How to wire outdoor AC light?

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bratan
bratan Solar Expert Posts: 32 ✭
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
I plan to have solar/battery powered outdoor LED flood light which is 120AC (50Watt). Light is weatherproof, but it has very short wire (without plug) so I need to attach a cable to it and make joint waterproof. I never done it like this, can someone recommend how to such connection? :)
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,439 admin
    #2
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    Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?

    You should be able to find a cable gland nut assembly that can be installed in an outdoor junction box:

    http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/Cable-Glands-and-Strain-Reliefs-suit-hazardous-locations-20014659

    Attachment not found.

    The cable outlet should be at the "bottom" of the fixture, and you would want the Jbox fitting to be horizontal or facing down too. And the cable should be lower than both fittings (drip loop, you want the water to run away from the fittings).

    There is a chance that the fixture you have is not UL/NRTL listed/recognized. You want to see if the cord itself is rated for outdoor/use in sunlight (UV protected). And if you have chewing animals in the area--exposed electrical cordage can be a problem too.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • bratan
    bratan Solar Expert Posts: 32 ✭
    #3
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    Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?
    BB. wrote: »
    You should be able to find a cable gland nut assembly that can be installed in an outdoor junction box:

    http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/Cable-Glands-and-Strain-Reliefs-suit-hazardous-locations-20014659

    Attachment not found.

    The cable outlet should be at the "bottom" of the fixture, and you would want the Jbox fitting to be horizontal or facing down too. And the cable should be lower than both fittings (drip loop, you want the water to run away from the fittings).

    There is a chance that the fixture you have is not UL/NRTL listed/recognized. You want to see if the cord itself is rated for outdoor/use in sunlight (UV protected). And if you have chewing animals in the area--exposed electrical cordage can be a problem too.

    -Bill

    Thanks Bill! I went to my local Lowes trying to find these, but instead found these DryConn wire nuts. They are filled with silicone to prevent water from getting thru. Gotta try these.
    Thanks for advise on lowering cable, I'll make a drip loop.
    Fixture is IP65 certified, but cord seems cheesy, I might replace it.
    I didn't think of chewing animals, we have all sorts here (from mice to deer and bears)... That's why I'm building this solar backyard light zone. When my wife saw bear caught on wildlife camera few days ago she gave me green lights to spend money on solar equipment :)
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  • Plowman
    Plowman Solar Expert Posts: 203 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #4
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    Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?

    Bratan, those wire nuts look like just the thing I needed for a small DC water pump that I have in an outdoor enclosure. Thanks for the link.

    Had me thinking that putting some silicone in a regular wire nut would probably achieve the same effect. I googled around a bit and found this thread at an HVAC forum, where they mention this method and lots of others for waterproofing wire connections.
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  • Plowman
    Plowman Solar Expert Posts: 203 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #5
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    Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?
    BB. wrote: »
    And if you have chewing animals in the area--exposed electrical cordage can be a problem too.

    -Bill

    Dang it Bill, first you point out the importance of fire protection (in this thread), and now you're reminding me about rodents, which there's an abundance of in my area despite the cat's best efforts. I need to stop reading this site, every day I learn about modifications I need to make to my little system.

    I'm thinking conduit might deter chewing animals, or at least slow 'em down. Other suggestions?
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  • inetdog
    inetdog Solar Expert Posts: 3,123 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
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    Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?
    Plowman wrote: »
    Bratan, those wire nuts look like just the thing I needed for a small DC water pump that I have in an outdoor enclosure. Thanks for the link.
    Terminology: These are not wire nuts (screw on connectors to join two wires together, called Marrettes in Canada.
    What the picture shows is a cable gland, which allows you to run that short wire, or something connected to it, into a hole in the bottom or side of a junction box and provides strain relief and some weatherproofing.
    For joining wires together there are actual wire nuts which are made for irrigation control or other buried wire. They are larger than the usual wire nut for the same size wires and the are filled with a silicone grease to keep water out of the area where the bare wires are joined together. You would then need to put some sort of overall covering over the splice, and to satisfy the NEC if this is line voltage, you would probably have to make the splice inside a junction box anyway. :cry:
    SMA SB 3000, old BP panels.
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  • CDN_VT
    CDN_VT Solar Expert Posts: 492 ✭✭✭
    #7
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    Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?
    bratan wrote: »
    I plan to have solar/battery powered outdoor LED flood light which is 120AC (50Watt). Light is weatherproof, but it has very short wire (without plug) so I need to attach a cable to it and make joint waterproof. I never done it like this, can someone recommend how to such connection? :)

