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I was wanting to get a bulk lot of small LED lights similar to http://www.littlebirdelectronics.com/products/Basic-LED-%252d--5mm-Yellow.html

I want to put them in balloons so that the balloons appear to glow in a dark environment, so I have a few questions:

1) Would the heat produced by these lights be likely to burst the balloons? I understand that most LED's produce little to no heat

2) Is there a decent and inexpensive alternative that have a power supply "built in" or attached? (so we dont have wires running from the balloons) Failing this is there an alternative that just needs a small battery to be connected?

flag	asked Mar 27 at 7:30 mad_z♦♦ 2,347●2●13

jme · Answer 1 · 2010-03-27 08:05:29Z UTC

5

1) The LED would be fine and never produce enough heat to pop the balloon. 2) You could make them into LED throwies. Just a small coin cell batter and an LED.

answered Mar 27 at 8:05

jme
229●4

endolith · Answer 2 · 2010-03-27 12:48:12Z UTC

4

LED floaties

answered Mar 27 at 12:48

endolith♦
3,916●3●12

davr · Answer 3 · 2010-03-27 23:25:27Z UTC

3

Don't forget the resistor! If you add a resistor, it will last for much longer on a single battery, and is less likely to damage the LED.

answered Mar 27 at 23:25

davr♦
3,754●9

Windell Oskay · Answer 4 · 2010-04-07 22:46:35Z UTC

Depending on the type of LED, you may or may not need a resistor in a throwie configuration.

I wrote up an article examining some of the subtleties involved in that question; you may want to take a look. (Spoiler: For red or yellow LEDs, DEFINITELY use a resistor.)

LED producting heat and best power supply

4 Answers