Voltage Drop Calculator

Voltage Drop Guidelines

If the voltage drop exceeds 0.75V for a 12V system or 1.5V for a 24V system, using a thicker wire gauge or reducing the wire length is recommended to minimize power loss.

How to Use the Voltage Drop Calculator

Watts: Enter the total wattage of your LED lights (not the watt rating of the power supply). Ex: Voltage × Amps = Watts

Volts: Input is either 12 or 24, based on your LED lighting voltage. Ex: Enter only the numeric value (Ex: 12 or 24), without V or Volts

Wire Gauge (AWG): Specify the thickness of the wire being used in your LED system. A lower AWG number indicates a thicker wire. Common gauge sizes: 16, 18, 20

Wire Length: Enter the distance in feet from the power supply output to the first LED strip.

Understanding Voltage Drop

Voltage drop is a normal occurrence in low-voltage LED systems. It refers to the gradual reduction in voltage along the power feed wires, influenced by wire length, wire thickness, and total power consumption (watts).

A noticeable voltage drop can lead to inconsistent brightness across your LED setup. For optimal performance, the power supply should deliver voltage as close as possible to 12V or 24V at the LED strip.

To minimize voltage drop:

• Use shorter power feed wires
• Switch to a thicker wire gauge (lower AWG number)
• Reduce the total length of LED strip lighting
• Consider adding an extra 12V or 24V power supply for longer installations