Daisy Chaining Pond Lights Underwater?

16 years ago

Can I add another light in a chain from an existing pond light's wire and do it underwater?

My contractor put in 2 underwater low voltage pond lights in my pond. Each light has wire running through the concrete pond wall and to a terminal on the timer. I asked them to leave two more connections underwater so I could add lights in the future...which they did not.

What I have are two lights connected with waterproof wire caps to the wires running to the timer. My question is, can I unscrew those wire caps and add another light on to those lines safely? I do not want to drain the entire pond to add these 2 lights if at all possible.

The timer has a 180w max and each light is 20w. So there would be 80w total, and 40w on each terminal on the timer. My plan is to connect them underwater (with the power cut of course) with the underwater wire caps and then some marine epoxy that sets underwater to be safe.

My worry though is that there will likely always be a little water caught inside the wire cap. Though once the epoxy sets it will be separated from the pond water.

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Comments (6)

asun1
16 years ago
I am no expert, but I would say that the water proof caps are there to keep the water off the wires. I know, from my experience with my pond lighting, they mean it when they say..."Do not let the transformer get wet!" Problem with opening the wires under water is, the water will travel through the wires, and either fry the transformer or the light bulbs. I have seen this happen before. Once the transformer get messed up, it will fry any bulb you put in.

To make a long story short, I would work with the wiring and the bulbs, out of the water. The harm is not electrocution, so much as ruining the equipment. If it is unpluggled, you will not get shocked.

Amanda
azponder
Original Author
16 years ago
My problem is the lights are at the very bottom of the pond (3' or so) and they left about 6" of wire and the rest runs right in to the concrete. So I either drain the entire pond to work dry or I figure out a way to do it wet.

With the transformer unplugged, if I unscrew the waterproof cap...connect the other light... then put on another waterproof cap and then stuff some marine epoxy over the ends and let it dry their might be a little water caught in the caps but it would be sealed off from the pond by the epoxy. One minute I say to myself "this should work" and the next I say "you are doomed to destroying your existing stuff".
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asun1
16 years ago
Well.....seems you have a delima. Good news is, you learned a valuable lesson....tell the contractors to leave enough wire to pull the lights out of the water for working on them...the next time you have a pond built. That's what I did...but I constructed my own pond. I know those contractors never listen...you have to really stay on top of them and check their work every hour or so. I hope it all works out well for you. Let me know what you decided to do, and what the outcome is.

Amanda
pikecoe
16 years ago
azponder I have some lights that came with my first pond kit and I never used them. Can you use them somehow? Separately from the ones you already have? I would be glad to send them to you if you can. They sat on my covered porch for some time and then were moved into my shed. I would have to locate them. Just let me know. Glenda
azponder
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the offer :) honestly though...I am not sure. I am still trying to figure out if I can even put the other lights on the same line as the existing ones or if I need to have one light going to one terminal on the transformer. If I am reading the instructions right, I can put up 180w per terminal...but it might be total.
horton
16 years ago
az, there is not really a problem doing what you want to do if you can re-install the waterproof connectors over the new splice.
If you think there is the possibility of water getting into the splice and migrating into the wiring after you re- make the connections, then you could wrap the splice with self amalgamating tape.
Self amalgamating tape is sold at Lowes, H/Depot Etc, both in the Electrical and Plumbing Depts,.
It is a rubber tape that you stretch as you apply it over a wiring splice and as it is lapped over, it seals up and is totally waterproof [if applied properly]. Just stretch it well as you wrap and it will be a watertight seal.
Home plumbers use it for sealing water leaks in pipes, but it was originally developed for sealing splices in electrical wiring and high voltage cables.
The 12 volts you are dealing with, is no great issue, as far as danger to you or animals life if it did leak out a little, but it is always wise, no matter what the voltage is, to keep water and any electrical connections apart from each other.
"Horton"

Daisy Chaining Pond Lights Underwater?

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asun1

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Daisy Chaining Pond Lights Underwater?

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asun1

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