With all the advantages of LED lighting, it must be admitted that its implementation is not happening very quickly. This is due to many factors, including the high cost of LED lighting, lack of information and the conservatism that consumers naturally have. But there is one type of LED lighting that was immediately received with a bang by consumers - LED strips. Initially, this type of lighting products was used for decoration. But now LED strips are increasingly used to create general lighting. Moreover, lamps based on LED strips are produced. Moreover, now these are not only ultra-budget products, but also high-class lamps, as well as creations of famous designers. The advantages and disadvantages of using LED strips for general lighting will be discussed in the article.
LED strip is a flexible LED module that can be cut into pieces of length that are a multiple of a certain pitch. To realize the possibility of cutting the tape, it uses a series-parallel connection of LEDs. As a rule, LED strips have a supply voltage of 12 or 24 V. Therefore, they contain a series of current-limiting resistor, as well as 3 or 6 LEDs, connected in parallel.
The main advantage of LED strips is their ease of use. You can cut the ribbon to the desired length. When installing the tape, it is simply pasted like tape onto the surface. Connection to the tape is now usually carried out using special connectors.
Schematic diagram of LED strip with 12 V power supply
Thanks to their properties, LED strips immediately won the love of interior designers. At the same time, a unique situation arose from a marketing point of view. In the LED strip market, with rare exceptions, there are no well-known brands with large advertising budgets that could promote the very concept underlying such equipment.
However, LED strips, without any serious marketing support, began to appear in interior magazines and television shows on this topic. As a result, even people far from lighting engineering now know about LED strips and their remarkable properties. The use of LED strips is one of the most discussed topics on both interior and specialized lighting Internet forums.
Features of LED lamps
Various designs of LED lamps
Light-emitting diode lamps are devices in which light is emitted when an electric current flows. Alternating current is converted to direct current using transformers and other components of the light bulb. The light intensity directly depends on the voltage.
LEDs are energy-saving and economical light sources. They require less electricity than classic lamps. One 100 W incandescent lamp is equal to a 15 W LED fixture. The benefit in terms of electricity consumption is obvious, but due to the high cost of the device, it will be noticeable after a couple of years after constant use.
Types of illumination depending on the color temperature of light
There is a wide range of LED products on the market. They differ in base, power, shape, size, color and other parameters. Miniature devices of classical shape are suitable for a crystal chandelier.
By type of glow, light bulbs can be distinguished:
- Warm. Emit yellow light.
- Neutral. The color has maximum similarity to daylight.
- Cold. A white light stream is emitted.
LEDs for chandeliers are very popular due to their long service life. The operating time reaches 50,000 hours. Also, LED lamps have no restrictions on the number of times they can be turned on and off.
My plans
After watching this video, I made a rough plan of what exactly I would do at home - in an ordinary 1-room apartment with an area of 46 square meters.
Kitchen:
- lighting the cooking area using this strip with 5 x 6 mm LEDs;
- the main lighting is a super-bright strip (luminous flux 9600 lm).
Hallway, room:
- main lighting – super-bright strip with a luminous flux of 9600 lm;
- additional spots in the hallway;
- wall dimmers with remote control - used to control the brightness of lighting;
- LED lamps in the bedside area - I chose them based on my experience of using a table lamp; they are perfect for reading.
Bath:
- main lighting – special protected tape for rooms with high humidity
- the lamp above the mirror – I haven’t decided on it yet.
Problem and solution
Having made plans for what I want, a new problem arose - choosing a store. It's no secret that the market is simply flooded with low-quality products. There are tens of thousands of offers on the well-known eastern Internet site, and choosing really good LED strips becomes simply unrealistic.
But I found a solution for myself, in Moscow, and at an adequate price . It was these guys who did the complex project mentioned in the video. Who are they? The LedRus company - its specialists have extensive experience in the field of lighting systems and will help solve the most complex problems. I hope that they will help me realize my ideas.
p.s. I will be glad to hear suggestions and comments on my “project”!
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