RGB LED Strip Light Query

[Chrisscotty]

Good morning!

Hoping you guys can help me. I am going to be installing 3 No. 5m LED RGB (7.2W/m) strip lights in a ceiling trough. The strip lights will be powered by a 120W transformer hidden in the trough and I'm planning on controlling the lights via a LED wifi controller (also hidden in the trough) wired between the transformer and the lights. A couple of questions;

1. What is the best way to connect this to the main lighting circuit? I assume I can just run the supply from an existing ceiling light in the room, and therefore be controlled by the existing switch on the wall?

2. If the above is an acceptable solution, would you expect the LED wifi controller to be constantly be switched on and off? I would therefore expect a short lag period between the wifi controller starting up and connecting to my phone before I can control them?

3. I assume it is possible to connect the 3 No. LED strips to the single supply from the Wifi controller via a junction box?

P.S: This is the Wifi controller I plan to use: https://www.led-lighthouse.co.uk/le...roller-for-strip-lighting-android-iphone-ipad

Thanks in advance.

Chris

 

[winston1]

Transformers are AC devices. LED strips require DC from an LED driver.

 

[Chrisscotty]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, sorry I meant driver. This is the driver I proposed to use - http://www.ledplanet.co.uk/switches-dimmers-and-drivers/120w-deltech-driver-12v-dc.html

 

[Iggifer]

Transformers are AC devices. LED strips require DC from an LED driver.

Way to go not actually helping with the questions and just being pedantic.

1) If you want it to come on with the rest of the lights, then you could take the feed from a nearby light and take switched live, neutral and earth to your driver.
2) If it's a wifi one, I would want it powered all the time, and then use your phone etc to turn them on and off, not the lightswitch. This means instead of taking a switched live, take a permanent live to the controller.
(if you have a ceiling rose with loop in and loop out cables there, it's easy enough to pick up one or the other. If you have your wiring looped at the switch and just one cable at your lights (or a junction box in the ceiling), it might be trickier to achieve this)

3) Yes it should be, I don't know what controller you have, but you can use a junction box - 4 terminal or a chocbox and connector strips. Or if there's one available to match your controller/strips, one of these is a much neater solution

 

[Chrisscotty]

Thanks very much mate.

Yeah I think you are right about keeping them on and control with the phone. I guess I could change the current single gang switch to a double, and wire the leds back to the switch. That would mean I could leave them on but turn them off if required?

Thanks.

 

[Iggifer]

Yea you could, but like I say, it would depend how your current lights are wired. If you have a neutral at the switch (usually in connector blocks tucked in the back of the box), you would just need to tap into the switch, if your neutrals are all looped at the ceiling rose/in a junction box, you'll need to take a neutral from there instead.