ᐅ Multiple diode strips connected to a transformer/controller

Hello everyone,

I recently assembled a Besta / Framsta combination. I have a total of 6 colored Diode LED strips for it. A 2-meter (6.5 feet) tall salesperson in the IKEA lighting department assured me that I can connect 2 sets of 4 strips per transformer, so two complete strips. Beyond that, the power would just drop too much (my own test: 3 or 4 strips also work, but some colors seem to draw too much current and then they just start blinking).

So now I have 3 transformers with 3 color controllers each behind my Framsta, and I have to report: The transformers get incredibly hot and after about 30 to 60 minutes, two of the three transformers shut down. Probably a thermal cutoff. It’s always the same two; the third one runs like a Duracell bunny.

Does anyone know this? Is this normal? Do I really have to use 5 transformers and 5 color controllers? You’d never pick the same color exactly each time, plus it’s quite annoying...

Any ideas?





Thanks in advance,

Philipp

You're a bit reckless, aren't you?

Check the transformer to see how many watts it says, then look at the power rating on the light strips.
If that doesn't mean anything to you yet, then please keep your hands off such things. You're being crazy.

Why would IKEA include a transformer for 4 light strips that can continuously supply power for more than 4 light strips???

Please have an electrician handle these kinds of things.

How much I love such charming replies...

1. I specifically asked the expert, so there was no reason to doubt his statement.
2. The power supply states 0.5 - 5 W, yet 4 strips alone are supposed to draw 6 W. So there already seems to be something fundamentally wrong.

How much I love such charming responses...

1. I specifically asked the professional, so there was no reason to doubt his statement.
2. The power supply says 0.5 - 5 W, but 4 strips alone are supposed to draw 6 W. So something already seems off here.

I didn’t mean to offend you, but...

1. IKEA employees are not electricians.
2. It’s your apartment, and you can’t hold the employee responsible for that (not even in court).

The predecessor says: 0.7 watts per white strip and 5 watts on the transformer. That makes 7 strips. I don’t know what it says on the colored ones because they are installed in a way that I can’t reach them. But I have roughly the same number in mind. Do the new ones really use that much more power???

Hello community,

I had the same issue trying to combine colored Dioder LED strips and realized that the plug-in power supply is designed for a maximum of 4 LED strips. Fortunately, the power supply seems to have an over-temperature protection, because it shut down cleanly due to overheating under overload and worked again after cooling down. I was using a total of 4 sets of Dioder colored LED light strips with 4 power supplies and 4 dimmers for a 4x Framsta panel, which is really not practical to operate...

A reminder upfront that all electrical work should be handled by a qualified electrician with the appropriate expertise and responsibility...

I connected 4 Dioder color LED strips together and wired them to the 4-way splitter. Before that, I tapped into the cable connection from the 4-way splitter to the power supply and measured it. The connection is a 2-wire cable with 0.75mm² (0.0012 in²) cross-section, one wire with brown insulation and one with blue insulation. The plug-in power supply delivers 12V DC, with the positive on the brown wire and negative on the blue wire (be careful, reversing plus and minus will most likely damage the entire electronics...). The total 16 colored LED strips draw up to 1.6A at white light, corresponding to about 20W, so about 1.25W per strip. By the way, blue light consumes the least power.

I then gave up on the warranty and cut off the plug-in power supply, subsequently connecting a 30W furniture built-in transformer with a 12V DC output (available from electronics suppliers). The only component that might be subjected to higher load than intended is the circuit board inside the 4-way splitter, but I did not notice any heating in my splitter. With this setup, I now have one control unit to operate the entire panel without overloading the power supply.

The only component in this setup that might be subjected to higher loads than originally intended is the board in the 4-way distributor; however, I have not noticed any heating in the distributor on my system. With this, I now have a control unit to operate the entire panel without overloading the power supply.

And what about the control unit? I once contacted IKEA in Sweden about this. Unfortunately, they were not willing to research more detailed technical data. Unfortunately, you can’t get in touch with IKEA of Sweden directly. They are probably also afraid that any statement could make them liable if something goes wrong.