Joining LED strips - what gauge wire

[slider09]

Hi

I’m looking to install some LED strip lights under my kitchen wall cabinets to light up my worktop areas whilst preparing food.

There are two sides to install with the hob extractor in the middle. I was hoping to get a 5m length, cut to length for each side then solder a cable between the two to re-connect.

Question is what sort / gauge of wire do I need?

The lights I was looking at were these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07J4HDK2W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NZiBCbX3T89PC

Thanks

 

[nickjb]

Depends how long a length you cut and the length of cable. Those 5050 x 30 LEDs will draw a bit over half an amp per meter. I'd do the calcs for 1 amp per meter to give some slack. There are calculators online, here is one for example https://www.wirebarn.com/Wire-Calculator-_ep_41.html but it only goes down to 22 which I suspect will be more than enough.

 

[FrodoOne]

This depends on what cable you are "extending".
If it is the 4-wire RGB LED cable (as it appears that it will be), you will need https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076FVC...&pd_rd_r=f40f4254-34e0-11e9-84cd-816d864183f5, or something like it.

If you wish only to extend the supply cable to the RGB LED control device, you need to use only light gauge "speaker wire" (and appropriate connectors) no heaver than that used from the Switch Mode Power Supply (SMPS) supplied.

 

[conny]

This depends on what cable you are "extending".
If it is the 4-wire RGB LED cable (as it appears that it will be), you will need https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076FVC...&pd_rd_r=f40f4254-34e0-11e9-84cd-816d864183f5, or something like it.

If you wish only to extend the supply cable to the RGB LED control device, you need to use only light gauge "speaker wire" (and appropriate connectors) no heaver than that used from the Switch Mode Power Supply (SMPS) supplied.

Why are you advising this when there is proper cable available? Speaker wire, as the name suggests is for speakers. Feeding this type of cable with 230 volts went out of the window many years ago when it was used for electric alarm clocks.

 

[ericmark]

to light up my worktop areas whilst preparing food.

Any light designed to light an area will have lumen output stated, it is a legal requirement, those for decoration don't need to declare lumen output, and to prepare food colour is important so you can see when something is unfit to eat, so you don't want any that change colour. The strip may give 2500 lumen in total at around 17 lumen per LED but until you try them it is unknown.

It is unlikely you can solder these strips, you will need the special sockets.

I think they look good however they are for decoration not for general lighting, they are likely around 30 lumen per watt, where an LED bulb is around 75 lumen per watt and a strip light 100 lumen per watt.

 

[ericmark]

Why are you advising this when there is proper cable available? Speaker wire, as the name suggests is for speakers. Feeding this type of cable with 230 volts went out of the window many years ago when it was used for electric alarm clocks.

Must agree, advert says 5 amp for two strips so around 2.5 amp for one so on output from power supply needs at least 0.75 mm² and input needs 230 volt rated so under 0.5 mm² not available.

The wire linked to is 0.324 mm² (22 AWG) however it is 4 core, around 0.0548 Ω per meter and rated at 3 amp. Speaker wire is often not copper, so will not solder, and no size is given it may say 22 strands that's it. Bell wire again often no size given, but at least it's copper.

 

[winston1]

Feeding this type of cable with 230 volts went out of the window many years ago when it was used for electric alarm clocks.

Indeed. Just as well his LED strips are 12 volts then. Bell wire or speaker wire is perfect. Just remember to get it the same way round at each end as it is DC.

 

[conny]

Bell wire and speaker wire looks pants, especially in this day and age when there is perfectly suitable cable cheaply available.