Answer
Oct 07, 2021 - 03:55 PM
While we always suggest connecting Boogey Lights® LED lighting products directly to the RV's 12vdc power source (e.g. house batteries) there are a couple of reasons why you may prefer to tie into existing 12vdc circuitry elsewhere in the RV. First, is convenience. It may be more convenient to tie into an existing 12vdc circuit rather than running power back to the house batteries. Often an existing 12vdc circuit is close by whereas the battery box can be further away. Second, the battery charger in your RV may not be capable of charging your house batteries fast enough to support the voltage draw when using your Boogey Lights® (in which case your Boogey Lights® will dim quickly). Tapping into an existing 12vdc circuit may solve this issue by using the RV's power converter. This converter, installed in most every RV, takes 110/120vac current coming from shore-power (or generator) and converts it to 12vdc for use in powering the RVs 12vdc appliances and fixtures. One caveat - this solution assumes the power converter in your RV is large enough to handle the additional load introduced by adding your Boogey Lights onto the system. In some situations the power converter may not be sufficiently sized to handle the additional draw.
If you are going to tap into an existing 12vdc circuit it is important to make sure you have properly identified the type of power you are tying into (AC or DC) AND the polarity of the wires (positive or negative). Also, make sure the circuit you're tying into (both the wiring and the circuit-breaker itself) is capable of handling the additional amperage you're adding. A 16' Boogey Lights® awning light containing 300 LEDs will pull about 3.25 amps on full brightness white (much less for other colors and dimming settings). Most modern RVs, trailers, motorhomes, fifth-wheels and campers have a mixture of 110vac and 12vdc wiring installed. ALL Boogey Lights® products are 12vdc. If you connect a Boogey Lights® controller or LED strip to 110vac instead of 12vdc, it will absolutely damage the controller and LED strip beyond repair. Similarly, if you reverse the polarity of the power (e.g. connecting 12vdc+ to the negative side of the controller), it may also damage the controller. In a typical 110/120vac environment the BLACK wire is the positive (hot) wire and the WHITE wire is the neutral/ground wire. HOWEVER, in a 12vdc environment, the BLACK wire is almost always 12vdc– (ground/negative) and the RED (or sometimes WHITE) wire is almost always 12vdc+ (hot). All Boogey Lights® controllers have the power leads clearly marked as to what is 12vdc positive and 12vdc negative. Do not assume the color of the wires in your RV will match the controller. We suggest first using a volt meter to make sure you are using the proper power and polarity. Wiring the power incorrectly either way may damage your controller beyond repair and invalidate the warranty. Also, overloading the circuit could result in over-heating and potentially cause a fire. If you're uneasy about any of these electrical issues we suggest asking someone who is to assist you with this part of the installation.
If you are going to tap into an existing 12vdc circuit it is important to make sure you have properly identified the type of power you are tying into (AC or DC) AND the polarity of the wires (positive or negative). Also, make sure the circuit you're tying into (both the wiring and the circuit-breaker itself) is capable of handling the additional amperage you're adding. A 16' Boogey Lights® awning light containing 300 LEDs will pull about 3.25 amps on full brightness white (much less for other colors and dimming settings). Most modern RVs, trailers, motorhomes, fifth-wheels and campers have a mixture of 110vac and 12vdc wiring installed. ALL Boogey Lights® products are 12vdc. If you connect a Boogey Lights® controller or LED strip to 110vac instead of 12vdc, it will absolutely damage the controller and LED strip beyond repair. Similarly, if you reverse the polarity of the power (e.g. connecting 12vdc+ to the negative side of the controller), it may also damage the controller. In a typical 110/120vac environment the BLACK wire is the positive (hot) wire and the WHITE wire is the neutral/ground wire. HOWEVER, in a 12vdc environment, the BLACK wire is almost always 12vdc– (ground/negative) and the RED (or sometimes WHITE) wire is almost always 12vdc+ (hot). All Boogey Lights® controllers have the power leads clearly marked as to what is 12vdc positive and 12vdc negative. Do not assume the color of the wires in your RV will match the controller. We suggest first using a volt meter to make sure you are using the proper power and polarity. Wiring the power incorrectly either way may damage your controller beyond repair and invalidate the warranty. Also, overloading the circuit could result in over-heating and potentially cause a fire. If you're uneasy about any of these electrical issues we suggest asking someone who is to assist you with this part of the installation.