    Remove existing short wire & install the correct wire length required from inside the transformer casing to the supply . I have many of these lamps also . they use a step down trans from 260-110AC to 12 volt to feed the SMLED's

    VT
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  • bratan
    bratan Solar Expert Posts: 32 ✭
    #8
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    Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?
    CDN_VT wrote: »
    Remove existing short wire & install the correct wire length required from inside the transformer casing to the supply . I have many of these lamps also . they use a step down trans from 260-110AC to 12 volt to feed the SMLED's

    VT
    Seal won't fail if I open it? I'll give it an try. Didn't know they run on 12V, might be able to bypass transformer and inverter☺ Thanks!
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  • ILFE
    ILFE Solar Expert Posts: 364 ✭✭
    #9
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    Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?
    bratan wrote: »
    When my wife saw bear caught on wildlife camera few days ago she gave me green lights to spend money on solar equipment :)

    Amazing how fast that happens, isn't it? :D
    Paul
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  • bratan
    bratan Solar Expert Posts: 32 ✭
    #10
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    Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?
    ILFE wrote: »
    Amazing how fast that happens, isn't it? :D

    Yeah :)

    Anyway I opened light, all wires go inside sealed transformer, so I left it alone. Also wire nuts or Marrets or whatever they called, are not holding wires so instead I'm using some adhesive lined heat shrink tubing...
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  • ILFE
    ILFE Solar Expert Posts: 364 ✭✭
    #11
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    Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?
    bratan wrote: »
    Yeah :)

    Anyway I opened light, all wires go inside sealed transformer, so I left it alone. Also wire nuts or Marrets or whatever they called, are not holding wires so instead I'm using some adhesive lined heat shrink tubing...

    Those DryConn wire nuts didn't work out?
    Paul
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  • bratan
    bratan Solar Expert Posts: 32 ✭
    #12
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    Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?
    ILFE wrote: »
    Those DryConn wire nuts didn't work out?

    Not for me :( Maybe because my wires were stranded and different gauges (16 & 18 )
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  • inetdog
    inetdog Solar Expert Posts: 3,123 ✭✭✭✭
    #13
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    Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?
    bratan wrote: »
    Not for me :( Maybe because my wires were stranded and different gauges (16 & 18 )
    With stranded wire is it particularly important to twist the wire together before putting the wire nut on. Twist in the same direction (clockwise) that you will be tightening the nut. That way it will not try to untwist the wires as you tighten.
    And make sure that the twist is mutual rather than one wire winding around the other.
    And, most important, make sure that you line up the cut ends of the two wires after the twist is complete rather than starting with the ends of the insulation lined up. You want the nut to engage both sets of strands equally from the moment you start to tighten it.
    SMA SB 3000, old BP panels.
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  • bratan
    bratan Solar Expert Posts: 32 ✭
    #14
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    Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?

    It is harder to twist wires when you can't see them (seal blocks the view). Anyway I got some heat shrink tubing with adhesive (it was recommended for making watertight connections) and it worked great!
    Attachment not found.
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  • ILFE
    ILFE Solar Expert Posts: 364 ✭✭
    #15
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    Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?

    How many hours per day is your panel shaded?
    Paul
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  • bratan
    bratan Solar Expert Posts: 32 ✭
    #16
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    Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?
    ILFE wrote: »
    How many hours per day is your panel shaded?

    After 1 pm. I'm going to cut that branch at some point, so it should give me couple more hours.
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  • ILFE
    ILFE Solar Expert Posts: 364 ✭✭
    #17
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    Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?
    bratan wrote: »
    After 1 pm. I'm going to cut that branch at some point, so it should give me couple more hours.

    Sweet.

    Now, you can tell the wife that the bears will have to bring their sunglasses, the next time they want to hang around outside at night.
    Paul
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