Soldering is a process in which a metal with a comparatively low melting point (which is called the solder) is used to make connections. This may include adjoining parts, connected wires, and so on. The use of solder can be seen in connecting led strip lights as well.
The metal can be heated to the melting point to make connections and the solder quickly cools down and solidifies, making sure the connection does not get moved or disturbed. This is quite a common and simple procedure It does, however, require you to have the necessary tools as well as the required material.
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So, you might ask yourself, how to connect led strips without soldering? You might want to customize your led setup. To cut led strip light with your measurements and connect led strips, the hassle of managing equipment to solder the connections may be an annoying task.
For that reason, this article will take you through some ways you can connect strips without going through the hassle of soldering.
Quick Guide on How to Connect LED Strips Without Soldering
1. Disconnect power and the lights before you start
2. Before going into any cutting and connecting, make sure you have your measurements done beforehand.
3. Depending on your placement of led strip size and how you want to connect led strips, decide which kind of a connection you will need (straight connected or a 90o connection)
4. Use scissors to cut the led strip light along the predetermined cut line. The copper section is spaced out and marked.
5. Each of the sections should have equal amounts of copper section left over. This is important to make the connection work
6. Peel any adhesive off of your jumper connection for a clean and uninterrupted connection
7. Insert each of the sections cut before into the connector piece.
8. Check both sides of the strip light to ensure alignment is correct
9. Plug in the power and check if the lights are working. If not, check the alignment and if needed, you may reverse the connection and try again
This is a simple answer to How to Connect Led Strips Without Soldering.
Benefits of Connecting Led Strips Without Soldering
While soldering is a tried and tested method, there are some benefits if you connect led strips without any sort of solder. Granted, the extra work may require a bit of expertise or knowledge about the product, but if you are willing to go that distance, some obvious benefits can be seen.
Increased Flexibility: By cutting led strips and connecting them via other devices, the permanent nature of the solder can be avoided. In short, the circuit can be rearranged easily as well as rewired quickly without major damage.
Heat Dissipation: Led strip lights by themselves are relatively colder. Without soldering in the connections, there is more surface area for the heat to dissipate, letting you use the strip lights for a longer period if needed.
Greater Durability: Due to better heat removal by the entire circuit, the components or lights are less likely to be overheated. Therefore, the Durability of the led lights can increase.
Installation: If you are working by yourself, you might not know How to Connect Led Strips Without Soldering. Therefore, the installation process without soldering is comparatively easier and you won’t need a lot of expertise.
Price: It is easier to buy connectors instead of raw materials and burners to connect led strip lights. This is relatively cheaper as well.
Ecological: Using led lighting and connecting via other devices instead of burning metals is a great alternative and will also save energy. This can be considered a greener approach in comparison to burning and molding metals. It is also much more efficient in comparison as well.
Easy Ways on How to Connect Led Strips Without Soldering
Going in-depth, there are a few ways you can connect led strip lights without soldering. The following points are explained and described in a way that any average joe can get an understanding of the process.
1. Parallel Connection
The simplest way is to connect the strips parallelly. In a parallel connection, all the led lights will receive the same power. This will result in all of them having the same intensity of output. Therefore, any singular led will not emit more light compared to others. This reduces the flexibility of designs but it will get the job done.
2. Using Jumper Wires with a Breadboard
Temporary connections can be made using the jumper wires and breadboard. Use the same number of strips and make sure no wires cross over one another when wiring over each other.
3. Using Ribbon Cable
A ribbon cable can be used to roughly connect two led strips. This may not be the strongest bond, but it is good enough to avoid the hassle of soldering altogether. Moreover, ribbon cables can be color-coded as well.
4. Using Extension Cord
An extension cord is easy to use and configure. It can be used to extend the connection over a longer distance. So, you can both avoid soldering your connection as well as extend them.
5. Using Gapless Pin Connector
A gapless connector will let you make a continuous connection all the while avoiding unnecessary gaps in the middle. Mostly you can make do with a 4-pin connector but certain brands might use other variants as well. Take a look at your own led light before purchasing one.
6. Using Jumper Cord Connector
Jumper cords are moldable components that act similar to gapless pin connectors. However, these leave out a smaller wired gap between the strip lights. However, these gaps can be useful in designing a circuit since a truly gapless connector cannot be bent easily. The smaller wire gaps can be used to bend the circuit as needed.
Process: How to Connect Led Strips Without Soldering Using Connector
When answering the question of How to Connect Led Strips Without Soldering, you will be surprised to see how effortless the work can be. The work is rather easy and without soldering, it can be done by hand with a bit of finesse.
Step 1: Collect The Essential Things
- LED strip lights
- Scissors
- Preferred connectors (4 pins/ 2 pins/ 5pins)
- Adhesive Remover if needed
Step 2: Take The LED Strips
The led strip lights are the main components. At first, you have to collect the led strip lights and decide where you want them to place. Accordingly, you will design your circuit or your preferred led design in general.
Step 3: Measure The LED Strips
After you design your circuit, you have to measure what amount of led length you will need. This also includes measuring the length and width of each of the strips you will be making. This falls into the planning process before you go into the actual cutting process.
Step 4: Cut To Appropriate Sizes
After calculating the required space needed and your preferred style of connection, you will need to carefully separate strips of led light using the indicated markers on your led strip light. The marking will help you cut led strip lights in the correct way.
Step 5: Connect The Strips with Connector
Using the exposed ends of copper, you will need to add both ends into a connector. Considering you have a 4 pin connector, the device will have two different ends for two heads of input. Slide in the ends on both sides of a connector to make a connection.
Step 6: Install Power Supply
Finally, plug the completed circuit with power and enjoy your solderless Led strip lights!
Suggestions
It is a good idea to use a precise color of wire for making connections. This will help you both identify the wiring in the future as well as add to the aesthetic of the design.
It is better to fully plan out your full design and circuit before you get to cutting wires and connecting them.
Make sure you are using the correct form of led strips. RGB-IC strips cannot be cut and connected to a circuit using connectors. So, keep an eye out for that.
FAQs: How to Connect Led Strips Without Soldering
Can Multiple Strip Lights Be Connected?
By using a connector, you can connect two ends of led strip lights into a singular connection. 4 Pin connectors can adjoin two separate lines of connectors with their two input points.
Can You Connect Different Brand LED Light Strips Together?
The led strip size and width may differ from brand to brand. Some companies also make different connectors like 2-pin and 5-pin connectors. Make sure the two brands you are combining have similar dimensions. Otherwise, they will not work.
Do RGB LED Strip Lights Require Special Connectors?
RGB strip lights require a specialist strip connector. This is because of the number of pings corresponding to each type of LED light each strip has.
How Many LED Strip Lights Can I Connect Into Chain To One Power Supply?
Yes, several LED strips can be linked to a single LED power supply. You can wire as many individual strips as you like, provided the combined wattage of your LED strip lights does not exceed that of the LED transformer.
Conclusion: How to Connect Led Strips Without Soldering
So, How to Connect Led Strips Without Soldering? Just like that, you have learned how to connect led strips without soldering. The concept may have sounded a bit technical at first. In reality, the work is quite simple. Connectors are made to ease the transition and avoid the hassle of soldering all together.
Led strip lights are used for aesthetic purposes. So, connecting those all over your room is the obvious choice. However, the long strip cannot be installed beautifully, and therefore, there is the provision to cut and paste the strips as needed.
This article explored the options where a consumer would follow down the same path and be overwhelmed with the work. Hopefully, you can understand the work is not that difficult and this may even motivate you to install more led lights!
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