Thursday 14 December, 2017 |

Mean Well Power Supply

Established in 1982, Mean Well is a leading standard switching power supply manufacturer. They are a 700+ million-dollar global company with advanced manufacturing facilities in Taiwan, GuangZhou and Suzhou; as well as sales offices in China, USA and Europe. With sales and tech support throughout the world, Mean Well has become a top source for power solutions, being compatible with different line voltages and safety requirements in a variety of countries.

In 2006 Mean Well started focusing on the development of waterproof LED power supplies. Since then, more than 1000 models complying with specific lighting norms have been launched in the market with great success. There are many constant current and constant voltage LED power supplies within the Mean Well product catalog suitable for all kinds of outdoor or indoor LED lighting applications. Mean Well takes their time designing these products, adding helpful features, protection and support to help along the way.

Why are Mean Well Power Supplies so Great?

When finding a quality power supply or driver it is best to see which company sticks behind their goods. Product warranties are the biggest example of this. A warranty proves that a company is very certain the product will not fail before that amount of time. This assures you that you will have this power source for the next however many years. Yes, there may be some outliers that fail earlier, but at least the company will help fix the issue and replace the bad part. Mean Well products all have significant warranties, ranging from 3-7 years. Most companies put a 1 year warranty on products, this makes Mean Well stand out among the rest.

Quality and safety standards are another area to be aware of, especially if you are doing a commercial install and need specific safety requirements. Mean Well takes global lighting norms seriously and has over 1000 models that comply with UL8750, EN61347-2-13, IEC61347-2-13(CB) and EN61000-3-2 Class C (harmonic current) standards. This may not seem like much but a UL listed power supply will mean all the difference to those that are required to comply.

by Aaron

Installing Flexible LED Strips

Flexible LED strips are extremely popular in home lighting applications. LED strip lights applications continue to grow because of their ease of use. The low-profile design, flexibility, efficiency and adhesive backing make them a no-brainer for many DIYers looking to put LEDs in their home. Like any other product, the whole is only as good as the parts. A common failure for these strips is that their adhesive backing fails on some surfaces or tends to give way over time. Luckily, here at LedStripCabinet.com we have taken feedback and found additional ways to mount these LED strips. Use some of these methods in installing LED strips to enjoy for years to come!

LED Strips that simply will not stick!

The self-adhesive on the back of the led strip lights typically needs a smooth surface in order to stick securely. Rough surfaces or too many grooves will limit the contact between the surface and the 3M tape backing. Less contact means less of a bond, leading to the flex strips falling or drooping in places.

The LED tape backing also does not bond well with certain finishes. If the surface has a glossy or oily surface, the strip likely will slide around too much or not stick at all. In these types of situations, it will be necessary to find other mounting options for the strip lights.

The environment around the strip also affects the peel-and-stick backing. Very hot climates will lead to failure in the adhesive material. It may be working at first, but after one extremely hot day, the tape will fail as the surface temperature rises. Humidity and moisture in the air also have a negative effect on the strips causing them to lose their bonding ability.

Mounting Methods for LED Strips

LED strips falling down and losing their adhesive backing can be a real pain to deal with. Luckily there are a few alternative methods that can save a lot of time and headaches.

LED Strip Mounting Clips

LED flex strip mounting bracketsThis is a simple, cheap solution for installing LED strips that does not rely on double sided tape. These small clips use a one screw design to screw into surfaces and clip over the LED strip, holding it in place. These clips are just $1.95 for a pack of 15 which should be plenty of clips for a reel of flex strips (roughly 1 clip per foot).

The brackets work great in applications where the lights are facing downward as in under cabinet lighting. This simple step of installing LED strip light fasteners will save from worrying about falling strips in the future.

by Aaron

News for Wednesday 13 December, 2017

View all news for Wednesday 13 December, 2017 on one page

Recent News

News archive