12v LED lighting question

[VWMartin]

Hey guys,

Im looking at installing a leisure battery and lighting into my van as there is currently nothing in there.

Ive got a set of LED lights from Ikea ( http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/70119425/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ), which would usually plug into the mains... they have a transformer and the lights are 3.5W.

In order to run them froom my leisure battery, do i a) need an inverter or b) can i bypass the transformer and wire them straight to my fuse box or c) something else?

Any help that anyone could give would be great.

Thanks very much.

Martin.

[AdrianC]

IF the transformer puts out 12v, then - yep - you can certainly wire them straight to the van wiring. One wire is +ve, one is -ve, and they need to be right way around.

[CovKid]

IKEA give no idea of transformer output. Most tend to be 12v but you''ll need to check. If so, you just forget transformer and wire it up like any other 12v accessory.

[discipleofsketch]

LED's can be quite sensitive to voltage though, so although they should work wired straight into 12 volt, adding a regulator to iron out the peaks (e.g. when charging) will probably make them last longer.

So a bloke on a forum/ down the pub told me

[CovKid]

That'll be the same bloke (ginger hair and big boots?) that told me oval wheels were better over potholes. Blast that man, I wish he'd just shove off and go drink at The Swan.

LEDs are more tolerant than you might think. Unless they're cheapo things, they should tolerate up to 15v and certainly the variations you get in a vehicle.

[discipleofsketch]

That'll be the same bloke (ginger hair and big boots?) that told me oval wheels were better over potholes. Blast that man, I wish he'd just shove off and go drink at The Swan. .

LEDs are more tolerant than you might think. Unless they're cheapo things, they should tolerate up to 15v and certainly the variations you get in a vehicle.

That's good to know, one less ebay purchase of components and connectors on my list

[Titus A Duxass]

As CovKid stated- LEDs will cope with voltages up to around 15, it's the current that kills them that's you have put a limiting resistor inline.

Unfortunately you won't get the required info from IKEA's documents.

I bought the LED strips from IKEA which also come with a transformer, the feed voltage to the LEDs is 12vdc but they are still happy with 14,3 odd that comes from my alternator.

The transformer should have the output voltage written on it.

[VWMartin]

Thanks for the help guys. I will see what it says on the transformer later and report back.

[VWMartin]

Just taken a photo of the plug/transformer for these...

[AdrianC]

So there y'go. 12v DC out. It should work just fine.

[VWMartin]

Also what type of fuses go in here...

[nevill3]

The little bullet fuses go in there.

When I installed my LED lights I connected half to the transformer and half directly to the leisure battery through my Zig unit. This lets me use the 240v ones when we are on hook up with no worries about running the leisure battery flat (I have a teenage daughter who likes to sit in the van and twitterbook her friends )

[nevill3]

A close up of my lights fitted, I have one on 12v one on 240v The centre light is a deck light for soft background lighting
(

Here are all the lights on together



I have just swapped some old tungsten bulbs for LED equivalents in my original directional spot lights too

[AdrianC]

Might a better solution be to have a 240v-to-12v leisure charger and all the lights 12v?

[nevill3]

That would be a good idea but I received the LED downlighters very cheaply (From a pub refurbishing company who were closing down) My camper doesn't have an inbuilt charger, it is on my to do list, getting the mechanical things right first has taken priority plus having to unexpectedly get my gearbox refurbished used up all my "campervan budget".