Hello - I hope this is the right place for this!
I am trying to create an addressable LED strip so I can add it to HA.
The strip will be 16m in total, running around the edge of the ceiling of the living room, like this:
I am planning to daisy chain these strips together: Addressable WS2811 Bright RGB LED Strip Lights SMD5050 84LEDs/m [DCFLS-24V-WS2811X420]
I have chosen WS2811 strips because these can be controlled by an ESP32 running WLED which can then be controlled by HA. Also because WS2811 comes in 24V, whereas WS2812B only comes in 5V or 12V (as far as I know - please tell me if this is not correct!)
These WS2811 strips have a power consumption of 15W/m, so for 16m that would be a total of 240W. At 24V that is 10A.
I will need a power supply rated for at least 300W to give myself 20% overhead for safety.
I have three questions, all safety related:
Question 1
I plan to power the 16m strip from both ends to avoid voltage drop and to avoid burning out the first LEDs in the strip. What does powering it from both ends do to the power supply? If I was powering it from only one end then I assume 240W would go in one end of the strip and travel 16m along the strip. If I power it from both ends will 120W go in each end and travel 8m along the strip to the middle? Is that right? Or is that not how it works? Most importantly, is doing it like this likely to be a fire hazard?
Question 2
My concern is that a 300W 24V power supply is pretty hefty and will get extremely warm. It is not going to be class II rated, so I would not be able to hide it in the wall without it being a fire risk. Are there any steps I can take to bury it in the wall without it being a risk? My primary concern here is not setting fire to my house. Hiding the ugly power supply comes second!
Question 3
Is there anything else I should be aware in terms of safety and not burning the place down?
Thank you in advance for any help!