I’m an electrician pricing out a job for color-changing lights in ceiling coves. They’ll be building the coves specifically for this. I installed color-changing LED tape once about 10 years ago, so I’m a bit rusty and looking for some recommendations.
I wasn’t given a spec for the lighting—just “color-changing cove lights” as a note on the plan. I have no clue if there’s a budget, but I’d love to gather ideas so I’m better prepared for future jobs. There are so many brands out there, some I know, others I’ve never heard of.
I’ve worked with 3000k and 2700k white LED tape from Generation Lighting and WAC. The color-changing setup I did years ago was from Armacost Lighting, though back then you had to solder everything for a custom fit. I’m thinking about using 24v RGB+WW LED tape from Armacost again for this job. I just wish they had a continuous COB option to avoid using a diffuser. The company’s customer service has always been top-notch though.
There are 6 cove areas, with the tape being installed 8ft from the floor. The lengths range from 35ft to 75ft. I’m unsure if I’ll need individual control for each cove or if I can use a single common control. I also don’t know if app control is a must.
Those are pretty long runs. To stay compliant with Class 2, make sure each segment is under 100W, and add overcurrent protection for each one. For 24V systems, I’ve used a 300W power supply paired with an automotive fuse block, with one fuse for each segment. Here’s a link to the fuse block I use: Amazon link.
Zigbee controls are probably the most affordable option with full tunable features. I’ve heard good things about Aqara—someone on Reddit mentioned them to me, and I’ve looked into them, but I haven’t personally used them yet. They seem to have a solid interface for Zigbee. Just a heads-up, though—RGB+TW tends to use a lot of power, so you’ll need plenty of power injection.
No matter what you end up doing, make sure to use CL3-rated wire and have everything run back to a central location, like a closet, so it’s easier to maintain the control blocks and drivers. Also, it’s a good idea to buy about 20% more LED strip than you need for any replacements or repairs down the road.
There are basically two types of RGB/RGBW LED strips: addressable and non-addressable.
Addressable strips let you control each individual LED’s color and brightness through a data signal sent by the controller. You can connect multiple strips in a chain using one controller, but you might need more than one power supply depending on the length of the strip.
Non-addressable strips, on the other hand, only allow you to set the entire strip to one color at a time. For these, each zone will need its own controller and usually its own power supply too.
I’m not too familiar with how the higher-end brands handle this, and I haven’t tried the cheaper ones much either.
For my projects, I have a bunch of addressable strips that I control using either an Arduino or WLED (which runs on an ESP board), but they’re just loose setups—not permanently installed anywhere.
Hey, I’ve done a few cove lighting jobs myself. I’d recommend looking into Philips Hue strips, especially if you want app control. They integrate easily, and you can control them individually or as a group. The downside is they can get pricey, but it might be worth it if the customer wants flexibility. For longer runs, I’d suggest checking their max lengths because some strips need amplifiers for anything over 30ft.
Good luck with the project! Sounds like a fun one!