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What kind of power supply do I need for LED strip lights?
Waveform Lighting's LED strips all operate on low voltage DC current. Therefore, they cannot be directly plugged into a wall outlet and require a power supply unit that converts AC 120V to the correct DC 12V or 24V level.
When choosing a power supply unit, you must ensure that the output voltage matches the LED strip voltage (i.e. DC 12V or DC 24V), and that the power supply capacity is sufficient to operate the length of LED strip.
The power supply capacity needed is determined by the total length of LED strip connected. Each 1 foot section consumes 5.5 watts of power - so, for example, a 10 foot section will consume 55 watts of power, and we would therefore recommend a minimum power capacity of 55 watts.
Additionally, the power consumption of an LED strip system must not exceed that of the power supply's capacity. The power consumption of an LED system is determined by the LED strip's power draw per foot, multiplied by the length of LED strip in the system.
See our LED strip power supply calculator here.
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LED strip lights