Power supply question

Wildreefs · Oct 26, 2024

My algae scrubber started flickering. The power supply on there says

24V 0-1.5 LED driver
Input: AC 100-240V , 50/60Hz 0.5A
Output: DC 24V , 1.5A

I took that one off and put this one to try:

4-15V, .6A 9W LED Driver
Input: 100-240V , 50/60 Hz. .6A, 60VA
Output: 15.0V, .6A 9W

This one I put on here lit the lights up, no flickering. Seems to work, but am I asking For trouble using it being the power supplies have different Volts and amps?

Thank you

Fenral · Oct 26, 2024

Wildreefs said:
My algae scrubber started flickering. The power supply on there says

24V 0-1.5 LED driver
Input: AC 100-240V , 50/60Hz 0.5A
Output: DC 24V , 1.5A

I took that one off and put this one to try:

4-15V, .6A 9W LED Driver
Input: 100-240V , 50/60 Hz. .6A, 60VA
Output: 15.0V, .6A 9W

This one I put on here lit the lights up, no flickering. Seems to work, but am I asking For trouble using it being the power supplies have different Volts and amps?

Thank you

LEDs don't care if you under-volt them, and more current will not flow through them than they need. You may have lost some luminal output, however.

ScottD · Oct 26, 2024

Fenral said:
LEDs don't care if you under-volt them, and more current will not flow through them than they need. You may have lost some luminal output, however.

I’d gather a guess that there would be considerable loss of lumen output. The original power supply was at 36W (24V x 1.5A = 36W) vs the new one at 9W, a quarter of the power being supplied.

While it might be lighting the LEDs, you’re going to have issues with your algae growth due to the lower power being supplied to the LEDs.

Fenral · Oct 26, 2024

ScottD said:
I’d gather a guess that there would be considerable loss of lumen output. The original power supply was at 36W (24V x 1.5A = 36W) vs the new one at 9W, a quarter of the power being supplied.

While it might be lighting the LEDs, you’re going to have issues with your algae growth due to the lower power being supplied to the LEDs.

Maybe - a lot of times, they toss commodity power supplies on ... the amperage doesn't really matter much, the voltage does.

On that thought, your new power supply may be at maximum output and more prone to overheating.