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Many LED Strips pose a Fire risk!

Thu, 20 Apr 2023

When it comes to purchasing products, it's common to want to save some money. However, while it might be tempting to opt for cheaper alternatives on auction sites or from overseas sellers, it's essential to be aware of the risks involved.
 
For example, when it comes to buying electrical goods, it's crucial to choose sources that are backed by reputable companies in the UK or Europe. Cheap LED strips or other electrical products sold by overseas sellers can put you and your loved ones at risk and even invalidate your home insurance in case of an electrical fire.
 
Cheap LED strips often have design flaws and cut corners to keep production costs low. As a result, these products can be hazardous, and sellers from overseas can easily sell them without facing the same comebacks as UK-based companies for selling faulty or dangerous goods.
 
This LED Strip has got hot and partially burned, fortunately it was attached to glassOne significant risk associated with poor quality LED strips is overheating. LED strips that are not designed well or lack proper voltage and current control can get very hot and burn the surface they are attached to, leading to disastrous outcomes if they are affixed to flammable surfaces like timber.
 
It's worth noting that it's not usually the LEDs themselves that cause the excess heat but rather the copper tracks of the strip. If the copper tracks can't handle the total current being pulled through the LEDs, they can overheat and cause damage.
 
Moreover, poor quality LED strips can have LEDs fail due to improper voltage and current control, resulting in dead or faded LEDs. While it might be sufficient for controlling low-performance LEDs like Red status LEDs, it's not enough for high-performance LED lighting used in architectural applications or vehicles.
 
At best, cheap LED strips only have resistors and LEDs on the board, which is not an ideal way to power LEDs, as the resistors heat up and their resistive values change, allowing excess voltage to the LEDs. Running too much LED strip linked together or on under-rated wire or cable is also a fire risk.
 
Therefore, it's essential to use properly designed LED strips that come with on-board current and voltage regulation. Our Litewave® Pro LED Strip, for instance, has up to 130 triodes per meter to provide on-board current and voltage regulation, ensuring a lifetime of over 50,000 hours, with a lifetime of over 100,000 hours to be expected.
 
Using foil to keep the heat of the strips down is a dubious practice promoted by some retailers. Properly designed LED strips don't need foil, and if the foil is not insulated, it also presents a possible risk of short-circuit.
 
To ensure a safe and reliable installation of LED strips indoors or outdoors, it's essential to have the wiring information and support required. Our Litewave® Pro LED Strip comes pre-wired and ready to fit, and we provide customers with all the necessary wiring information and support. Just contact us with the length or lengths of LED strip you require, and we'll provide a quotation.
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