LED strip lights are flexible, low voltage LED reels for under cabinets, coving, shelving and behind a TV, and most of the 5 metre kits here come complete with a driver. LED strip lights for Irish homes, from an independent Irish electrical supplier. Warm white ribbon for under cabinets and coving, RGB colour changing kits with remote control, and IP65 rated reels for outdoor and damp locations. Free delivery applies to every order from the first euro, with no minimum spend.
Where do LED strip lights actually work well?
Under kitchen wall units, along coving or a shelf edge, behind a TV, and up a stair string. Anywhere the strip itself is hidden and only the light it throws is visible.
That last point is the whole trick. A strip mounted where you can see the individual diodes looks like a strip of dots. Mounted inside a channel, behind a lip or under an overhang, the same product reads as a clean line of light. If there is nothing to tuck it behind, an aluminium profile with a diffuser will do the same job and is worth the extra few euro.
What IP rating does an LED strip need?
IP20 is fine indoors in a dry room. Under a kitchen cabinet or in a bathroom, go IP65. Outdoors or anywhere it can be splashed, IP65 is the minimum.
The rating on a strip refers to the coating over the diodes. An unrated strip has bare components and will corrode in a kitchen from steam alone, long before it fails from use. IP65 strips are sealed in a silicone sleeve, which also makes them easier to wipe clean, which matters more than people expect above a hob.
Can LED strip lights be cut to length?
Yes, but only at the marked cut points, which are usually every 50mm to 100mm. Cutting anywhere else breaks the circuit for that section.
Look for the scissors symbol and the copper pads printed on the strip. Cut across the middle of the pads so there is enough copper left on both sides if you ever want to rejoin or extend it. Measure the run before you buy, because you can always shorten a strip and you cannot lengthen one without a connector and, on longer runs, a second supply.
Do LED strip lights need a driver or transformer?
Most 12V and 24V strips do. A driver converts mains down to the strip voltage, and it has to be rated for the total wattage of the run.
Undersizing the driver is the most common reason a strip flickers, dims toward the far end, or fails early. Add up the watts per metre across the whole run and pick a driver with headroom above that figure rather than exactly matching it. Some of the kits in this range are supplied complete with a driver and a remote, which removes the guesswork.
What colour LED strip should I choose?
Warm white at 3000K for living spaces and under cabinets. Neutral white at 4000K where you are working. RGB only where the colour is genuinely the point.
Colour changing strip is excellent behind a TV or in a child's room and looks wrong in a kitchen, where it tends to get set to white and left there. If the strip is doing a job, buy white. If it is doing an effect, buy RGB. The kits here that include a remote let you dim as well as change colour, and dimming is the setting people actually use day to day.
Do LED strip light kits come with a driver and remote?
Most kits here do. The IP65 ribbon includes a 30W driver, and the coloured 5M and S-RIB RGB kits include a driver plus a remote.
The LED flexi strip light kit 5 metre RGB also comes with a power supply, remote and receiver. The drivers on the S-RIB and flexi kits are IP20, which is fine indoors, but outdoors they must sit inside a suitable IP65 enclosure or junction box even when the strip itself is IP65. LED strip never runs straight from the mains, so a strip without a matched driver will not light.
Can I control LED strip lights from my phone?
Yes, with the Multi Color LED strip light. It works from its remote or a compatible phone app, with a music sync mode.
It offers 16 million colour options, flashing, strobe, fade and DIY modes, and a 3M adhesive backing. The other RGB kits here use a handheld remote, which sets colour and brightness without touching the strip once it is fitted. Our LED strip lights buying guide covers planning a strip run in more detail.
Are LED strip lights bright enough to light a room?
No. LED strip is for accent, task and under cupboard light. A whole room needs a ceiling fitting or batten, with strip alongside.
The 5 metre IP65 ribbon draws 24W across its full length, spread thinly enough to wash a worktop or a cove rather than fill a room. Pair strip with ceiling lights or downlights for general light, and use the strip where shadows fall, such as under wall units.
What is the 110V LED site lighting reel for?
It is trade site lighting, not domestic strip. The 50 metre reel runs from a 110V site transformer, giving continuous 6500K light on building sites.
It is IP65 rated, draws 10W per metre at 105 lumens per watt, and has a fitted 16A 110V plug, so it rolls out, plugs in and winds back onto its steel reel at the end of the job. It needs a 110V site supply, not a household socket. For trade pricing call 01 401 9907 or email sales@shamrockelectrical.ie.
Where can I buy LED strip lights in Ireland?
Shamrock Electrical supplies LED strip lighting across the Republic of Ireland, online with free delivery on every order, or over the counter in Rathcoole, County Dublin.
We are an independent Irish electrical business at Unit 22, Block 613, Jordanstown Road, Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin, D24 TX98, just off the N7 and well positioned for the M50. The counter is open Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm. If you are working out the length and driver for a run, call 01 401 9907 or email sales@shamrockelectrical.ie. For under cabinet work specifically, the kitchen lights range covers battens as an alternative.
