I Cut My Le Dstripe How Do I Make Waterproof Again

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Tin can You Cut LED Strips?
How to Properly Cut LED Strip Lights
- Step I: Determine the Length
- Stride 2: Cut the Strip Low-cal
- Step 3: Remove the Excess Strip Light
Connecting Multiple LED Strip Lights
- Steps When Using Solder
  - Step I: Prepare the Wires and Strip Lights
  - Step Two: Strip the Ends of the Wires
  - Step Three: Tin the Ends of the Wires
  - Step 4: Create a Solder Joint
  - Step 5: Repeat Steps 1 Through Four for Each Connection
  - Step Vi: Connect The Wires Together
- Steps When Using Electrical Tape
  - Stride One: Cut Your LED Strip Lite
  - Footstep 2: Strip Your Wires
  - Step Three: Connect the Wires
  - Pace 4: Adhere Your LED Strip Lights
Powering Your LED Strip Lights
- Choosing a Power Source
- Connecting Your LED Strip Lights to the Power Supply
Safety Tips When Working on LED Strip Lights
Final Thoughts
Ofttimes Asked Questions

Anyone who has e'er wanted to add a touch of actress light to their living space knows the appeal of LED strip lights. Bachelor in a range of colors and brightness levels, they are a simple, affordable, and energy-efficient manner to make any room feel more festive or cozy. The ability to customize your LED strip lights can brand them even more highly-seasoned, assuasive you to adjust the length and configuration of your lights to fit your infinite.

Cutting LED strip lights tin can be a confusing job for anyone who has never done it before, but with the right data, it doesn't accept to be! If you're asking the question, "can you cut LED strips?" This guide will help you decide where and how to cut your LED strip lights, every bit well every bit how to connect them in series and parallel. Lastly, we will tell you how to properly connect your LED strip lights to a power supply.

Can You Cut LED Strips?

In a nutshell, yes, you can cut LED strip lights. But earlier you start hacking away at your new lights, there are a few things to keep in listen.

First of all, information technology's of import to know how long your LED strip low-cal is. In general, how much you tin cut depends on how long your light strip is to begin with. Most LED strip lights are sold in reels of 16 ft. (The length will vary depending on the manufacturer). If you lot want to cut your LED strip lite, it'south best to exercise and so in multiples of 16.

While some manufacturers don't recommend cutting LED strip lights considering doing so can touch on the performance or lifespan of the light, most LED strips are designed to be cut and reconnected. Just make certain you have a steady hand and a abrupt pair of pair of scissors! That said, it is of import to note there are some types of LED strip lights that you cannot cut, similar RGBIC strip lights for example. RGBIC = red, green, and blue with an independent flake. You lot cannot cut these because doing so would ruin their lighting furnishings and ability to change colors.

How to Properly Cut LED Strip Lights

Now that you lot know it's possible to cut your LED strip lights, how exercise you go nearly doing information technology? Grab your scissors and follow these steps:

Footstep One: Determine the Length

Determine how long you want your LED lights to be. If yous're using them as an accent calorie-free, measure out the distance between where they will be placed and where they demand to end upwardly (due east.g., higher up or beneath a shelf or cabinet). This will give you an idea of how much lighting record needs to exist cut.

Tip: When measuring how long yous desire your LED strip lights to be, it'due south best to add together about an actress inch for trimming afterwards. This volition make it easier to fit the lights around corners and edges or in tight spaces.

What if yous don't accept a record mensurate? If you don't accept a tape measure, you can utilize a slice of string or wire to help you measure the length. Just hold one end of the string or wire against the starting point and pall it along the border where you want your LED strip calorie-free to end. Then, using a ruler, measure how long the string is. This volition give you an idea of how long your LED strip lite needs to be.

Step Two: Cut the Strip Light

The next stride is to cut your LED strip light. Virtually strips have a designated cutting point located nearly every 16 inches (or other multiples of xvi, depending on how long the strip is). These lines are unremarkably marked with black or white dots or dashes and tin can be easily seen against the bankroll paper where the lights are attached. Use these markings to requite you an idea of where to cut LED strip lights.

where to cut led strip lights — *Can Y'all Cut LED Strips and Reconnect Them?*

If yous're non certain where the cutting points are, check your LED strip light'south instructions. Alternatively, if your LED light doesn't take these markings, yous tin cut information technology anywhere along its length as long as the strips are in multiples of 16.

