when connecting LED strip

The article discussed how to connect a standard LED strip to a network (usually it is 5 meters long). Often, two or more of them need to be connected. Here, most people make the main mistake; they simply connect the two ends of the tape directly and it turns out to be one 10-meter tape. This turns out to be an incorrect connection diagram and it is absolutely forbidden to do this.

The problem lies in the fact that it was chosen incorrectly, and the wires connecting the diodes are of a very thin cross-section, which are designed exclusively for one product. By connecting several tapes in series, the resistance increases significantly.

This leads to the fact that the second and subsequent parts will burn much dimmer. In addition, a significantly increased current from the rated current will flow through the first connected strip, therefore, heat transfer will increase and the LEDs will fail faster.

As has been proven more than once, such a connection reduces the service life of the tape by several times. Therefore, try to use the correct connection diagram.

LED strip or duralight is a flexible printed circuit board in which LEDs are mounted at equal distances from each other, as well as resistors that act as resistance. As a rule, the thickness of the tape is 2-3mm, with a width of 8-10mm. For packaging, duralight is cut into 5m pieces and wound onto a reel.

All about installation

Installation of the LED strip, as a rule, is carried out before installing stretch polyvinyl chloride ceilings, although the strip is also installed on curly ones. The production of duralight is based on either SMD or DIP technologies, but most often SMD or surface mounting is used, as it is cheaper and quite acceptable for lamps of this type.

On the tape marking there are four numbers indicating the chip size in tenths of a millimeter, for example, SMD 3028 means chip size 3.0x2.8mm. RGB strips, as well as individual LEDs, can differ in radiation intensity or color temperature from 2700K to 10000K (measured in Kelvin). Duralight operates from a 12V or 24V DC source.

What is needed to connect an LED strip

In multi-color LED strips, to control the color and brightness of the glow, there is a controller that smoothly switches colors and adjusts the brightness with a dimmer. In most cases, such adjustment is made using the control panel.

To connect the circuit, you will need a power supply that acts as a step-down transformer. Since it is impossible to supply such devices complete with duralight (due to the individual dimensions of the tape for each installation), it is very important to correctly calculate its power.

LED type	Number of diodes per meter	Power, W)

Let's calculate the power of the step-down transformer for a five-meter SMD 3528 tape with a power of 9.6 W: multiply 5 m by 9.6 W and get 48 W. But this is not enough, since in such cases a reserve is needed, so a coefficient of 1.25 is applicable here - that means 1.25 × 48 = 60, that is, we need a 60W power supply.

It is very likely that installing an LED strip on the ceiling will require more than five meters of duralight, so it will have to be connected. For this purpose you will need connectors. Such connectors can be either flat or round - everything will depend on the type of LED strip and the manufacturer.

Advantages of LED strip

Like any other electric lighting device, LED strip has its advantages and disadvantages.

The LED strip is very easy to install, since all samples are usually equipped with double-sided tape on one side of the flexible board, which makes it easy to stick it to the ceiling. LED has very low energy consumption, the lowest among all lighting devices, which directly affects the cost of energy consumption when operating duralight.
The service life of LEDs is the highest among all lighting devices. We can say that if used correctly, such a device will not burn out at all. When installing the tape under a polyvinyl chloride ceiling, there is no danger of its overheating at any length of the backlight, since the luminous flux is proportional to the length of the duralight.
RGB LED strips provide ample opportunities when choosing design colors, and the flexibility of the board will help you realize the most incredible zigzags.

Disadvantages of LED strip

LED strips also have their drawbacks, so in order to achieve the same luminous flux with conventional lighting devices, you will have to spend much more money on duralight, so such devices are used for decorative and auxiliary lighting, and traditional light sources are used for main lighting.

Recommendation. When connecting LED strip strips, a serial connection is used, but this method is applicable only up to a 12-meter length of the device. Above this length, parallel connection is used, but it is best to consult the seller when purchasing a tape, as the manufacturer may make changes.

Installation of diode strip on the ceiling

First of all, determine the length of the connected tape and, if necessary, splice the strips to the desired size.

If you need to cut the tape, be guided by special marks (sometimes they come in the form of small scissors) so as not to damage the contacts. Check the tightness of the connection and to do this, try to assemble the entire circuit on the floor to make sure of the quality.
If the tape is colored (RGB), then first of all connect it to the controller, the connectors of which are marked by the color of the wires. R (red) – for the red wire, G (green) – for the green wire and B (blue) – for the blue wire. For the black wire, the terminal is marked 12V or 24V.
Then the controller is connected to a step-down transformer (the choice of transformer is described above). Here it is very important not to make a mistake with the polarity reversal, since such an oversight will lead to burnout of the tape, which means the need to replace it.
Connect the assembled circuit to a 220V network and check for correct assembly. If everything is fine, then you can glue the tape to the ceiling, having first disconnected it from the controller. After installing the duralight, connect it again and check it. If the result is positive, you can begin installing the stretch ceiling (see)

Advice. If the connectors turn out to be of poor quality, then the tape can be soldered (without overheating), but for this, soldering wires need the same resistance as the color channel. Wires from connectors are perfect for this.

