LED Driver Questions, Answered Directly
The sixteen questions that come up before every order — eight commercial, eight technical. Where a limit exists, it is stated as a limit.
Minimum order: one carton per model, mixed wattages accepted. Quotation: within one working day. Samples: 3–7 working days. Bulk lead time: typically 15–25 working days after deposit. Payment: T/T 30% deposit, 70% before shipment. Incoterms: EXW Zhongshan, FOB Shenzhen, DAP. Warranty: 2 years on volume series, 3 years on engineering and outdoor series, 5 years on CB, TB, TZ and TY SiC. Certifications: CE and RoHS. Price list: not published — quoted per order, because carton quantity and incoterm change the number.
Ordering, terms and documentation
What is the minimum order quantity for LED drivers?
Stock series are sold by the carton, and carton quantities come from the printed specification: 120 pieces for a TF 60 W, 100 for a CB 100 W, 35 for a CB 600 W. Mixed-wattage orders are accepted as long as each line meets its own carton quantity. Custom housings, custom output voltages and custom labelling carry a higher minimum because the line has to be set up for the run — we quote that minimum with the sample.
How fast do you quote?
Within one working day for stock series, because the price depends only on model, quantity and incoterm. Custom work takes two to three days because the drawing has to be checked against the housing and the driver board first. Every quotation states the model, the carton quantity, the incoterm and the warranty term, so it can be compared line by line with another supplier without asking follow-up questions.
What is the production lead time?
Samples ship in 3 to 7 working days. Bulk production typically runs 15 to 25 working days after deposit and artwork approval, depending on series and quantity — the exact date is written on the order confirmation, not estimated afterwards. Peak season before major lighting exhibitions adds roughly a week, and we say so when the order is placed rather than when it is late.
What are the payment and shipping terms?
T/T 30% deposit with 70% balance before shipment, which is standard for export orders from China. EXW Zhongshan and FOB Shenzhen are the default incoterms, with DAP available for buyers who want a landed cost. We quote in USD. Shipping documents include the commercial invoice, packing list and the certificate copy where the order requires it.
What warranty do you give, and what does it cover?
Two years on the volume TF, TR, TT, TG, TC and TongTuo series, three years on the engineering TN, magnetic track and outdoor TH, TD and TongGu series, and five years on the premium CB, TB, TZ and TY SiC series. The warranty covers driver failure under rated load within the stated ambient. It does not cover water ingress into a driver installed upside down, output short circuits from site wiring, or operation above the rated ambient — those are installation faults, and we will still help you diagnose them.
Can I get a sample before placing a bulk order?
Yes. Samples are quoted at sample pricing and ship in 3 to 7 working days, and they come from the same line and the same aging racks as production — not a hand-built unit that proves nothing about the batch. Ask whether the sample cost can be credited against your first bulk order; for stock series it usually can, for custom builds it usually cannot.
Can you put our brand on the driver?
Yes. Laser silk-screen printing on the housing, a printed label with your model number and specifications, custom cable lengths and connectors, and a branded gift box are all available as OEM options. Custom output voltages and wattages inside the existing housing range are also possible. What we do not do is print another manufacturer's certification mark, or supply a certificate that our product does not hold.
Which certifications do you hold?
CE and RoHS for the export families, with the certificate copy, certificate number and issuing body provided with quotations and for supplier qualification. We do not claim ISO 9001, IATF 16949, ISO 13485 or DALI-2 membership, because we do not hold them — a buyer who needs those should hear it before the audit, not during it.
Sizing, dimming and installation
Constant voltage or constant current — which one do I need?
Constant voltage if the load is wired in parallel and cut to length on site: LED strip, linear battens, light boxes. The driver holds 12 V or 24 V and each metre draws what it draws. Constant current if the driver and the LED board are specified together as a fixture, because the board needs a fixed current and the voltage follows. Almost every field failure blamed on "bad quality" is a constant current board fed by a constant voltage driver, or the reverse.
How much headroom should I allow when sizing a driver?
Add 20% to the connected wattage. A 100 W load takes a 120 W driver. The headroom covers strip that draws more than its nominal figure when warm, and it keeps the driver below its thermal limit inside a closed box. Do not go much above 30% either: an oversized driver runs far from its optimum load and, on dimmable models, loses resolution at the bottom of the dimming range.
How long a run can I put on one driver at 12 V or 24 V?
Keep a single run under 10 m at 12 V and under 20 m at 24 V. The limit is volt drop in the copper, not the driver: a 5 A load on 1.5 mm² cable loses roughly 1.2 V over 10 m, which shows as visible dimming at the far end. A bigger driver does not fix this. Run thicker cable, feed from both ends, or move to 24 V, which halves the current for the same wattage.
What dimming options are available?
Triac phase-cut dimming for retrofit wall dimmers, 0–10 V for building management systems, and MESH 2.0 wireless with app, voice (Alexa, Siri, Mi Home) and scene control on the TG and Magnetic Smart series. We do not offer DALI-2. If the specification says DALI-2, that is a different platform and we will tell you at quotation rather than ship something that will not join the bus.
Why do my LED strips flicker, and is it the driver?
Three causes, in order of frequency. First, a driver loaded below roughly 10% of its rating — dimmers and strips both behave badly at the bottom of the range. Second, a dimmer that is not compatible with the driver's phase-cut input, which usually shows as flicker only in the middle of the travel. Third, volt drop on a long run, which shows as dimming at the far end rather than flicker. Swap the driver for a known load and the answer is usually obvious in ten minutes.
What is the difference between IP65, IP67 and rainproof?
IP65 stops dust and water jets; IP67 survives temporary immersion and is what a facade or sign box needs. Rainproof is not an IP rating — it is a ventilated housing that keeps falling rain off the board while letting air through, which is fine under a canopy and wrong on a coast, where the vents carry salt mist straight onto the components. If the installation is exposed, specify IP67 with full potting.
Do the outdoor drivers hold full rated power in a hot climate?
The TD and TY SiC outdoor series are specified to hold rated power at 50 °C ambient, which is the number that matters in the Gulf rather than a 25 °C laboratory figure. Above 50 °C the driver has to be derated: either step up one wattage class or improve the airflow around the housing. A driver run continuously at its limit in a sealed box loses roughly half its service life for every 10 °C above rating.
What documentation comes with an order?
The commercial invoice, packing list and the CE and RoHS certificate copies where required. On request we also provide the aging rack log for your production batch and the ICT yield figure for the run. We do not issue material certificates or PPAP packages, because we are a driver manufacturer rather than a Tier-1 automotive supplier — a buyer who needs PPAP should know that at the quotation stage.
Deeper explanations live in the knowledge base and the glossary. Load-specific questions are answered with a written recommendation — send the wattage, the output voltage and where the driver is installed.
Question not on the list?
Send it with the load details and we answer in writing, usually within one working day. Email sales@towepower.com.