In one case you've institute the designated cutting betoken, hold your scissors against it and cut forth the line. BE Conscientious Non TO CUT THE WIRES CONNECTING THE LIGHTS!

Stride Iii: Remove the Backlog Strip Light

Now that you've cut your LED strip light, in that location will likely be some excess fabric left over. This can easily exist trimmed away with pair of scissors so that the LED strip light fits better in its desired space.

Connecting Multiple LED Strip Lights

In one case yous've cutting your LED strip lights, how practice y'all connect multiple LED strip lights together? Almost people call up that connecting multiple LED strips is a tricky job, but it doesn't have to be! All you need are a few parts and some basic electric knowledge. To successfully join two or more than pieces of LED strip lights, utilize either solder (a depression-temperature type of metal blend) or electrical tape.

Soldering is a more than permanent solution and is used to create a strong, watertight connection between the LED lights. Electrical tape, on the other hand, is an piece of cake way to connect strips together without any soldering required (although information technology'south not equally durable as solder). It's as well a good idea to take actress wires on hand so you can extend the length of your light strips.

Steps When Using Solder

To connect two or more pieces of LED strip lights using solder, follow these steps:

Step One: Ready the Wires and Strip Lights

The first affair you need to exercise is remove nearly a quarter inch of covering from the terminate of each wire on your LED strip calorie-free. This will expose the blank wires underneath.

Step 2: Strip the Ends of the Wires

Adjacent, use a wire stripper to strip about half an inch of insulation off the ends of each wire. This will betrayal the copper wires underneath.

Pace 3: Tin the Ends of the Wires

Tinning the ends of your wires is an of import stride in soldering. Information technology helps to create a strong connection between the wire and solder. To exercise this, use a soldering iron to rut up each wire until information technology turns a lite copper colour. So, using flux (a blazon of chemical cleaner), coat the exposed wires and solder. This will help to clean off any dirt, grease, or oil that may be present on your wire.

tinned vs not tinned wire — Tinned vs. Not Tinned Wire

Step Four: Create a Solder Joint

At present it'southward time to create the solder joint between your 2 LED light strips. Hold one of the bare ends of each wire against a soldering fe for about 3 seconds. And so, holding the two wires together, apply solder to each side of the joint until it forms a shiny ball-like shape.

Pace V: Repeat Steps One Through Four for Each Connection

Repeat steps one through four (preparing the wire and strips, stripping the ends of your wires, tinning the ends of the wires, and creating a solder articulation) for each connection you need to make.

Step Vi: Connect The Wires Together

Once you lot've fabricated all of your solder joints, it's time to connect the bare ends of your wire together! You can use heat shrink tubing or electric tape to cover upwards whatever exposed copper (make sure not to cover the soldered joints).

Steps When Using Electrical Record

While not all homes have a soldering iron, almost exercise have an electric tape. The process for using this to connect LED strip lights is similar to the one to a higher place with some minor differences. Encounter below for a step-by-step guide:

Step Ane: Cutting Your LED Strip Light

Simply equally above, you should first make certain you're cutting in the correct place. Double bank check that your cut is at a specific indicate on the strip where at that place is a cut line and be conscientious not to damage whatsoever of the wires leading up to information technology (the scarlet, light-green, and blue lines). After making your cut, employ your fingernails or a sharp object to remove the coating on the adhesive then that the tape volition stick.

Pace Two: Strip Your Wires

Find the end of the wire that you're connecting to (whichever is continued to your power source) and peel back about an inch of protective blanket. This will expose two wires inside, usually a blackness ane and a red one.

Pace 3: Connect the Wires

Accept your electrical tape and wrap information technology around both exposed wires, making certain they are secure. To create a more stable connection, twist each wire around one another in opposite directions (similar you would with a pair of headphones or with those twist ties from the grocery store).

Step 4: Attach Your LED Strip Lights

Subsequently connecting your wires, firmly press the adhesive strips on each side of your LED strip lights together. Then, use a piece of electrical tape to embrace the ii wires where they connect, which is one concluding step that volition help ensure your connexion stays secure and doesn't interruption apart.

Powering Your LED Strip Lights

Nosotros're nigh done! Don't worry, the hard parts are over. The last thing yous need to do is figure out how to power your LED strip lights.

