lamp wire or low voltage wire for led ucl
Sara_in_philly
12 years ago
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David
12 years agoSara_in_philly
12 years agoRelated Discussions
Low Voltage Wiring for Undercabinet Lights
Comments (5)Concelaed LV wiring must be an 'approved method' and NM would fall into this group. It can also get expensive very quickly since LV lighting uses much higher currents than 120 V lighting, and is very sensitive to voltage drop (dropping a few volts on 120 V does not have nearly the same affect on light output and color as dropping on a 12 V system). It can become a real task to both handle the large conductors and than connect reliably and safely to the individual light conductors. I would encourage you to check out individual smaller supplies that accept 120 V inputs and support 60 W of 12 V load per supply. They are small enough to be mounted on the bottom of cabinets and then the rules for wiring are easier since nothing is concealed in the structure....See MoreLow voltage wiring/transformer questions
Comments (5)Thanks davidr. Below is the wire I'll be using - the description says 10/2 stranded, so I should be ok. I'm actually a little dubious over their 10/2 claim as in person it looks like regular lamp/zip wire, but I'll go by their spec. It was the guy at the lighting store that said magnetic transformers are not affected by longer cable runs. Or maybe he meant that I'd need a larger transformer and those are only available in the magnetic type. Anyway, thanks for clearing it up for me. Here is a link that might be useful: Ambiance low voltage cable...See MoreBest way to wire my low voltage lights?
Comments (1)From one Bob to another, a few suggestions based upon my nearly completed landscape lighting project which involved (so far!) installing over 150 fixtures, mostly well lights rated for direct burial into the ground and using ALL LED lights, since #1 I'd need several 1200 watt transformers had I gone with non-LED due to the higher wattage and #2 I can only imagine what my electric bills would be, even though the lights are only on for several hours a night. I also learned later that LED is less susceptible to voltage drop, which was a major concern for me due to the long runs. I ended up using (2) pro grade, multi-tap transformers, (1) 1200 watt and (1) 900 watt and so far so good, it looks awesome and by using voltage drop calculators and then the correct size of wiring, multi-meter tests show I have little variation in voltage at the fixtures, whether its a few feet from the tranny, or 250 feet away. I also used flex pvc conduit to pipe everything, which had a local landscaper/landscape lighting "pro" literally laughing in my face at all of the trenches dug in my yard, as he uses a machine that simply pushes the direct burial rated cable into the ground, but my plan was based on advice from several SoCal landscape light pros who pipe everything for their often 6 figure jobs, which don't compare to the small peanuts installs we have here in WI. Now, your project is MUCH simpler, but still should have some planning behind it. A few questions for you: -Are you using LED or non LED lights? LED is less susceptible to voltage drop and with halogens, even your 7 lights if "daisy chained" will likely yield a difference in brightness where the first one from the tranny is noticeably brighter than the last, but if they're LED, you might be fine just daisy chaining them. -You said you had some 14 ga wire coming from the tranny, if you can run a T setup, and use more 14 and less 18, you're likely better off, but again depending on the LED question and small scope, it may not be needed, but honestly running a T setup shouldn't be too hard to do for 7 lights. -Lastly, IF your lights come with the Malibu style connectors that pierce the insulation to make their connection, everything I've read is to ditch them and use some type of waterproof connector. You can buy waterproof wire nuts that are basically wire nuts with a silicone gel inside to make your connections and won't be piercing the insulation, which makes NO sense at all when you think about it. Hopes this helps!...See More14 ga romex for low voltage wiring?
Comments (5)It'll be 12' total, divided into 4 strips. In all, this should draw 20 watts of power. I planned to run two 18 or 16 AWG legs off the dimmer: Leg one: first a 2' run of LED tape, then connected by 18 or 16 AWG cable (run through the wall) to a 4' run of LED tape. Leg two: first a 4' run of LED tape, then connected by 18 or 16 AWG cable (run through the wall) to a 2' run of LED tape. Aside from the connection at the dimmer, there will be no splices at all in the wall - they will all be spliced under the cabinet using Armacost brand connectors. That was the plan, at least....See MoreDavid
12 years agoDavid
12 years agobrickeyee
12 years agoSara_in_philly
12 years ago
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