Choosing the Right LED Power Supply

Our LED Strip is an excellent way of adding lighting and ambiance to a room. Installing the LED strip into an aluminium extrusion is also an excellent way to finish the installation neatly and provide the heatsink the LED’s need for longevity.

So now that you have decided you want some LED Strip lighting, it’s time to work out how much power you are going to need. With LED strip and most products for that matter, it is important to use a power supply that is well-matched and as close as possible to the current required.

What is the function of an LED power supply?

Let’s start with the basics. The function of a power supply is to provide the correct amount of electrical current and voltage to electronics so that they work like they are supposed to and doesn’t overheat or fail prematurely. Whether it’s your phone, laptop, or in this case, LED strip lights, you’ll need something to take the 240 volts of alternating current (AC) from your power point and convert it into a lower voltage of direct current (DC) that your LED strips (or other electronics) require to run. Think of trying to fill up a water balloon with a fire hose: too much water flowing too quickly will burst the balloon. The power supply regulates this flow of current to your LED strip to ensure optimal functionality.

How do you choose the right power supply?

LED strip will generally list the wattage per meter e.g. 14.4 watts per meter. We can use this with a simple formula to determine the size of the power supply you require. For example, 5 meters of strip would equate to 72 watts  (5 x 14.4) using the following formula: Power in watts, divided by the voltage V in volts is equal to the current in amps (A)

P(W) / V(V) = I(A)
72w / 12v = 6A

According to the formula, It would be suggested to use a 6 amp or 72watts of 12 volt power supply for this strip.

What’s the best brand of Power Supplies?

We supply and only recommend Genuine Meanwell power supplies, we have used and trusted these for many years but we can’t stress enough the importance of avoiding the copies can vary vastly in quality to the genuine product.

Using quality power supplies such as Genuine Meanwell Drivers offers quite a few benefits such as:

Safety: Meets Australian standards

Reliable: Warranty is generally 5-7 years for all their commercial-grade units

Powerful: designed to run at their stated current meaning you don’t need to add a “fudge factor”

In Closing

There are some exceptions to the rules above when it comes to the power consumption of LED strip, so we recommend having a chat with your OzLED consultant about your requirements and we can tailor a solution to suit your needs.