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1. Can my LED strip lights be cut?
With the exception of our 'Dreaming Strips', all of our LED Light strips can be cut. Most of our LED light strips can be cut every 1 to 4 inches, though it is very important to make sure you know where you're cutting. Before making any cut, make sure that your LED light strips are unplugged from any power source and turned off. When you do cut, make sure to avoid cutting on a diode or any of the connectors or copper plating. All of our strips are manufactured with pre-marked cut lines for your convenience. If you're using waterproof LED light strips, be sure to put an end cap over the cut end keep it water-tight!
2. Can my strip lights be connected or reconnected?
Of course they can! One of the best things about LED light strips is their ease of use and resiliency. Your strips can be connected together, or reconnected if you've decided to cut them, in a variety of ways. Just like with cutting the LED strip lights, make sure they're unplugged and powered off before attempting to connect or reconnect strips. The simplest way to connect your strip lights would be to use some of our Hitlights wiring accessories such as Strip-to-Strip Connectors, Strip-to-Strip Extensions, Power Cables, and more. If you've got the technical know how and the necessary tools, our strip lights can be connected by soldering even after they've been cut. However, soldering can be dangerous, so make sure you take precautions and know what you're doing before soldering the wires.
3. How many strip lights can be run together?
How many strip lights do you have? In all honesty, that's a true answer. Hypothetically you could run every strip light in the world together, given you've got the adapters necessary to handle all the wattage. Realistically though, you can connect two regular density strips together with just those two pieces. However, if you want to run high density strips, or more than two regular density strips together, you'll need an additional component called an LED amplifier. We offer two different LED amplifiers, one for single-colored LED strips, and one for multicolored strips. Please remember, just because you've run all your strips together doesn't mean you'll be able to power them up as is. Make sure that your LED adapter can handle the increased wattage of multiple strips.
4. Are strip lights waterproof?
Yes and no, while we do sell completely waterproof LED light strips (IP-67) that you could submerge underwater and turn on, not all our strips are that invincible. Our weatherproof LED light strips (IP-65) have nearly waterproof capabilities, and can resist rain and general humidity, but wont survive underwater. Our indoor LED light strips (IP-30) are dirt resistant to keep your strips safe from dust bunnies and a little bit of loose soil here and there. Always make sure you check what kind of environment your strips are rated for before you buy, and make sure never to use strips in situations they aren't designed for.
5. Are strip lights child safe?
As long as you keep cut strips' ends capped and sealed, stray wires out of reach, and any small extraneous pieces are properly disposed of, then yes, the strips are child safe. Make sure to keep your strips on their spools until you're ready to work with them to cut down on the chance your children might trip on or get tangled in longer strip lights. Once your project is done the strips are safe to the touch even when turned on, due to their low heat and in some cases their protective silicon sleeve. So as long as you've taken the necessary precautions, then you shouldn't have anything to worry about when it comes to your children and your LED projects.
6. What else can I use strip lights for?
The only real limit here is imagination, as strip lights are rapidly improving. While a lot of people know that strip lights are great for accenting around the house, some less traveled roads of LED innovation can be found. Some people like to illuminate the interiors of their cars or even boats with LED strip lights. Even more amazing are the people who have wired up shirts and other clothing with strip lights to give their fashion choice that extra special glow. If you're looking for inspiration for your own DIY project, check here to see what some of our customers have done with their lights! And please remember that if you want to send us pictures of your LED project that we can use on our site you'll receive a 15% off coupon good for your next purchase!
Thanks for reading this installment of our troubleshooting series, we truly hope it has been helpful. Have a question we haven't answered yet? contact us at cole@hitlights.com and we'll do our best to answer it in the next installment. Please remember that our customer service staff (customerservice@hitlights.com) is happy to assist you with any and all of your concerns, questions, and suggestions. If you want to call and talk with us, well that’s just fine too – (225)-304-0408!
The Troubleshooting Series is published on Fridays, please have questions submitted by the Wednesday beforehand if you want it answered in the next installment.
