How to wire outdoor AC light?
bratan
Solar Expert Posts: 32 ✭
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?
Comments
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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.
-BillNear San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset -
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
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 -
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. -
Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?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? -
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.
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.SMA SB 3000, old BP panels. -
Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?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 -
Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?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 -
Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?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?Paul -
Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?Amazing how fast that happens, isn't it?
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... -
Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?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 -
Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?Those DryConn wire nuts didn't work out?
Not for me Maybe because my wires were stranded and different gauges (16 & 18 ) -
Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?Not for me Maybe because my wires were stranded and different gauges (16 & 18 )
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. -
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. -
Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?
How many hours per day is your panel shaded?Paul -
Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?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. -
Re: How to wire outdoor AC light?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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