Browsing CategoryTechnical Guides and Tutorials

New Product Release: Super Clip Tiger Paw

Back in 2013, Inspired LED received our first patent for our solderless “Tiger Paw®” LED connectors, which allowed our customers to quickly and easily make modifications to LED flex strips in the field. Over the past few years we have modified our design to accommodate a variety of different styles and to solve a variety of unique problems. Our Tiger Paw® Screw Terminal allowed contractors to utilize their own bulk cable while our plug-in 3.5mm connector system is ideally suited for the simplest installs. Our Right Angle Tiger Paw® tackled corners, while the Micro-lock was specially designed to fit in…

New Product Release: DIY Radiant Edge LED Fixtures

Almost a year ago, Inspired LED released the new & improved version of our popular Radiant Edge Series fixtures. Much to the delight of our manufacturing team, the new model was sleeker, brighter, and much easier to build. Now, we’re passing along the convenience to you! Introducing the new DIY low-profile Radiant Edge System from Inspired LED: a specially designed series of components, including aluminum channels, frosted lenses, end caps, and mounting clips, which allow contractors and customers alike to build their own low-voltage fixtures in field. With just a few simple steps and some basic tools, you can create…

Accessory of the Week: New Micro-Lock Tiger Paw Connectors

Our patented Tiger Paw® connectors have become well known in the low voltage lighting industry for allowing contractors and electricians to build custom LED systems without the need for a soldering iron. Perhaps most familiar are our plug-in Tiger Paw® connectors, as featured in our popular Cut & Connect Series kits. These handy accessories combine with standard interconnect cables to allow anyone to quickly and easily create an LED layout using just a pair of scissors! However there are times where a customer or installer may prefer to use a direct wire option- being able to purchase cable in bulk…

Level VI Efficiency Requirements: What You Need to Know…

As early as the 1990’s, it was estimated that more than one billion external power supplies were in use across the United States. Since then, the technology boom has led to an influx of computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones, increasing this number dramatically. Most of us never think about these little power hogs plugged in throughout our homes. But due to lack of initial market regulation, early power supplies made extremely inefficient use of the grid (as low as 50% efficiency). Many even continue to draw power even after the connected device had been turned off. The result is higher…

Ask an Engineer Part 2: All About Power

One of the trickiest parts of working with LEDs is understanding how to best manage and supply power to your lighting system. Our customer service team spends time each day helping clients to calculate power requirements, answering questions about the difference between power supplies and transformers, and providing advice on how to avoid voltage drop. We pride ourselves on being able to explain things in an educated and efficient manner which is simple enough for anyone to comprehend. Of course, LEDs remain part of a rapidly evolving industry and there are always new things to be learned and discovered. So when it comes to…

CRI and LED Lighting

CRI led lighting header

CR-WHAT? Sure, maybe you have heard of CRI, but if you’re like most people, you’ve never paid much attention to those three little letters. But if you’re in the market for an LED system, this bit of knowledge can mean the difference between lighting that you love, or lights that you simply tolerate. And let’s face it, if you’re wrapping up a remodel, the last thing you need is for finishing touches like lighting to spoil all your hard work! So what exactly is CRI? According to the Lighting Research Center, “CRI (color rendering index), is the measurement of a light source’s ability to show…

Inspired LED 101: How to Troubleshoot LED Systems

At Inspired LED, we do our very best to ensure that our products are simple, easy to use, and up to the highest quality standards in order to guarantee our customers’ satisfaction. It is this pride in our work which has helped to earn ‘Best of Houzz Customer Service’ every year since 2013! Of course, even under the best circumstances, we understand things can go wrong. A product may be damaged during shipping or installation, a customer or electrician may misread product specifications. Fortunately, we stand behind our products 100%, and will work with you to not only identify the problem with…

Inspired LED 101: How to Install a Plug & Play Kit

Inspired LED’s Plug & Play Pro Series and Designer Series kits are the perfect solution for anyone looking to give their kitchen a quick, yet dramatic lighting upgrade. Available on the Inspired LED website and through our Amazon store, these handy kits come with everything you will need to create a complete low voltage LED system, including, lights, cables, power sources, and controllers. Basic installation is fairly simple, and can be completed within an hour by following just a few basic steps. Read through our installation guide below to see how it’s done. If at any point during your LED…

Get This Look Part 3: Beneath the Bar

Welcome to week three of Get This Look with Inspired LED! Today we’ll be taking a look at how to enhance the design of home or commercial bars with the help of LED strip lighting… Home bars and kitchen islands have become more and more common these days in both new homes and remodels. Whether it is the first place you stop when you get home from work, or the spot for serving up drinks at your next house party, these fun little spaces can be made even more inviting with a little LED lighting! Bars and islands tend to be primarily illuminated…

Get this Look 2: Backlit Bathroom Mirror

Welcome to the second installment of Get This Look with Inspired LED! This week we’ll be analyzing a simple, yet creative way to add LED lighting to the bathroom… Whether for a high-end restaurant or a residential remodel, bathrooms are a great place to utilize LED accent lighting. Not only do lights help to set the mood in this area of the home, but when used around a mirror, they serve a particularly functional purpose. Done properly, mirror accent lighting can not only help your bathroom to look amazing, but they can help to make you feel amazing about the way you…