How to connect LED drivers to 220v suply

[Yukster]

Sorry for the newbie questions. I got three Mean Well 12v drivers and three 12v COB LED strips to light three shelves. As seen in the pic, I have two pairs and one single flexible (220v) connected to a lights switch to power the drivers. Can someone here have a wiring diagram that I can use to ensure that I wire the 220v AC supply to the drivers correctly. TIA

 

[Ragnar_AT]

Is that flex coming out of the wall?

 

[Yukster]

Is that flex coming out of the wall?

Yes it is. It's been set up by electrician during renovations.

 

[chivers67]

This is rather odd, is that a stud wall? Where is the nearest power in relation to the wires? I would have though they should all be able to be connected together on one power source/switch

Why hasn't the electrician wired them into a junction box of some description and just left them dangling out the wall?

 

[Yukster]

This is rather odd, is that a stud wall?

It's not a stud wall. it's an external wall.

Where is the nearest power in relation to the wires? I would have though they should all be able to be connected together on one power source/switch

I'm not sure what you mean. All three wires are connected to one switch on opposite wall.

Why hasn't the electrician wired them into a junction box of some description and just left them dangling out the wall?

Not sure about the junction box and what the electrician do or not do and why.

Regarding how to wire the led to existing wiring, any suggestion would be appreciated.

 

[flameport]

I have two pairs and one single flexible (220v) connected to a lights switch to power the drivers.

The wires connect to the 230V side of the driver. Two of them will have 2 wires in each terminal, the other only a single wire.
The LED strips connect to the 12V output.

The more usual method is to locate a single driver out of sight in a more convenient location and then run the 12V cable to each shelf.

 

[Yukster]

The wires connect to the 230V side of the driver. Two of them will have 2 wires in each terminal, the other only a single wire.
The LED strips connect to the 12V output.

The more usual method is to locate a single driver out of sight in a more convenient location and then run the 12V cable to each shelf.

Thanks you! You're the first person to actually answer my question.

I think it was done this way to conceal the 230v power feed for each of the shelves. I left the electrician to do this how he saw fit. He could have run 12v wires from the top to middle to bottom shelves to connect to the LEDs to apply the more usual method.

I am now wondering whether to stick with the 230 wiring i've got, or to use the more common method?

If the latter, what do I use to split the 12v output of the driver to feed 3 led strips? My driver is Mean Well LPV-35-12. Also, is this wire suitable as a 12v wire for this installation? The shelves are 1m apart.

 

[Ragnar_AT]

IMO the electrician did a poor job, the flex isn‘t suitable for fixed mains wiring. The neatest way of doing this would have been to run T&E from the switch to a flex outlet and a short length of flex to the LED driver. I doubt it’s going to cause any issues though.

 

[Yukster]

IMO the electrician did a poor job, the flex isn‘t suitable for fixed mains wiring. The neatest way of doing this would have been to run T&E from the switch to a flex outlet and a short length of flex to the LED driver. I doubt it’s going to cause any issues though.

It's hard for me as a layperson to ensure that an electrician does a good job. Hard to know what I don't know.

See below a pick of the wiring at the socket which to me (but I am possibly completely wrong) looks like the flex is grounded at the switch end, and it may be that the wires that you see are connected to flex outlet that is out of sight. Maybe not. But I am glad that regardless there isn't anything here as far as you can see that is likely to cause problems.




I connected the driver and LED strip on the top shelf to the 230v supply and it's working okay. Looks quite nice.

It would be convenient if I could use the existing flex to run 12v wires to connect the LEDs on the middle and bottom shelves in parallel. But I suspect that isn't going to work and that i am going to need a 12v wire, e.g., this one instead. Just checking with those here who know how to do this properly who could advise what i need. TIA

 

[Ragnar_AT]

It’s certainly not your responsibility to check whether the electrician has done a proper job but unfortunately sometimes even professionals can do questionable things.

I don’t see why you shouldn‘t be able to use the existing flex for 12 V. If you want to do an exceptionally neat job, get some red and black heatshrink and mark the ends of the positive and negative wires to indicate it‘s DC.

 

[SUNRAY]

It’s certainly not your responsibility to check whether the electrician has done a proper job but unfortunately sometimes even professionals can do questionable things.

I don’t see why you shouldn‘t be able to use the existing flex for 12 V. If you want to do an exceptionally neat job, get some red and black heatshrink and mark the ends of the positive and negative wires to indicate it‘s DC.

have the regs changed yet again for DC colours?

 

[ericmark]

This is not a small unit, 148 x 30 x 40 mm and the cables are not double insulated so it needs to be within an enclosure. Be it designed as an electrical enclosure

or part of the shelving is up to you, I used billy bookcases from Ikea, and there is around 1 foot or more top to ceiling, which also has ornaments that hide the power supplies behind them.

Many years ago in last house used two-way switching with intermediates, so three banks of switches, today I use Google Nest Mini's and voice control, but the problem with bedroom lights, is one wants control from both door and in bed, or the units will not be used. Even in the living room, OK going to display cabinets for the first couple of months to turn on the lights, but the novelty soon wears off. Specially when one has to walk around the room, turning them off.

The electrician will likely do as he is told, you can get an enclosure with fits flush to wall

the electric clock supply was popular at one time but price got silly, so 2 and 3 amp round pin sockets seem to have taken over, but the electrician is not really designing your display, you are, so it is up to you to tell him/her what you want.

Likely the neatest power supply one can get today is the USB, so I would look at USB powered lights, and some USB socket outlets. But this is 5 volts, not 12 volts.

We can quote regulations, and give some suggestions, but you need to design when power supplies are hidden, Oh note, driver is technically a current dependent power supply, although the lighting trade seems to swap words used to describe their products around like a yoyo. So be careful to note if fixed voltage or current, don't assume driver means either.

 

[Yukster]

I followed the advice offered above to the best of my ability.

I connected the Mean Well LPV-35-12 driver to the LED strip 2.4m long at the top shelf and if works fine. Looks lovely.

I then connected the second LDE strip 2m long in parallel to the driver 12v output - see pic below - using the existing flex and the second LED to the second strip work fine also.

I then connected the third LED strip 2.4m long in the same way and the tree LED strips blink on and off.

I used terminal strips in this way for testing. I will sort it properly when i get it to work properly. What am I doing wrong?

 

[flameport]

Overloading the power supply.

 

[Yukster]

Overloading the power supply.

Gotya. Thanks. So do I need a 12v driver with higher wattage? Or do I need to replace my driver to a 24v one (but then I'll need to replace the led strips also :-0)?