Competently organized light is the basis of a comfortable stay indoor. In particular, it is important to adhere to this condition in the kitchen, where good visibility is in principle. One of the most productive methods of lighting for the kitchen is the source of light assembled on the basis of LEDs - LED tape.
Advantages and disadvantages
This type of lighting is rather popular and it is no coincidence. LED devices are an excellent decoration element, they carry out a specific task and are endowed with a number of positive qualities.
- Long service life. Depending on the manufacturer and technical parameters, the device can work from 25,000 to 50,000 hours. The housing is made of aluminum and plastics, which contributes to stability of damage and blastiness.
- Low power consumption . Using the LED tape will not lose your wallet loss. Lighting on the LED base is the most economical and already in less than 12 months justify all the funds spent on it.
- Operation of such lighting is completely safe due to low currents (With the exception of the LED tape at 220 V, here is their own characteristics).
- Extensive selection of colors. Manufacturers offer a wide variety of colors. You can choose the best option for internal design: cold and warm light, monochrome and multicolored products.
- Intense light flow . This effect allows you to apply the backlight as an alternative to the main lighting.
- Environmental Safety and lack of special conditions for disposal.
- Comfortable lighting which instantly turns on, gives a measured light without flicker. Ordinary light bulbs create an inconspicuous eye blinking, which overworks vision.
The main minus of the LED ribbons can be considered a fairly high price and limited length (mostly 5 meters - this circumstance is associated with the technical support of the same power of the ling-tape elements).
Varieties
Today, manufacturers offer LED tapes of several species. The range of use of these durable, environmentally friendly, economical and reliable devices is quite extensive. They are practiced to decorate and highlight showcases, in the internal decoration of catering enterprises, places of entertainment and recreation, in street advertising, for lighting niches and ceilings, aquariums, automotive salons, spaces inside wardrobes, kitchen workers and so on.
To make it easier to install LED ribbons, They are produced with a self-adhesive strip fixed on the back What makes it possible without much effort to install the device data anywhere. LED tapes are systematized for a number of key features and characteristics with which you should read in order to find the ideal option for you.
By type of semiconductor devices
The price of these lighting devices essentially depends on this parameter. Ribbons with diodes SMD 3528 and 5050 . SMD deciphered as Surface Mounted Device. And means the external method of installation of the LED, commonly used in the technique. Figures after letters indicate the size of the diode in the entire and tenth fraction of the millimeter (for example "5050" must be understood as 5.0x5.0, and "3528" - 3.5x2.8 mm).
The LED is 5x5 millimeters in size 3 separate crystals, and SMD 3528. - Only one. This determines the power of the glow: LED tape 5050 Brighter (approximately 2.5-3 times) modification of 3.5x2.8 mm size. Consequently, the more powerful the device, the higher its price.
In bloom
All certainly came across a combination of words LED RGB tape. This English abbreviation is decrypted as Red, Green, Blue ( Red, blue, green ) And represents the color encoding method for its recreation based on the principles of perception of the retina of the human eye. Badge in a variety of proportions and combinations of these 3 key colors can be obtained different tones.
RGB-tape is different from ordinary in that it contains red, green and blue crystals of small sizes, which in the case of controlled by means of the controller are able to give any color. White light is born when merging all 3 of the above colors or it can be removed from a blue diode covered with a phosphor, depending on the thickness of which it is able to become warm, cold or neutral (daily). These shades are also formed by the temperature of the used LEDs.
Special demand for buyers now enjoy yellow and white colors.
On the density of LEDs for one meter
The following indicator that strongly affects the price of the device is the number of diodes per 1 m. The higher this value, the richer and dimension illuminates the device. Ribbons with saturation 30, 60, 120 LEDs per 1 m are used in the greatest demand.
The decision, which one is desirable to buy, is depending on your needs. For additional lighting, you can use the device with a frequency of 30-60, for the main - 60-120 LEDs per meter.
By degrees of moistureness
Since these adaptations are used not only in the inside of the room, but also for scenery and lighting structures, shopping centers, in outdoor advertising, some of them have a special protection from the influence of dampness. It may vary in class, marked according to international standards. For example, The LED device with the designation IP 68 is the most moistureproof, it can be used to highlight the pools, freeze in ice, placing in water, observing at the same time the fire safety norm.
The LED tape with the designation IP 20 can be used in rooms that do not require additional moisture protection, in particular, to highlight the two-level ceiling, shelves, PC monitor, cabinet, niches. IP 65 class fixture (average degree of protection) is allowed to be used in the working area of the kitchen, a car, a bathroom, and sometimes in the lighting of the streets.
Moistureproof tapes are usually processed by a silicone layer or fall into the shell of this material. . Without any protection, the LED tape makes sense to exploit where they will not exactly like moisture.
