Blog – Voltage Regulators – How to protect your 12V LED lights from over-voltage when using battery power

Ask a LED Tech Articles – How to protect your 12V LED lights from over-voltage when using battery power April 15, 2015 Whether your source of power is a battery bank charged by solar panels or the battery in your truck or RV, there is a safe and effective way to protect your LED products. What you will use will depend on your precise lighting need. Most LED products are designed to be operated at 12 Volts DC with a regulated AC-DC transformer. The input voltage to these products cannot exceed 13 volts without sustaining damage. It is important for you to understand that automotive electrical systems are known to exceed 15 or even 16 Volts while charging the battery. The result without protection can mean a much shorter lifespan for the LEDs and even instant death. Does that mean you can’t use LED products with battery power? Of course not. There are two alternatives. First and foremost, we carry a line of interior lighting that is designed for use in RVs and boats. These solar ready LED lights are designed with built-in surge protection and will handle a voltage spike up to 32 VDC for up to three minutes. This product line is first quality, made in the USA, and features LED ceiling lights, under-cabinet lights, accent lights and even LED billboard lights. Because they are specifically designed with over-voltage protection in mind, these products are always the best choice. For budgetary reasons, or perhaps for size or shape considerations, many customers would like to install some of our other 12VDC products such as our MicroStars or flexible LED strip. Realising that if they have a boat and are dependent on how fast or how slow they would be draining their battery, they know LEDs will save power. The same is true with RVs and what is referred to as “dry camping”. Saving power is very important. Even though the power savings might be significant, it isn’t very practical if the LEDs are left unprotected to the charging system. There are different devices available, so it would be best to spend a little bit of time planning exactly what LED items you plan to use. Once you know what the electrical load will be in milliamps or Amps, you then can select the right number and size of Voltage Regulators. With the use of one of our Voltage Regulators, you can have the peace of mind knowing that the voltage that your LEDs are receiving will not exceed 13.5 Volts and should work well into their expected lifespan. Look over our various voltage regulators. You’ll see four different products. The first device is the AC12A2 Converter/Filter. It is intended to take 12 volts (either AC or DC and deliver 12 Volts DC. It will also stabilise the voltage and keep it from varying. The next two devices are the RG12 In-line Voltage Regulator and the RG12A2 Regulator Module. Both of these items essentially stabilise and filter the output but have different capacities. The last items, the AU12A is ideal for use with automotive applications such as RVs, boats, and trucks and cars. If you are attempting to choose which one you need, you must find the sum of all the milliamps (current load) that you will need to support. If for example, you calculate that you need to support 2800 mA of load, then you would choose to purchase four of out 12U12A’s which each have a capacity if 800 mA. When wired side by side they will combine and be able to support up to 3200 mA which is more than adequate. This investment will ensure that your LEDs are receiving a stable and filtered 12 Volts DC just as the factory intended which will provide a good environment so they can last for years.

By: John Cody