Table of Contents
Why do LED lights need a driver?
An LED driver’s main purpose is to rectify higher voltage, alternating current to low voltage, direct current. LED drivers also protect LEDs from voltage or current fluctuations. Too much or too little current can therefore cause light output to vary or degrade faster due to higher temperatures within the LED.
Why do LED lights need a power supply?
LED strips, unfortunately, are not as simple as traditional incandescent light bulbs when it comes to installation and set up. Because they run on low voltage DC, they require a power supply device that converts 120V/240V AC (depending on your location) into the voltage signal that LED strips can use.
Can LED lights work without Driver?
Because LEDs require a constant DC of 12v or 24v, LED drivers are required in all LED systems (except those which are specifically developed to be controlled by mains voltage power supplies such as mains voltage tape or LED bulbs).
What is a LED power driver?
An LED driver is an electrical device that regulates power to an LED or a string of LEDs. Forward Voltage is the amount of volts the light emitting diode requires to conduct electricity and light up. As temperature increases, the forward voltage of the LED decreases, causing the LED to draw more current.
Do LED lights need to be plugged in to work?
LEDs draw very little power so they can run for a long time on a small battery without any issues. There is no need for a bulky wall transformer and a wall plug to light your project. When LEDs get toward there end of life they fail by dimming over time, rather than an abrupt failure of incandescent bulbs.
What is the difference between power supply and LED driver?
LED power sources that provide a “constant-current” output have typically been referred to as LED drivers. In the past, AC-DC power supplies that provided a regulated “constant-voltage” to LEDs were referred to as LED power supplies. Today, the terms “LED driver” and “LED power supply” are used interchangeably.
Do LED lights need to be wired?
LED lights don’t need special wiring. They’ll work with any standard light fixture, as long as it isn’t enclosed, which could cause heat damage. Poor wiring can cause electrical interference, but this is easily solved with a suppressor. Other things to look for when swapping to LED bulbs.
Do LED lights need electricity?
How much Electricity do LED Lights Use? In general, LED Lights use less electricity and last longer than incandescent or CFL bulbs. LED lights also use very little electricity in comparison to traditional incandescent bulbs.
How much power does an LED driver use?
The LED strip has a power consumption of 14W / m. 14 x 8.5 = 119 Watts in total. So you need a LED power supply (sometimes referred to as a LED driver) that can deliver at least 119 Watts. However, it is recommended that you make allowances for unintentional overloads.