Electrical voltage and power
Another significant indicator in the specification of these devices is power transmitted in watts. It is depending directly from the size of the diodes and on the number of them on the tempoite meter of the tape. For example, consumption of SMD 3528 models, which contain 60 LEDs per 1 m, is 4.8 W.
Having information about the power and length of a certain tape, you will unmistakably pick up for it a suitable source of electrical energy. The electrical voltage shown in the volts, the LED tape is unified. The markets are dominated by structures designed for voltage at 12, 24 V (the most common), as well as modifications by 36, 48 V.
Considering all the above, it will not be a special problem to choose a certain LED tape.
Moreover, the market at the moment can offer an extensive range of LED devices.
Recommendations for choosing
Having received an idea of the main areas of use and characteristics, you can start choosing the required product. Here are some tips on how to choose a LED tape for highlighting.
- Proceed from needs. For the apartment you need some characteristics, for the street absolutely different. We will certainly specify the moments concerning the connection to the electrical network and the degree of dust and moisture protection of the device.
- Choose a suitable color or a totality. With this you can help designers or special Internet resources for construction and design. If you already have a project, proceed from its conditions. If you put the backlight in the apartment, get confronted that it does not tired and did not act on the nerves.
- Make the required measurements. The implementation of the calculations and the melting will be able to calculate the amount of material and not consume unnecessary means.
- Follow the recommendations of sellers or professional builders. Cheap specimens may be not the best quality, which threatens their overheating and failure.
Where can I be placed?
The LED tape for the kitchen dispersed in the area of the working area is an excellent solution for the premises, the design of which is implemented both in classical and in modern styles.
For the first, you can choose options that emit a warm glow. For the modern interior, the ribbon with cold light will be a good option. Excellent operational properties in a lady with aesthetics made these devices in demand to arrange kitchen lighting.
By means of them, you can:
- Select lockers and niches;
- highlight the sink, a kitchen apron and work area;
- Lighting pictures and other decorative design elements;
- It is interesting to allocate tension or multi-level ceilings;
- produce highlighting cabinets and boxes inside;
- Create the impression of furniture sieves hanging in the air, placing the ribbon illumination under the kitchen head;
- Reproduce the stylistics and a kind of real bar atmosphere, favorably be played by the Bar rack location through the LED-ribbon.
Ribbon illumination is harmoniously combined with other sources of lighting, whether it is the main chandelier or built-in or overhead dot luminaires.
If you wish to decorate the ribbon edge of the table top, then a special aluminum profile will be required, which is able to reliably hide it from the eyes and bring in the surrounding space of the grace and originality.
When highlighting the apron tape, as a rule, is fixed under kitchen cabinets, but can also be placed in other zones. Properly placed LEDs give "attic" lighting, which is convenient when working.
For the dining area and cooking zones, it is better to choose a warm white kel, because it will not change the natural color of the products. An interesting decorative effect can be created if you connect multiple tapes.
Subtleties of mounting
Consider the issue of installation LED tape under the lockers of the kitchen headset.
- Determine the place where the power supply is hiding (BP), From this depends the length of the cable used. You can find a place next to the socket, you can connect to the connection point of the kitchen hood. Everything is depending on the "relief" of your kitchen.
- Make a measure of the surface of the alleged installation.
- Cut the required amount of LED tape. You need to cut strictly by tags! I cut off the tape in any other place, you can spoil it.
- Contacts are set 2 connector or 2 wires are soldered.
- After the insulation (tube or tape).
- Wires are connected in parallel with polarity. - Minus with a minus, plus with a plus. The compounds obtained are connected to the power supply of the BP.
- The basis of the LED tape self-adhesive, Therefore, when cleaning and degreased in advance, it is simply stuck.
- Do not turn on the backlight immediately after installation, Let the adhesive cool and grab.
One of the most inconvenient stages of the backlight setting of the LED ribbon is the need to mount a separate switch for it. As a rule, this question is relevant to highlight the working area in the kitchen.
To resolve this task, there are now portable, infrared or touch (non-contact) switches which possess the width of the tape itself and are perfect for the profile of aluminum.
You are calmly posing at the very beginning of the LED tape and cover the scatterer, so they will not be noticeable at all.
Successful examples in the interior
In this case, the work area illumination is applied, Overhead LED tapes are placed on the edge of the bottom of the wall lockers , effectively reflecting in the apron of glass.
In this embodiment, especially involved Illuminated dining area.
Along with the backlight of the working area, in this design involved Illumination of outdoor lockers.
For the comfort of operation is provided Illumination inside the drawer.
About how to make LED backlight in the kitchen, see the next video.