Spec me a driver please

thenewoc · 4 Aug 2013 at 00:04

Trying to fix the decking up (inhertited from previous owner). It has 7 x 0.3w led light units originally bought from wickes but the transformer was water logged in the old ip rated box it was housed in.

I need a new driver that I can connect outside in a new ip rated box which is suitable for these leds but I don't know where to find the right one?

I've already been sold the wrong thing by an electrical wholesaler who sold me a 20w one but that won't work with mine

Nightglow · 4 Aug 2013 at 08:28

Contact Wickes, they may be able to supply a replacement.

Customer service: 01202 690945, they can get replacement parts.

EDIT: Is it these?, click on fitting details for spares info.

http://www.wickes.co.uk/45mm-white-led-deck-lights/invt/218853/

thenewoc · 4 Aug 2013 at 09:07

Thanks, I will try them tomorrow but the model I have is different to their current 30mm ones and I no longer have the original driver. Their current range only seems to have a plug in transformer intended for inside the home. What I think I need is an IP rated driver for leds that supports a min. 2W. I don't understand if this should be a constant voltage type or constant current type though or what mA it should be?

Nightglow · 4 Aug 2013 at 09:26

Shame you haven't the transformer, maybe a part number on the light fitting Wickes could cross reference.

arknor · 4 Aug 2013 at 11:12

Try this thread mate
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?p=24704856

bitslice · 4 Aug 2013 at 12:02

thenewoc said:
It has 7 x 0.3w led light units

So a min of 2.1 Watts? Seems low :/

I've already been sold the wrong thing by an electrical wholesaler who sold me a 20w one but that won't work with mine

Please say why it was wrong, incorrect connectors?

thenewoc said:
I don't understand if this should be a constant voltage type or constant current type though or what mA it should be?

LED's require a constant current, but as these are all in parallel (with I guess an inline resistor) and the voltage is fixed, all you have to do is supply 12v at sufficient wattage.

12v @ 12W driver:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-x-12v-LED-driver-transformer-0-5-12w-rated-CE-RoHS-/390636832150

you'd need a IP68 gland box and two gland fittings,
whatever connectors your lights come with would have to be bodged inside the box. Or if you supply pictures I could probably find something suitable.

thenewoc · 4 Aug 2013 at 13:36

Nightglow said:
Shame you haven't the transformer, maybe a part number on the light fitting Wickes could cross reference.

The transformers I inherited with these I suspect aren't the ones that were originally supplied with the deck lights. These transformers are made by Arlen EFA but the company is now part of Prime Light Electrical Ltd. After speaking to them I discovered they didn't keep the driver line of products going.

thenewoc · 4 Aug 2013 at 13:53

bitslice said:
Please say why it was wrong, incorrect connectors?

you'd need a IP68 gland box and two gland fittings,
whatever connectors your lights come with would have to be bodged inside the box. Or if you supply pictures I could probably find something suitable.

I returned to wholesalers yesterday and they thought that the 20W of the driver was too high and wouldn't detect the 2.1W that was connected to it. I have some other deck lights, four larger ones in total which do run off of the drivers they sold me as I swapped them over to test that the driver wasn't faulty. I think these drivers they sold me are intended for indoor low energy bulbs though so I might do better even for these LED's that I do have working.

They also sold me an IP56 box and some glands to replace what was there but should I have a better rated box then too? The box is located under the deck so partially protected from weather and stood up to the heavy rain we've had recently, when I checked inside it was still dry.

Here's a rough diagram of how the small 30mm led's are wired, imagine though that it continues for 7 iterations of bulb connection in total. The cable connecting the LED's which is connected to fly leads from the driver is twin core black cable with writing on one core. The diagram below shows a blue line only for clarity to where the cable goes. I've assumed if this carries positive and negative that the core with the writing on is positive and kept it consistent along all the connections.

thenewoc · 4 Aug 2013 at 13:59

I wonder if this would do for the 7 small LED's?

http://www.alertelectrical.com/prod/34/1w-350ma-ip65-led-driver-constant-current

bitslice · 4 Aug 2013 at 14:59

That power supply could have run three sets of lights, at <70W it's also over rated if it only has to run a few 0.3W LEDS.
It wouldn't have hurt though.

An IP56 box is fine, the second digit means it'll stand up to rain, it's just that IP68 boxes are the same price and are supposedly better spec'ed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Code
I'm wondering how the last guy managed to get an IP box to leak?

You can test the LED's with a car battery to see if they still work OK.

thenewoc · 4 Aug 2013 at 17:33

Once I've figured out what driver is good I may get an IP68 box as I miffed up the gland hole a little on one side of this one and I read something that you can use some compound of some sort to help seal the glands against the box.

He (last owner, supposedly a qualified electrician, I kid you not) didn't tighten the lid of the box on or use a gland on one side, just bodged up with some insulating tape. I then discovered why I couldn't get any LED's to work at all was because he had disconnected a wire from the switch inside the house.

The problem with the replacement drivers is they just don't make the 0.3W LED's come on, I know the drivers work so shall have to test the LED's next.

Is that diagram I did above in Series or Parallel? It's a long time since my days doing Physics.