Need Recommendations for Waterproof LED Strips for long runs

[xdandev91x]

Hi,

This is probably more of an 'exterior landscaping' question - but I thought I'd post here as I'd love to connect the lights to the Christmas Light Shows we do (either via WLED or Falcon boards).

I am looking to put LEDs around these square concrete pads which have rocks between them. I am hoping to have the LEDs sit under the rocks to give a glowing effect (exactly like this:
View: https://youtu.be/wBBlE80TUO4?si=06qSuQn3gh04IeGh&t=603
).

I've had a look at some of the WS2811 Neon Flex 12V products, but at 12V, I assume power injection at that size run would be a pain - especially when I need strong waterproofing.

Requirements:

• If you're in Sydney, you know the rain has been getting bad lately and during heavy rain, the gaps between the concrete pads floods. I assume I need a minimum of IP68 rating?
• Assuming one LED strip to go around all the pads, means I need a run of just under 40m.

Any recommendations on waterproof addressable LEDs for this scenario? Without a strong addressable LED strip, I might be forced to revert to a 240v strip such as https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCY9VF6..._0?ie=UTF8&pd_rd_plhdr=t&aref=WbUjPXzHcR&th=1.

Keen for any thoughts on this.

 

[silver_ice]

So, maybe helpful, probably not - more an anecdote, I've bought about 150 metres of 12V WS2811 led strip from Xnbada BST LIGHTING Store on Ali last year, and had a power injected 60 metre run on the roof and 40 metre on the verandah posts... in Central West NSW and we had something like 300mm of rain the time I had it up there, with no issues. It's nominally IP67 which is just a normal strip in a plastic sleeve - where I had to join I just made sure I siliconed it up really well.

The big problem you will face on the ground is not so much rain but water ponding on top of them - I'd be looking for an alu channel with a diffuser on top that would shed water - this would probably be a better chance of working than just flat strips on the ground. FWIW I injected every 10 meters and it all worked fine.

Maybe not helpful but just my experience with them in harsh weather, the injection requirements imo dont make it much harder, once you solve the main water shedding issue.

 

[bpratt]

interested to follow this.

One of my neighbours is currently doing his outdoor area, and has a wide top rail that he has routed a wide groove in it and wants to put "led strips" in it to light up, simply a white light glow. The groove and strip would be facing in a downwards direction, so water shouldn't pool up in the groove.

He's asked me to find out what he needs to get to do that.

I've suggested because it is a 22m run in one direction, that perhaps he should go for 24v, and I've suggest he look at just 60 'leds' per metre, rather than something more dense for power issues.

He's just after a 'white' light from it, but I'm guessing it wouldn't hurt to get ws281x strips, and something cheap to control them, with a couple of default settings.

 

[silver_ice]

Yeh, I've do 24V for that, most joinery places will sell the setup, or you can just the same stuff from Ali cheaper...and just grab one of the small 240v transformers that most lighting sites sell for this - some will do WS2811 if that's what is desired.

 

[xdandev91x]

So, maybe helpful, probably not - more an anecdote, I've bought about 150 metres of 12V WS2811 led strip from Xnbada BST LIGHTING Store on Ali last year, and had a power injected 60 metre run on the roof and 40 metre on the verandah posts... in Central West NSW and we had something like 300mm of rain the time I had it up there, with no issues. It's nominally IP67 which is just a normal strip in a plastic sleeve - where I had to join I just made sure I siliconed it up really well.

The big problem you will face on the ground is not so much rain but water ponding on top of them - I'd be looking for an alu channel with a diffuser on top that would shed water - this would probably be a better chance of working than just flat strips on the ground. FWIW I injected every 10 meters and it all worked fine.

Maybe not helpful but just my experience with them in harsh weather, the injection requirements imo dont make it much harder, once you solve the main water shedding issue.

I'll be giving this a crack.
Stupid me, I bought 50m of pex pipe from vevor, hoping I could use it to diffuse and waterproof the led strips. Pex pipe was aluminium lined and no light gets through haha.

I committed to 60m of ws2811 silicon coated led strips (ali) and bought silicon tubing as a secondary precaution. Hopefully between the silicon tubing, and the silicon coating, I'll have a success story to share.

 

[silver_ice]

I put some non-waterproof/non-tubed lengths into some aussieduct, snapped on the lid and it works well as weather proofing and diffusing. Would need some silicon along the join for proper waterproofing but yeh also a way to go.