5050 Led Ribbon Luxeon Sauna Led Strip RGBW-W

How do you power your Sauna Strip?. We need Led Driver Options

How do we drive these strips. Lets consider the basic needs of the strip. The premium version we stock is 9.6 watts per metre and requires a current supply of 410ma per metre. So the calculations are quite straight forward. For any driver(must be Constant Voltage), for each metre we want to run the driver must have a capacity of 24Vdc, it must be over 10 watts and have a current capacity of min 400ma. If you require the strip to be dimmed then it also should be a dimmable variant of the base driver model. Other factors to consider. If you plan to mount the driver inside the Sauna, you must consider an IP65 min and also the likely-hood of any driver derating at Sauna temperatures.

The derating of an LED driver specifically relates to the decrease in its capability to deliver the maximum rated current or voltage due to elevated temperatures. High temperatures can adversely impact the electronic components within the driver, such as capacitors, inductors, and semiconductor elements, leading to reduced efficiency and increased risk of failure.

Suggested drivers

So RGBW Strip is different to White in that it has effectively 4 channels of colour and we need to be able address each colour. For the purposes of just a driver it should be noted the strip remains as 10 watts per metre, however that is divided by the 4 colours. Each of the 4 colours is 2.5 watts/m for a total of 10w/m, from an energy standpoint, it would be unlikely all colours will be all on at one time, so the power used is likely to be a subset of 10 watts dependent on the specific colour choices and likely dimmed level you would choose

Considerations for Drivers

1. Efficiency Losses: No driver is 100% efficient; there will always be some power loss in the form of heat. If a driver is rated for exactly the load it’s driving, you may not be getting the most efficient operation.
2. Derating Factor: To extend the lifespan of the LED driver, it’s generally advisable to operate it below its maximum rated capacity. A common rule of thumb is to use a derating factor of 80-90%, suggesting a 72-watt or 67.2-watt driver for a 60-watt strip as a safer bet.
3. Voltage Drop in Cables: Longer cable lengths can result in a voltage drop, reducing the voltage that actually reaches the LED strip. If you’re using a long cable, you may need a driver that can provide higher voltage to compensate.If the cable length to either the driver or the strips is of some distance example 6 metres you may need to increase the cable gauge. To check this you can use the calculation of Vdrop​=I×R, where where I is the current and R is the total resistance of the wire. Lets consider this for 18AWG wire as an example. The resistance per unit length for 18 AWG wire is typically about 6.385 ohms per 1000 feet (or about 0.0209 ohms per meter) at room temperature (this can vary slightly based on the material and the temperature).Given that you have 6 meters of wire, the resistance of your wire (R) is: $R=6\text{ meters}\times 0.0209\text{ ohms/meter}=0.1254\text{ ohms.}$

$\text{A typical 40 watt driver will be Vdrop=1.67 amps×0.1254 ohms =0.209418 volts Vdrop=0.209418 volts and if were using 24v strip we can calculate as}$

Vfinal​=Vinitial​−Vdrop​ =24−0.209

Vfinal​=24V−0.209V ≈23.791

Vfinal​≈23.791V

You can mitigate this by increasing the size of your wire ie 17 or 16 AWG etc, until you come to a point of negligible voltage loss

1. Thermal Considerations: Heat can lead to derating of the driver, as discussed earlier. Operating the driver at less than its maximum rating provides a buffer for higher operating temperatures. It also suggested not to run wires in close proximity to your Sauna heatsource.
2. Inrush Current: When LED strips are first powered on, they may draw an inrush current that is higher than their rated steady-state current. A driver running close to its maximum capacity might not handle these peaks well.
3. Safety and Regulation Compliance: Safety standards often require certain margins between load and supply. Adhering to these standards can affect the rating of the driver you should choose.
4. Future Expandability: If you ever plan to add more LED strips to your setup, a higher-rated driver will allow you to do so without needing to purchase a new driver.

How and Do you want more Control of your Sauna Strip

Once you have a Led driver hooked up you can just turn your strip off or on. If you have a taste for a bit more control or want to integrate it with automation, power monitoring and functionality this will be off interest.

Home Automation has made significant strides in recent years in terms of function, form and cost. We have a product we recommend to use with this strip that offers as a minimum dimming capability through to power monitoring and integration with displays and complete control of your Sauna.

This Kit includes a Shelly RGBW2 this is a 4 channel Controller that allows use of a up to four channels for RGBW Sauna strip Control. The Shelly connects like any LED controller. Supports any 12v or 24v White, RGB, RGBW led strips and 12/24v led bulbs, with up to 288W combined power. Easy control through the Shelly app,  as well as various protocols, platforms, and voice assistants. Has an embedded web server and connects to your Wi-Fi network.

Additional Control. If this is off interest you can pimp this out further by using a

• Shelly Wall display for Visual Interface for Controlling your Strips
• Shelly DS18B20 Waterproof Digital Temperature Probe This can be used in several locations in a Sauna to get a profile of the temperature. This requires Shelly Plus Add-on  this will Wifierise your sensors, is that a real word? that can also be added to the Shelly display.
• Use a SHELLY PLUS 1 This is useful in that you can shut down the primary side 24V power source to save energy costs
• Its is also possible to monitor devices with SHELLY PLUS 1PM, even your Sauna heater if its electric to better understand the costs of running your chill zone.

If your yet to jump into smart home automation, perhaps setting up a smart Sauna might entice you to look further into making more of your home a bit smarter and allow you to save energy costs.

Contact us if you would like a complete Sauna Control experience