Are LED Strip Lights Safe to Use?
These days, LED strip lights are popular among people and widely used in residential and commercial lighting projects around the world due to their flexibility, brightness, colorful lights. And the safety of using LED strip lights has also been paid more and more attention. Are they safe to use? The answer is YES. But why? In this article, we will talk about LED strip lights in detail to give you a better understanding of them. Just read on to find out more.
What are LED Strip Lights?
First of all, let’s take a look at what is LED strip light? LED strip light, also known as LED tape or ribbon light, is what we often call color LED light strip. It is a flexible circuit board populated with tiny SMD LEDs (surface-mounted light-emitting diode) that emits light. SMD LED is a special type of LED, and its luminous principle is the same as that of LED. Most of them come with an adhesive backing and allow you to adjust the color and brightness, some even support remote control or mobile control, so they are very versatile and can be used in a variety of ways. Typically, these multicolored LED light strips are used as accent and decorative lighting on staircases, cabinets, and behind home entertainment systems such as televisions, computers.
Why are LED strip lights safe?
From the above, we have a preliminary understanding of LED strip light, which is really an amazing lighting solution. Available in different colors and brightness, as well as the easy-to-install design, you can easily create a unique lighting ambiance as you want. However, the safety of these dimmable LED strip lights makes many people hesitate to use them. Actually, they are as safe as any other electrical light source when installed and used properly.
As we know, compared to traditional incandescent, halogen and fluorescent lights, LED lights are green, do not contain harmful substances such as lead and mercury, and do not radiate ultraviolet or infrared rays. Not only are they safe, they're also environmentally friendly. The advanced LED technology makes the light not glare or flicker, eliminating the visual fatigue cause by the traditional lights stroboscopic. Using solid-state packaging technology, the LED is resistant to vibration, impact and not easily damaged. More than that, LED lights are also more efficient. Incandescent lights produce only about 5% of the light, meaning the remaining 95% is converted into heat, while LED lights can convert 40% of the energy into visible light. So the heat generation of LED strip light is much lower, this allows you use it for a long time without worrying about safety issues like fire.
Most LED strip lights on the market come with a voltage of 12V. Essentially speaking, a LED strip light 12 volt is safe due to the low voltage. That is, there is no electric shock if children or pets touch it or if the cable is broken by accident. Plus, with adjustable brightness and various lighting modes, you can adjust according to your needs without causing eye discomfort due to too bright or too dark light.
What Should I Pay Attention to When Using LED Strip Lights?
Although it is safe to use LED strip lights, there are some important notes that you need to know to ensure the strip lights can be used normally all the time.
1. Pay attention to the power connection.
Generally, there are several types of LED strip lights, such as plug-in, battery-powered or USB-powered. When in use, the plug should be protected for plug-in types, the battery box should be protected for battery-powered types, and the connection port should be protected for the USB-powered types. Although most of them are waterproof LED light strips, the plug, battery box and USB-port are not waterproof.
2. Pay attention to the connection distance.
Different types of LED strip lights have also different connection distances. For example, the longest connection distance of the 5050 series LED strip lights is 15 meters, while that of the 3258 series LED strip lights is up to 20 meters. If the connection distance is exceeded, the LED light strip is quite easy to be heat, which will affect its performance and life span.
3. Pay attention to whether the LED strip lights can be cut.
Since the length of the LED strip light is fixed, it’s difficult to buy the right length of lights every time. At this point, many people will try to cut it. However, not all of the light strips available on the market support cutting, it mainly depends on the product you purchase. Generally speaking, if the LED strip light has a cut line, it can be cut; if not, it is best not to cut it to avoid damage to the light strips. Note that the cut part can no longer be used, if you want to reconnect the LED strip, the LED light strip connectors can help you.
All in all, using LED lights strip for home decoration is a safe, great and affordable solution. No matter what kind of lights you want to buy, always remember to choose a qualified brand with quality assurance, like LOHAS LED is a trustworthy lighting brand that you can't miss.