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Due to the great popularity of LED strips, many consumers are thinking about replacing all other means of artificial lighting with similar light sources. However, it is necessary to understand that LED strips nevertheless, they have some limitations in terms of scope of application, and they are not functionally capable of completely replacing chandeliers. Next, we will explain why a flexible printed circuit board on LEDs is not as universal as many would like, and what can be done to achieve the desired result using this type of product.
Advantages and disadvantages of the LED tape as the main source
It is much easier to deal with the strengths of this approach. The unequivocal advantages of tapes, which attract consumers, are:
- compactness in placement;
- economic benefits during operation;
- aesthetics in almost any interior;
- visual originality of space design.
However, it is necessary to always look at the experience of using such a product: how often it is combined in practice with the main overhead light in the room, and how often it is left as the only source. The answer is self-explanatory - it is customary to use only one tape in residential premises extremely rarely, mostly in combination with other means of lighting.
The main problem that fans of tapes will have to face is the effective radius of illumination. Although at first glance it seems that the LED strip is in no way inferior to the wall lamp, this is not so. Usually, such a deceptive impression is created due to the fact that the initial brightness of both sources is the same. However, other things being equal, it will be relatively comfortable to read a book one and a half meters from the sconce, but it will be very problematic if it is illuminated by diodes.
There is another side to this aspect: lamps in the vast majority of lamps scatter rays evenly in all directions, in horizontal and vertical directions. And here is the LED tape - even if it is very expensive, professional class, orientates the light with a more focused stream, from 120° to 170°, and only in one plane. As a result, such a source of light simply will not cover a large living room or hall.
Tapes are usually placed around the perimeter of the room, which means that the center of the room will have the lowest lighting. Do not think that it is customary to place the main sources in the middle just like that - there are good reasons for this. Of course, the flexible board can also be laid along the ceiling in several strips of an intricate appearance, but then there will be a problem of supplying power to them. In addition, the lighting will become unpleasant, spotty, due to the double difference in brightness between the center and the periphery.
The normal operation of the tape is associated with its correct installation and cooling. The last factor requires placing the board on a special profile, which does not always harmoniously fit into the room if it is visible. And when using a product without such a radiator, there is no guarantee that the backlight will serve at least half of the passport term.
Where the LED tape is used as the main light
The scope of application of LED strips without other light sources in the interior is extremely limited. The first area of the application can be called various night establishments. White light is used here, and cold light is used as an accent. Lighting with a low voltage of 12v is considered safer, and therefore acceptable for places with high traffic. If such a club is located in the basement, a positive role is also played by the hermetically sealed housing of the product with protection class IP65, which is not afraid of condensation and moisture.
For household needs in the store 5WATT LED tapes are usually ordered to illuminate bedrooms. If we are talking about a private house, in such areas people can really spend time only at night, which justifies the sufficiency of a low level of illumination. A warm or white shade of light is more often used here.
The last area of application is technical premises, warehouses, cellars and pantries. Here again, 12v power supply and hermetically sealed housing with IP65 become relevant. For better visibility, a cold shade of glow is usually used, and medium brightness turns out to be quite enough for such compact areas.
