-
incorrect LED driver wattage?
Morning all
we were recently asked to fix a problem with some existing internal LED lighting which was flickering on and off
as the LED light modules seemed to be ok, we replaced the original 40 watt driver(transformer) with a 30 watt unit, which solved the problem with the lights flickering on and off
we checked that lights worked ok for 1/2 hour and that the driver unit did not get hot, and the lights are at their full brightness
as we have no definate way of knowing the total rating of the existing LED light modules, so can anyone tell me if there is any reason we can’t use a 30 watt driver in place of the 40 watt driver please
many thanks
Neil
-
5 Replies
-
keep in mind my knowledge of electrical side of signage is low.
but i do use LED’s in built up letters and the like.my understanding is that your power source (transformer) can illuminate lets say 50 LED modules properly. But it can in fact illuminate say 65 modules. but the illumination is not as bright.
I would also imagine it putting more pressure on the transformer itself, over time. which is something maybe worth considering. we buy LED’s with 5 years life, but what about the transformers that power them?LED’s in most cases have to be looped back to the start of the chain. e.g. complete a consistent loop of currant. my understanding is that if you don’t, the LEDs will still illuminate, but as it nears the end of the length of 50 odd modules the ends few will be dimmer than the ones at the start.
there’s more to it than just that but as i say, my knowledge is very limited.
-
If you have a multimeter measure the voltage of your transformer then measure the current in amps with all your leds on.
To find out your total wattage multiply the volts by the amps and that gives you the ideal rating in watts for your transformer.
I would think that using a 30watt instead of a 40watt would be ok for low voltage lighting as LEDs use very little current. -
what led is it?
i use ge tetra all day long and most flickering is down to over loading a convertor -
thanks for your help chaps
I’ll remember to take my multi meter with me next time
cheers
Neil
-
Just a quick follow up to this thread…………
We substituted the 40w driver for a 30w driver and tested it for 1/2 hour to check it was ok and that it didn’t get too over heated, and all seemed fine.
Two weeks later we were called back to the job to find that the unit had failed, and I can only assume that the supply had overheated by the black mark on the back on the transformer.
Next time this happens, I shall go for the slightly more expensive driver that can handle the power, and also I probably could have mounted it on a metal back plate with spacers to allow for better cooling of the component.
Hope this helps someone else out with the same problem in the future
Log in to reply.
