JANSJÖ Ikea lights - will they take 230v?

JasonPAtkins · Nov 24, 2015

I have been looking all around online but no one seems to have a clear picture of the ac adapter part of those Ikea lights. I'm wondering if the model I buy here in the U.S. is going to be able to accept 230vac, or no? I'd like to use some of them as task lights in my euro-power 230v/50hz shop, and also some of my machines don't have 110v control voltage to be able to run them from. I'd like to outfit several machines with them.

The other option I'm looking at is something like these:
LE® 20W Super Bright Outdoor LED Flood Lights, 200W Halogen Bulb Equivalent, Waterproof, 1500lm, Daylight White, 6000K, Security Lights, Floodlight - - Amazon.com

I like that the Ikea ones have a goosneck already though, and you can make pretty easy magnetic bases for them.

If I went with the floodlights, I'd think to mount them on either side of my mill, pointing at it, from the 12' ceiling. They're out of harm's way there, but the Ikea lights don't look too difficult to water proof either.

Last question - I've noticed some LED lights, especially flashlights, have a really stroby effect when they see fast motion. I assume that's a function of the led driver. Do you guys that are using either of these style lights know what I'm talking about, and does that effect show up with either of these?

rwbaldwin · Nov 24, 2015

Those kind of LED lights usually run off a wallwart.

JasonPAtkins · Nov 24, 2015

rwbaldwin said:
Those kind of LED lights usually run off a wallwart.

Yes, I'm asking if anyone who uses them could tell me what voltages the wall wart asks for.

Normally a google image search would take care of this, but I can't find a good picture of one.

richard newman · Nov 24, 2015

I use them, wall wart calls for 100v - 120v, output is 4v

JANSJÖ Wall/clamp spotlight - white - IKEA

JasonPAtkins · Nov 24, 2015

richard newman said:
I use them, wall wart calls for 100v - 120v, output is 4v

JANSJÖ Wall/clamp spotlight - white - IKEA

Thanks, that's exactly what I needed to know.

Mark Rand · Nov 24, 2015

Bear in mind that they sell for about the same price in European/British IKEA stores, so you can always get one just for the wall wart when you are in Euro land.

baldwin · Nov 24, 2015

You would need these for 230V JANSJÖ Wall/clamp spotlight - white - IKEA
Steve

Pete F · Nov 24, 2015

If you have difficulty in finding them, let me know as I need to go to Ikea soon for lights anyway. If they can be purchased separately I can send some power supplies up to you.

I do have to ask however, how is it you have a 230V/50 Hz shop in the US? Are you off grid and generating your own?

Don't take this as specific advice, but in my experience most devices (except induction motors) aren't fussy whether they get 50 or 60 Hz. It's just the voltage that needs to be changed, and that's very easily done with a stepdown transformer. I have a number of US tools here that I use and have 3 stepdown transformers. They're very cheap and can operate either way, so a "stepup" transformer can be run backwards to step down. I've considered partially wiring my shop for 115V, and it sort of is, but I keep my big stepdown transformer portable. If I were living up there and in the same situation I would have no hesitation in wiring my shop as dual voltage and the necessary outlets for each.

Georgineer · Nov 24, 2015

My UK supplied wallwart for these lights is marked:

PRI: 100-240V 50/60Hz
SEC: 4V (DC symbol)0.75A 3W

Which indicates that it's a switched mode power supply. It's entirely possible that the US supplied version has identical guts but with a US style plug screwed to the bottom rather than the UK style BS1363 plug.

Alternatively you can run them from any 4 volt DC supply that can supply 3/4 amp or more.

The plug on the lamp is a standard 2-pin DIN connector, widely used on European hi-fi systems.

George

JasonPAtkins · Nov 24, 2015

Pete F said:
If you have difficulty in finding them, let me know as I need to go to Ikea soon for lights anyway. If they can be purchased separately I can send some power supplies up to you.

I do have to ask however, how is it you have a 230V/50 Hz shop in the US? Are you off grid and generating your own?

