Like every kind of light, LED light strips will need to be connected to an electricity source before they can illuminate. They are utility lights that can be powered by different sources of which a battery is one of them.
It’s not enough to purchase the best-LED light strip. One also needs to understand the process of wiring them to a battery. As long as you understand your way around it and you have the right tools, then wiring a LED strip should be an easy task.
Are you uncertain about the entire process of connecting a LED light strip to a battery? Then, stick to this guide as we walk you through it.
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Why Do You Need To Use A Battery To Power The LED Strip Lights?
First of all, batteries are quite portable and can be easily moved from one place to another. Now, let’s say you and your friends hang out in a park or open field. Barely would you find a power source. However, having a battery with you will prevent disappointments as you can always power your LED strip hassles-free.
Similarly, if you are a creator and will need to pitch something to a prospect, it’s advised that you go with your batteries to avoid the awkwardness that comes with scampering for a power source.
Types Of Batteries That Can Be Used To Power LED Strip Lights
According to experts, these are the three types of batteries that can power LED strip lights:
1. The 1.5 AA or AAA Battery
Regardless of the current and voltage that’s typical of your LED light, using a 1.5 AA or AAA battery tops the list when it comes to wiring LED strip lights.
Oftentimes, combining more than one AAA battery provides a sustainable capacity. Constant usage of them will lead to a depreciation of the voltage until they finally run down.
If you intend to use a regular AA battery, you can opt for a 12V battery holder.
2. 3.7 Rechargeable Battery
Rechargeable batteries are very common in many households to power flashlights and lanterns. They exist in different capacities, with the 3.7 voltage or 2000mAh being one of the most used.
Most people choose the rechargeable battery because of its advantages. For example, they are durable, meaning you don’t have to keep replacing and buying new ones all the time.
Once you purchase a rechargeable battery, charge it for a while through a power source before usage. You should repeat this process whenever the battery drains.
For most LED strip lights, you will need at least three 3.7 rechargeable batteries to get the right lighting. Arrange the batteries in a series circuit, and they will produce 11.1 voltages.
3. DC12V Battery
The DC12V battery is a big battery that’s often used in cars. The unique thing about this battery is that it’s rechargeable and can be used to power any type of led light
Since the standard car batteries are rechargeable, you can use them for a long period. They are more durable than the AAA and 3.7 rechargeable batteries and can power any LED that has DC 12-volt.
Requirements For Connecting LED Strip Lights To A Battery
The basic requirements for connecting a LED strip light to a battery are:
- The voltage of the LED strip must be equal to the battery output voltage
- The power supplied by the battery must be enough for the task you intend to complete
- The connectivity between the LED strip and the battery you choose must be done right.
How To Connect A LED Strip Light To The Battery
As we know, all batteries feature a negative and positive side. Bearing that in mind, here’s how you can pair a LED strip light to a battery.
Step #1: Figure the sides
Once you can figure out which is the positive and negative side, it means you are one step closer to lighting your LED.
All you need to do is connect the negative side of the LED strip light to the battery negative, then repeat the same with the positives too.
2. Bring out your wires and strip the rare ends
The wires include the conductor cables, LED strip wires, and extra pieces of wire.
3. Locate the battery clip and connect it with the switch
The switch allows you to switch your light ON and OFF without having to disconnect the wiring. This means that without the switch, you will have to disconnect and reconnect anytime you want to turn the light on or off.
4. Connect to the LED light
Ensure to turn off every electricity-powered device before attempting any connection. This will help to prevent any occurrence of accidents.
Pick the two ends of the wire from the connector and attach them to the positive and negative sides of the LED strip. You will find the colors black or white (not always) to make the connection easy for you.
5. Clip the system to the battery terminals
This step comes after you have completed the aforementioned procedures. Ensure to attach compatible sides of the wires with the battery clips.
Most times, you will find that the red wire is connected to the positive terminal while the black wire is connected to the negative terminal.
6. Test your light
Once you are done with everything stated above, you can turn on the LED lights using the switch.
At this stage, the LED should work properly provided you have correctly followed the steps. If the light is still not functioning, go through the steps again and reconnect.
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How Long Can The Battery Power The LED Light
To know how long a battery can power a LED light, there are some essential factors to consider. Some of them are:
1. Duration of the light bulb
This is the first thing to look out for is how long you leave the lights on.
For instance, if a LED light is left ON for 10 hours a day, the power source will run out of juice faster. This won’t be the case for a battery that’s powering a light that’s left on for just 3 hours per day.
2. Battery age
Battery age applies more to rechargeable batteries like 3.7 rechargeable batteries and DC 12 V. When you constantly use a particular rechargeable battery for a very long time, it begins to run down quicker than usual. The duration at which it powers your light will also begin to reduce.
3. The battery capacity
The battery’s capacity also determines how long it can power the light. Big batteries have bigger capacities. The DC 12 V battery is a big battery with a large capacity, and it provides a sustainable power supply.
How To Extend Your LED Lights’ Battery Life
Batteries are not created to last forever. They power your LED lights for some time and then run down and won’t work anymore.
If you notice that your battery has stopped powering your light, the next step is to either repair or replace it. However, there are other ways to lengthen the lifespan of your battery.
Decrease the lighting
The number of LED lights that your battery supplies power to will determine the amount of power used when the lights are on.
As mentioned earlier, if a battery can power a single LED light for 10 hours, you should not expect the same battery to last 10 hours when you add another individual LED light.
To prolong your battery’s lifespan, you can reduce the number of LEDs that your battery supplies power.
Connect a dimmer
You don’t have to leave the light shining all bright for 24 hours. Once in a while, connect a dimmer to the system to regulate your light brightness. Reducing the light brightness should be done before bedtime or during the day. This will improve the lifespan of the battery.
Connect a switch
A switch enables you to turn your LEDs ON and OFF comfortably. LEDs are generally energy-efficient. sing a switch to regulate the light will preserve the battery’s energy, thus allowing it to function better.
Voltage Selection
Before you start any connection or wiring, you must know the right voltage. If the voltage level from the power source is higher than what the LED requires, it can damage the LED.
Likewise, if the voltage from the power source is lower than what the LED requires, the brightness of the light will be affected.
Choose the best combination to get the best lighting. One of the most common combinations is the 12-volt DC or the 9 volts DC.
Conclusion
Wiring a LED light to a battery is not as complicated as people make it look. Also, you don’t need an electricity supply to power your LED lights as batteries will power them perfectly as long as you go about the connection the right way.