Choosing a Power Source

The first thing you need to do when powering your LED strip lights is to choose an appropriate power source. The amount of voltage and electric current that your LEDs require varies depending on what type of lighting strips they are (east.g., RGB, single color, etc.). You lot can unremarkably find this data on the product'southward packaging or in its transmission.

Once you lot know what type of LED strip lights you lot have and how much voltage and current they need, it's time to choose a power supply that tin match these specifications. There are a few unlike types of ability supplies bachelor on the market, such as:

A wall adapter (plug information technology into an outlet and plug your LED strip light into the adapter)
A bombardment pack (unremarkably comes with a built-in charger)
An Ac to DC converter (converts household current from 110V to 12V or 24V then you lot tin employ it with your LED strip lights)

Connecting Your LED Strip Lights to the Power Supply

After choosing your power source, it's time to connect your LED strip lights to it. This procedure will vary depending on the blazon of ability supply you have, simply most of them use a barrel connector (male) and a terminal cake (female).

If your ability supply has a butt connector, all you need to do is insert the male terminate of the connector into the female terminal block. If it doesn't have one, yous can use a wire nut or some electrical record to attach one to your LED strip light's wiring.

If your power supply is an Air-conditioning to DC converter with spiral terminals (instead of a barrel connector), connect the positive and negative wires from your LED strip lights to the corresponding screws on the converter. Then, employ a screwdriver to tighten them in place.

Once your wires are connected, you're ready to power on your LED strip lights! Simply plug in your power supply (or insert batteries) and watch them calorie-free upward.

Safety Tips When Working on LED Strip Lights

If you lot've reached this indicate, congratulations! You've successfully learned how to install your LED strip lights. Simply before you get to work cutting, connecting, or powering them, in that location are a few condom tips to keep in listen. When working with electricity, e'er exist aware of the risks and take precautions to avoid accidents. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Always read the product transmission before installing LED strip lights.
Keep all electrical wiring away from water (and don't install them in a bathroom if they're not waterproof).
Wear protective goggles when cutting, connecting, or soldering wires.
Never impact an electrical wire with wet hands (or while continuing in water).
Never touch live wires (the kind that is exposed and has no protective coating).
Just work with LED strip lights that are UL-listed (this means they've been tested by Underwriters Laboratories and meet safety standards).
Don't overload your power supply – it should never exceed the maximum wattage rating.
Don't utilize a power supply that doesn't have overload protection, every bit this could lead to damage and fifty-fifty fires. Be sure to check the product specifications before purchasing any ability supplies.
Brand sure to keep flammable materials and liquids abroad from your LED strip lights (they can potentially showtime a fire if they come into contact with something hot).
If you are working on a project that requires electricity and it's going to take upwards more than 30 minutes of your time, brand sure there'due south someone nearby who knows what they're doing. They should also be able to turn off the ability if something goes incorrect or an accident happens.

Last Thoughts

LED strip lights are a great fashion to add together some personality, creativity, and fun into your home, office, garage, or whatever space you're lighting. They're also affordable and customizable. If you were wondering, "tin can you cut LED strip lights," now you should know that you tin can and, later on reading the steps, you should too know how. You don't need to be an expert to cut, connect, and power these lights, simply information technology requires patience and attention to detail every bit well as an understanding of how to do it properly. We hope this guide was useful in learning how to cut, connect, and power your LED strip lights correctly and safely.

Frequently Asked Questions

After going through the steps, here are a few oft asked questions that commencement-time LED strips users tend to enquire us. Nosotros've provided the questions and answers beneath for the do good of our readers.

Is it safety to cut LED strips?

Yes, information technology is definitely safe. LED strips are really designed to be cut since they have cut lines. If you lot accidentally miss the cut line though, you won't get hurt merely you may damage the LED strip.

Can you Cut and Connect LED strip lights?

Yep, you tin reconnect strips that accept already been cut. Y'all can follow the steps we provided above to connect 2 strips together or you can too use a quick connector (yous tin can discover this in any hardware store) and some adhesive to put them together.

Tin can I install LED strip lights under cabinets?

Yes, y'all tin. All you need to practice is get the right measurements, attach the strip to a power source, and apply some agglutinative to adhere information technology.

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Source: https://krmlight.com/can-you-cut-led-strips/