Converting 120V LED track lighting to 12v

Jades

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Dec 22, 2020
Messages
4
Hi all,

All I found when I tried to search this question was this answer: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/v...12v-DC-high-output-ceiling-light-for-a-garage, which doesn't involve going from a 120v to a 12v.

So I bought this LED setup here: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton...-Round-White-Glass-Shades-DC7606ABZ/205870383, and I am trying to convert to 12v, so that I can put it in a van I am setting up to be an RV.

I've taken out the transformer, so that it is just the LEDs. I've tried to connect them in series and parallel to the 12v battery, but I am not getting it to work. Any ideas?
 

DIWdiver

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 27, 2010
Messages
2,725
Location
Connecticut, USA
It's fairly likely that 12V is not enough voltage to light up any of the bulbs. It's also possible (though unlikely) that 12V could damage or destroy the bulbs if applied in the wrong polarity.

In retrospect, you should have bought lights that are designed for 12V to start with. It could be difficult or impossible to convert 120V LEDs to 12V. Your best option given that you already have the lights might be to get a small inverter and generate 120V to run the lights.

If you had the skills to dig in to the design of the particular lights you have, it might be possible to see that the individual 'bulbs' operate at a lower DC voltage (there's a fair chance they do), but it would be impossible for anyone to tell you that unless they had specific knowledge of your particular model of lights, as there are many different ways that a setup like this could be designed.

If you knew that the individual bulbs operated on low voltage DC, and you had a decent idea of what the voltage and current were, then we could probably help you. Barring that information, I don't see that we can help much, unless you want to try to figure out that information.
 

Dave_H

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 3, 2009
Messages
1,348
Location
Ottawa Ont. Canada
Starting with a fixture which uses 12v lamps but is designed for 120vac input should not be too difficult to convert
to straight 12v, on the surface of it. Halogen desk lamps are a good example, usually using a iron-core
(or electronic) transformer which can be bypassed or removed.

Anything else which is inherently designed for 120vac using 120v bulbs, I am less sure about. Bulb bases
and sockets for 120v and 12v are different for a reason and you don't want to get them mixed up.

What are the LED bulbs marked? If 120vac, they definitely will not run on 12vdc. Is the transformer you
removed a step-down 120v-12v, or just isolation 120v-120v? You'll need to determine these things.

12v LED lamps such as MR11/MR16 can run from 12vdc or 12vac, therefore no issue with polarity.
One lamp I checked worked on both polarities as it should. If you have 12v lamps with 12v battery, they
should be connected in parallel, but I suspect what you have are 120v.

When doing these things it helps to have some basic tools including a good digital multi-meter (DMM).

Dave
 
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