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How to Install LED Strip Lights with Ease

LED tape lights offer numerous benefits, one of which is their easy installation process. While simple installations may only require one strip of LED tape without any cutting or reconnecting, more complex setups may need additional connections and the ability to navigate obstacles. This is where LED connectors come into play, providing a safe and solderless method to connect cut strips of LED lights.

Installing LED Connectors: A Step-by-Step Guide

The first step in installing an LED connector is to determine the style and connection type that best suits your installation. Armacost Lighting LED connectors come in various styles (2 pin, 4 pin, 5 pin, and 6 pin) for different types of connections (tape-to-wire, tape-to-tape, and wire-to-wire). Understanding the type of wire required for your LED strip will help you determine the appropriate connector style. Let’s explore the different styles of LED strip light connectors.

2 pin, 4 pin, 5 pin, and 6 pin tape light and wire connections

Now that you are familiar with the various wire requirements of LED strip lights connectors, the next step is to identify the type of connection you need for your project.

Tape to wire, tape to tape, and wire to wire connectors

Tape to Wire Connectors
For installations that require jumping over obstacles like a kitchen sink or range hood, you would use a Tape-to-Wire connector. This connector allows you to cut your LED tape and reconnect it by adding custom lengths of low voltage wire between the cut sections of tape.

>>> Read more: How to Install LED Strip Lights with Ease

Tape-to-Wire connectors are also useful in pre-wired installations, as they enable you to connect your tape to existing low voltage wire without the need for soldering. Additionally, we offer Tape-to-Wire connectors with built-in wire leads ranging from two to eight inches in length, perfect for extending LED strips around corners. You can even cut this type of connector in half to create separate power leads or splice in additional wire to overcome obstacles.

Tape to Tape Connectors
Tape-to-Tape connectors, also known as Strip-to-Strip connectors, allow you to simply reconnect two cut pieces of tape light without the need for any wire in between.

Wire to Wire Connectors
To extend the length of a 2 pin, 4 pin, 5 pin, or 6 pin LED strip light installation, you can use Wire-to-Wire connectors to connect runs of wire.

Cutting LED Strips: A Crucial Step
Now that you have determined the appropriate connector style based on your best LED light strips wiring requirements and installation method, it’s essential to learn how to cut your tape correctly.

Copper pads and solder joint on LED tape light

There are only two points on tape lighting where it can be properly cut: the copper pads and the metal solder joints. Cutting the strip anywhere else risks damaging the circuit. When using connectors, make sure to cut the LED tape with scissors directly in the center of the copper pad. Tape light connectors only work on the copper pads and not on the soldered joints.

Maintaining LED Strip Light Polarity
Once you understand how to cut the tape light correctly, the final step is to ensure consistent polarity when reconnecting the LED strips.

2 channel, 4 channel, 5 channel, and 6 channel tape light polarity illustration

Pay attention to the (+/-) indicators printed on the LED tape light to maintain the same polarity throughout the installation for white, single color, and RGB LEDs. For RGB+W (5P) and RGB+WW (6P) installations, the indicators should be consistent from strip to strip, ensuring consistent polarity within each section of the tape.

>>> Read more: The Ultimate Guide to Cutting LED Lights Strips

For more information and guidance on cutting LED tape and maintaining polarity, be sure to watch our Armacost Lighting LED Tape Lighting videos covering topics like Troubleshooting Polarity Issues and Using Wire-to-Tape LED Strip Light Connectors. Visit our LED Lighting Videos page for more information on all our LED products.