How to wire ELV LED strip?

Joined
18 Oct 2019
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Country
United Kingdom
I bought a 10m strip of LEDs from Amazon (Ruiviya Led Strip Lights,DC12V 10M 5050 300LEDs). It comes with a "power brick" (a transformer?) with a 3-pin plug for a wall socket. We had already had a lighting cable run from a standard lighting switch within a new build room to the base of a lantern window so we can run the LED strip around the base of the window.

I cut the standard 3-pin plug off the cable running into the "brick" and connected it to the cable running into the lighting circuit.

When everything is connected up the "brick" supplies power though a DC plug into an RGB controller box out of which run two wires that connect to the two 5m LED strips.

Disappointingly the only output is a short flash of the LEDs about every 4 or 5 seconds. Using the remote control I can change the colour of the flash but can't keep the lights on any longer. I guessed it is under-powered.

When I disconnected the cable to the "brick" and, instead, connected it (using an extension) to a wall socket all was well. It works fine.

But I can't re-wire the room to position a wall socket in a suitable position.

I presume my problem is that the lighting circuit isn't delivering enough power to the LEDs. I am pretty ignorant about electrics but I suspect that the power from the lighting circuit could be sufficient for the LEDs, but not through the "power brick" supplied - which is designed to be used with a wall socket.

Do I need a different "brick" of some kind that will take regular UK lighting circuit power and convert it to the 12V DC that the DC plug feeds to the RGB controller box?

If so, can anyone advise me of the spec I'd require and ideally a source?

Grateful!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sponsored Links
You have probably wired it up wrong.

Please post photos of the plug, the brick, the wires, and whatever you have connected them to. Not a switch, is it?
 
I presume my problem is that the lighting circuit isn't delivering enough power to the LEDs. I am pretty ignorant about electrics but I suspect that the power from the lighting circuit could be sufficient for the LEDs, but not through the "power brick" supplied - which is designed to be used with a wall socket.

You presume wrong. The lighting circuit should be OK. You must have something else wrong. Perhaps a dodgy connection.
 
Have you checked the voltage at the end of your 'lighting cable'?
When you cut the plug off the psu, did you check (with a meter) which core went to which pin?
If you don't know how to do these things you should probably stop now and have a look at Youtube for how to use a multimeter
 
Sponsored Links
and connected it to the cable running into the lighting circuit.

Exactly which cable did you connect to ?

If you connected to the Brown and Blue ( or Red and Black ) of a cable going to a switch then it will not work.

The Brown will be Live but the Blue will NOT be Neutral. The Blue is the Switched Live from the switch to the lamp.
 
Hi John
Many thanks for your prompt response. From your reply I fear that I have made some kind of basic error as it is connected to a (dimmer) switch.
The cable from the switch is wired into a connector (covered in red tape) which connects to an old white 'kettle' lead which I cut the plug off:
upload_2019-10-18_12-55-31.jpeg


The original kettle lead (now unused) - the white one I am using also has 10A 250V stamped onto it):
upload_2019-10-18_12-56-18.jpeg


The kettle lead plugs into the "Brick" (the term used by the retailer):
upload_2019-10-18_12-57-17.jpeg


From the Brick to the LEDs:

upload_2019-10-18_13-1-15.jpeg

All guidance very gratefully received
Mart
 

Attachments

  • upload_2019-10-18_12-57-44.jpeg
    upload_2019-10-18_12-57-44.jpeg
    27.3 KB · Views: 81
After reading all the replies above (thank you) I removed the red tape and revealed the connections. The cable on the right comes from the light switch. The cable on the left is the de-plugged kettle lead:
upload_2019-10-18_13-12-59.jpeg
 
You need to put that choc block in a proper housing. Or use Wago blocks

Nozzle
 
And that PSU is unlikely to work on a dimmer. Bypass the dimmer and use the remote control to control your LED things
 
Until the OP understands that he needs a neutral (unlikely to be available at the light switch) then everything else is pointless. But this is going to end up as such a mess that an electrician would be the best answer.
 
Also no kettles will function with that original lead, so not a kettle lead ;)
 
Thanks everyone. You were right and I was certainly wrong. The problem wasn't a lack of power in the lighting circuit. It was the dimmer switch. Many thanks Oldbutnotdead - I swopped the dimmer with a regular switch and now it works fine. Thanks also Nozzle. I think your advice is right. I've looked at Wago blocks online. Presumably I'd have to get three two-way blocks?

Thanks also to Barnard and John who also realised that my hunch was wrong.
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top