Thanks to falling prices and greater product diversity, LED lighting continues to gain in popularity for all sorts of residential, commercial, and industrial applications. LED strip lights are certainly benefitting from this – in addition to lower energy consumption, they are extremely versatile thanks to 90 degree flexibility and a smaller physical footprint. But before you decide to use them in your next project, be sure you’ve considered the important role of LED strip light thermal management, which is essentially temperature control. LED lights are of course known for producing higher lumens per watt over an exceptionally long lifetime – many products claim 50,000 hours of use before falling below 70 percent lumen maintenance levels. But this lifetime is dramatically reduced when LEDs are exposed to elevated temperatures. The Lighting Research Center tested two identical LEDs for 10,000 hours, each driven at the same current but with an 11°C difference in junction temperature. Extrapolating the data out to 70,000 hours, they found that the higher temperature reduced estimated useful life by more than 50%. It’s therefore important to consider all sources of excess heat in any LED lighting application – not just the environmental temperature, but the quality of components used in the LED product itself. This is especially important when using LED strip lights, as multiple independent factors along the strip can affect operating temperature and resulting longevity. Perhaps most important is the product’s thermal path, which is the combination of components specifically designed to remove excess heat. In measuring one product’s thermal path against another’s, this means evaluating the quality of the heat sinks, overall chip design, and even thickness of the strip’s circuit board. Thankfully, there are testing agencies and certifications you can look for to ensure product quality. UL and...

Consumers now have an expanded set of lighting options thanks to new Lutron C.L dimmers. Lutron is an industry-leading manufacturer of high quality dimmers for all kinds of lighting systems, and these are designed to control bulbs and fixtures that employ either compact fluorescent, LED, or halogen lighting technologies. Lutron’s C.L dimmers are UL Listed, and provide full-range dimming for virtually any lighting application. After extensive testing, we are happy to report that the company’s Diva C.L, Skylark Contour C.L, and Maestro C.L dimmers are all fully compatible with LED strip lights from Flexfire...

“Can I control LED strip lights with a dimmer?” This is one of our most frequently asked questions, and the answer is absolutely yes! We’ve put together an instructional video that walks you through how to attach a dimmer to your LED strip...

LED strip lights can be connected end to end, creating continuous runs of almost any installation length. With Flexfire connectors, it’s easy to run these lights along curves and even through hard-to-reach corners. This video offers an easy step-by-step tutorial on attaching your LED strip lights to both connectors and a power supply:...

LED lights provide a long list of benefits for those who own bars or restaurants of any variety. They are aesthetically superior to traditional lighting, reduce monthly energy costs, and last up to 100 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs. Increased product development in recent years also means lower initial costs and easier installation, making LED lighting an obvious choice for dining room areas, bars, kitchens, and even outdoor commercial signage. In comparison with incandescent or fluorescent lighting, LEDs require a fraction of the power to produce the same amount of light. They not only reduce monthly energy bills, but allow for creative lighting solutions that will increase visual appeal without driving up costs. These advantages can be fully realized with the use of LED strip lights, small adhesive-backed lengths of light that can be trimmed to fit virtually anywhere. Strip lights can replace standard bulbs as a room’s main light source, in addition to allowing for handsome indirect lighting underneath countertops, around barbacks and even in hidden corners and alcoves. Another important advantage is that LED lights produce no excess heat, which further contributes to energy efficiency and makes them perfect for use in kitchens. Flexfire’s UL Listed UltraBright™ and ColorBright™series LED strip lights come in several different tones including warm white, which provides ample work area brightness without the harsh glare found in many industrial kitchens.   Choose one of our convenient Flexfire LEDs strip light kits to suit the appropriate brightness, length and color of your bar or restaurant LED lighting project:      ...