Don't take this as specific advice, but in my experience most devices (except induction motors) aren't fussy whether they get 50 or 60 Hz. It's just the voltage that needs to be changed, and that's very easily done with a stepdown transformer. I have a number of US tools here that I use and have 3 stepdown transformers. They're very cheap and can operate either way, so a "stepup" transformer can be run backwards to step down. I've considered partially wiring my shop for 115V, and it sort of is, but I keep my big stepdown transformer portable. If I were living up there and in the same situation I would have no hesitation in wiring my shop as dual voltage and the necessary outlets for each.

I'm American, but run a small non-profit trade school in West Africa. The power there is european - at least in theory, because the country we're in has a very sporadic power grid, only in the capital. We run the school and my shop from an off grid solar power system, yes. That system was sent over to match european power because that's what the country technically uses.

I have lots of power tools that are from both systems, so I have a step down transformer feeding my shop, and both american and schuko plugs wired all around. It works fine - the big enemy are those crappy chinese power strips that let you plug the whichever kind of plug in. Those universal ones are banned in my shop. If you're going to burn up a 110v tool by plugging it in to 230v, you're going to work hard shoving blade plugs into round outlet holes.

Thanks George, I think I have my answer - I'll wait to buy these when I'm in Germany in a few months.

Thanks a lot!

------------

While we're here, does anyone have an opinion on the LED flood lights I linked in the first post?

Pete F · Nov 24, 2015

Ah, ok I was just going by your profile location. That all makes sense now. 60 Hz isn't found much outside NA, and 230V (or thereabouts reasonably universal). Yes I can imaging why the universal plugs would be banned! I'd expect the power supplies wouldn't be too fussy what they were fed frequency wise. However I'm often disappointed with idiot engineering, so no guarantees.

I recently bought some strip lights from Ikea to provide some general lighting across a tool board, and noticed that the power supply they sell can run many of these lights. As George alluded to, given the logistics of your location you may be better off buying a single power supply, either from Ikea or elsewhere, with the capacity to run all your LED lights, and running wiring to them. It would save hauling a bunch of wall-warts down there.

Pete F · Nov 24, 2015

Ah, ok I was just going by your profile location. That all makes sense now. 60 Hz isn't found much outside NA, and 230V (or thereabouts reasonably universal). Yes I can imaging why the universal plugs would be banned! I'd expect the power supplies wouldn't be too fussy what they were fed frequency wise. However I'm often disappointed with idiot engineering, so no guarantees.

I recently bought some strip lights from Ikea to provide some general lighting across a tool board, and noticed that the power supply they sell can run many of these lights. As George alluded to, given the logistics of your location you may be better off buying a single power supply, either from Ikea or elsewhere, with the capacity to run all your LED lights, and running wiring to them. It would save hauling a bunch of wall-warts down there.

Chip Chester · Nov 24, 2015

I was looking over the specifics of the lights in the OP Amazon link.

Seems that many Amazon comments are about 120V lights, but the ones in the link are 230V. I was puzzled by the "outdoor use only" spec... until I read in the comments that it's not UL listed. Also, some people complained about leaks and "infant mortality" -- failing after a day or two. Also a few complaints about paltry light output when used in auto shops, etc. I wonder if that's because they're running 230V lights on 120V.

I understand you've got to stretch a buck, but it may be better to find ones with a better track record.

Chip

JHOLLAND1 · Nov 25, 2015

I have quite a few of these led 20 watt units

they come in 6000K bright white and warm yellow 3200K
versions input 100 to 240 vac
I had to mix one of each wavelength on a Hardinge lathe to get
the color balance I was used to

these are excellent for working under trucks--no burns like
halogen bulbs

no strobe effects noted

hanermo · Nov 25, 2015

I have the ikea lights, maybe 3-4, in EU land, with the wallwarts.
Work fine.
No electrical noise.

Otoh, the small led floods have transformers that make a lot of electrical noise, and radio reception suffers, if they are near it.

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