Products
LED driver for indirect lighting
The driver is the part that fails first – and the only one whose replacement means opening the ceiling if it is in the wrong place. The choice comes down to three decisions: voltage, control method and placement.
What the driver does and why it fails
An LED strip runs on 24 volts DC. The driver converts the 230 V AC from the wall into that. It is electronics that heats up in use, and heat is what kills it: a driver running at full load in a plastered-in bulkhead lasts 3-5 years, a correctly sized and ventilated one 10-15 years.
Three things decide the choice of driver. Sizing, i.e. power, is the first, and it has its own page – here we cover the rest: voltage, control method and placement.
1. Voltage – 24 V is the answer
12 V is the older standard. The same power needs double the current, so voltage drop in the cable is four times as large and the far end of the strip dims after just 3-4 metres. At 24 V the run length doubles and drivers are cheaper at higher powers. 12 V is only justified in solar panel systems and vehicles where the voltage is already available.
2. Control method – decides what kind of driver
Dimming happens in the driver, not the strip. A standard driver does not dim, and connecting a dimmer in front of it causes flicker or destroys it. Choose the driver according to the control method:
| Control method | Driver type | Cabling to the driver | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| No dimming | Standard 24 V | 230 V supply | Kickboard, stairs, WC – light on/off |
| Zigbee | Zigbee radio built in | 230 V supply, nothing else | Home – recommended. Battery buttons, scenes, retrofit |
| TRIAC | TRIAC-compatible | 230 V supply via the dimmer | One room, existing rotary dimmer. Compatibility risk |
| 0-10 V | 0-10 V input | 230 V + 2 control wires | Legacy systems |
| DALI | DALI input | 230 V + DALI bus | Office, commercial, home automation |
| CCT strip | Two-channel (any of the above) | As per control method | When colour temperature is adjusted – two channels, warm and cool |
In practice: living room with 18 m of 14.4 W/m strip, scenes wanted
A 320 W driver + a 40 A Zigbee receiver between the driver and the strip. Cabling: just a 230 V supply to the top of a cabinet – no control wire, no dimmer in the wall. The button is battery powered and mounted next to the sofa. Gateway next to the router. Scenes ”Day / Evening / TV / Off” are programmed on the phone. Driver about €120-180, button + gateway €150.
3. Placement – somewhere serviceable
A driver needs three things: air circulation, a dry place and access without demolition. Four options in order of preference:
- On top of a cabinet – invisible, airy, socket nearby, replaced in five minutes. The best option whenever a cabinet is close.
- Plant room or walk-in wardrobe – all drivers in one place. Limit: 24 V cable to the strip under 5 m, or a thicker cable.
- Inside the bulkhead behind an access hatch – close to the strip, but needs a hatch of ≥ 300 × 300 mm and the bulkhead gets hot. Acceptable if the first two are not possible.
- Plastered in – never. This is why the ceiling gets opened five years later.
Wet rooms
In the bathroom and sauna the driver is always outside the room – in the hallway, a walk-in wardrobe or on top of a cabinet outside the bathroom. The 24 V cable is taken through the wall. The driver cannot withstand moisture and must not be in zones 0-2.
Enclosure and IP rating
| Dry interior | IP20 – open enclosure, best cooling. On top of a cabinet, in a plant room. |
| Inside a bulkhead | IP20 is enough, but ensure air circulation – the bulkhead heats up |
| Outdoors, damp room | IP67 potted driver. Runs hotter, size for 70 % load |
| Noise | A good driver is silent. Humming means the wrong dimmer or overload |
| Lifetime | 50 000 h for quality units, under 20 000 h when overloaded or hot |
Driver sizing – the 80 % rule and CCT → · Dimming and control → · Questions for the electrical designer →
LED drivers → LedStore
Frequently asked questions
Which driver for an LED strip?
24 V and matched to the control method: a Zigbee driver for the home, DALI for the office, a standard one if there is no dimming. Power is the strip’s total power divided by 0.8. Two-channel for a CCT strip.
12 V or 24 V driver?
24 V almost always. Voltage drop is a quarter of that at 12 V, the strip can be twice as long and drivers are cheaper at higher powers.
Where should the driver go?
On top of a cabinet, in a plant room or behind an access hatch – in order of preference. Never plastered in. In wet rooms always outside the room.
Why does the driver hum?
The most common cause is a dimmer that does not suit the driver – a TRIAC dimmer in front of a standard driver. The second is overload. A Zigbee driver does not have this problem, because dimming is built in.
How long does a driver last?
10-15 years when correctly sized and in an airy place. 3-5 years at full load in a plastered-in bulkhead. Heat is what kills it.
Does a CCT strip need a special driver?
A two-channel one: warm and cool channels separately, so colour temperature and brightness can be adjusted independently. A standard driver runs both channels at once and the tone does not change.