Blog – LED Technical tips

EZ snap connectors made life a lot easier for professionals and home users alike, but as we continued to work with them, a few problems began to surface. That is why we’ve bumped up our inventory on the original pro grade connectors for flexible LED strips. There is a time and a place for everything and we’ll fill you in here about what to choose, why and when. Let’s start from the easiest approach and work our way through the options. EZ snap connectors are rather ingenious. Flip up the lid, insert your flexible LED strip, snap it down and voila! Connection. Right? Yes, it really is that easy if you pay close attention to the installation instructions. EZ snap connectors have a set of guides the flexible LED strip must pass under and a set of contacts the solder points on the flexible LED strip must seat under. If not done correctly, either the strip won’t light, or an electrical arc will form, causing the connection point to burn. If you’ve used this type of connector and have intermittent lighting issues, you may find the holding your finger on the connector makes everything hum along as it should. That’s a major indication that the EZ snap connector is not installed properly.

Things you must do when using EZ snap connectors: o Make sure that you’ve cut exactly on the cut line. If there is circuit board before the cut line, the strip won’t light. o Make sure you leave the backing on the flexible LED strip when you insert it into the connector. That helps to make a secure connection. Remove the backing from the rest of the strip after you’ve installed the connector. If you’ve made the error of removing the backing you have two remedies: start with a fresh piece of the strip with the backing attached or replace the backing at the edge. Scotch tape will also work. o Make sure the strip is fed under the guides and under the contacts. o Make sure the lid is securely closed. Some of you may be able to do this with your fingers. I can’t, so I use pliers. You want to hear the connector snap closed.

EZ snap connectors are great for short runs in dry locations such as lighting a bookcase shelf. They can be used most anywhere as long as you pay close attention to the instructions. EZ snap connectors work best with 5050 flexible LED strips. Pro grade connectors for flexible LED strip are a bit more difficult to get it right the first time. With a little practice and patience, you’ll be able to install these quickly and easily. These have a top and bottom to pay attention to and a clip which secures the flexible LED strip. Although a bit more tedious to work with, once the flexible LED strip is where it’s supposed to be, you can even tug on it and still have a secure connection. The much smaller footprint makes it easier to secure waterproof flexible LED strip connections inside the waterproof casing. This type of connector is a must for high-density flexible LED strip like our 120 LED per meter 3528 flexible LED strips. The LEDs are placed so close together that there simply isn’t enough space at the cut mark to effectually fit into an EZ snap connector. Although you can use an EZ snap connector with 60 LED per meter 5050 flexible LED strip, your cutting must be especially precise. If you cut to the right of the cut mark, there will not be enough room to feed the end under the guides and contacts properly. Soldering wires onto your flexible LED strip is the most difficult approach but the best approach to making secure connections. We have a set of soldering instructions for you. With a little patience and practice, you can be soldering as efficiently as our professional customers. If you’re interested in learning how to do this, ask us for some inexpensive scrap pieces to work with. Factory installed leads are the best of all as they are soldered on by factory personnel who know exactly how to do it properly and efficiently. Each reel of flexible LED strip comes with a set of factory leads. One reel is 5 meters or about 16 feet. If you have an OEM use or a project that requires numerous sets of strip less than 16 feet, let us know. We are able to quote custom lengths, even with longer wire leads and M/F connectors. When you consider waste and labor, a custom option may be right for you. Ask us for a quote for your next project.

By: Mary Wecker