Conclusion

As you have seen, installing an LED strip does not present any particular difficulty, but assembling the electrical circuit requires care, since an error usually renders the duralight unusable (see). I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that the ceiling on which the tape will be mounted is not dusty, in which case the tape will stick well.

Anyone who decides to install an LED strip with their own hands will probably encounter some difficulties in the installation process. To overcome them, you will have to understand all the intricacies of the installation and understand what is important and what is not. And some of the nuances of the installation itself, especially preparation, will have to be learned from specialists. So, let's start answering the question: LED strip - how to install?

Difficulties

Let’s not put off the analysis for a long time, and let’s start right away with the difficulties that anyone who decides to install an LED strip with their own hands will encounter.

Right choice

If you carefully consider everything that the modern market sells, you can approximately estimate the number of devices offered. This list includes about a hundred varieties of LED strips, about fifty varieties of power supplies and about thirty types of controllers.

How to understand this diversity? Ask a specialist if you find one. You shouldn't trust young guys who work as store managers. Their task is to increase sales, so in any case you will not get what you need. Therefore, read the articles on our website, where you will find information about the correct choice of LED strip.

Connectors

What does the LED strip look like when you unpack it? This is a strip with diodes, at the end of which four wires of different colors stick out.

Firstly, these wires are not long enough to make the connection convenient.
Secondly, the contact of the wires with the tape is very weak. Therefore, during installation work, one of them often comes off.
Thirdly, there is a complete lack of isolation.

What is recommended? Take a soldering iron and remove the wires completely, then install new ones of longer length in their place. At the same time, do the soldering well. Don’t forget to install wires with the same color that were there before.

Attention! Here it is important to carry out the soldering itself correctly. The time for this process is one second, the soldering temperature is not higher than +260C. That is, you must be proficient in this instrument.

And one more important point. It is best to install crimp lugs on the free ends of the wires. With their help, you can guarantee good contact when you have to connect the LED strip to the collector.

It seems that there are not many nuances, but they are the ones that will make the installation high-quality. And the preparatory work will take about five minutes, no more. So you should not avoid these operations.

Insulation

There is one more point that beginners may miss. This is contact insulation. The best way to do this is to use heat shrink tubing. It is usually installed at the junction of sections of the tape or when connecting the wires of the tape and the collector. It would be nice if you install the tube and solder the wires with tape. How it's done?

Use scissors or a sharp knife to cut the tube along the length of the insulated area. For example, these are wires soldered to an LED strip. Insert the wires into the tube, bring the latter to the point of insulation and press with your fingers so that it is slightly flattened.

Now you will need a special hair dryer (it looks like a gun), which you just need to use to treat the insulation area. The tube will become soft and begin to shrink, pressing the joint of the insulated contacts. At the household level, some home-grown craftsmen use a lighter instead of a hairdryer. But keep in mind that LEDs are sensitive to high temperatures, so there is a high probability of damaging some of them that are located closer to the work site.

Tool

Since we are talking about a hair dryer, it must be said that there is a special kit for sale for installing an LED strip. You can buy it in almost any hardware store; today, even ordering it online is not a problem. So if you want to become a real master, we recommend purchasing this set.

Backlight installation

Let's move on to the main issue of the topic - installing an LED strip. Some useful tips that will help you carry out this entire process at a high level.

There is an adhesive layer on the back of the LED strip, which is why it is very easy and convenient to install. But keep in mind that you can glue the strip and peel it off, there are no problems here. But it will be impossible to re-glue it. Therefore, first determine the exact installation location. This is the first. Second, before installing the LED strip, prepare the plane to which it will be glued. The surface must be clean, free of dust, oil and grease stains, free of paint and drying oil. Therefore, you will have to degrease it, wash it and dry it well.
The LED strip cannot withstand mechanical loads, so the application surface must be smooth without cracks, chips, bulges or gouges.
The tape must not be bent at any angle. The transition should be smooth. If bending cannot be avoided, then stick to an angle greater than 90º.
The LED strip can also be trimmed, shortening it in size. To do this, you can use scissors, a sharp knife or good wire cutters. Trimming can only be done in areas marked on the tape itself.

As for the actual installation of the tape in the kitchen, living room or other room, there is actually nothing complicated about it. If you have decided where the LED strip will be attached and what circuit will be used, then prepare the plane and glue the strips to it, pressing lightly with your hands. Everything else comes down to the connection process. But this is the topic of another article, which you will find on our website.

The only point that I would not like to miss is the availability of special metal profiles for sale. These are decorative strips (beautiful) into which an LED strip (one or two) is installed. Here it is important to take into account the fact that the strip is metal, so an insulating layer must be laid between it and the tape. Most often, it is already applied to the profile, but it is always necessary to check it in order to avoid unpleasant moments associated with damage to the lamp.

Conclusion on the topic

As you can see, installing an LED strip is not the most difficult process, so doing it yourself will not be a problem. The main thing, as practice shows, is that your attention should be paid to preparing the backlight itself and the plane on which it will be glued.