What Gauge Wire To Use For Landscape Lighting

We recommend 12 gauge or 10 gauge wire for long distances.

What gauge wire to use for landscape lighting.

16 2 gauge low voltage low energy underground landscape lighting cable is 16 2 gauge low voltage low energy underground landscape lighting cable is designed for landscape security and outdoor accent lighting applications not to exceed 150 volt. Stretching the existing wire of landscape lighting. You will often see landscape lighting wire called 12 2 or 10 2 the 2 stands for conductors which is the number of wires inside the outer insulation. Smaller wire sizes are often more economical and larger wire sizes are stronger however the smaller ones will also reduce the distance of power being provided to.

Common wires for landscape lighting are 10 12 14 or 16 gauge wires. It s ok to wire a 15 amp light circuit with a 14 gauge wire to save a bit of money and make the wiring job a bit easier. 12 and 16 gauge. A good rule of thumb for selecting proper wire size is determining your wattage.

The use of 12 or 10 gauge main cable increases efficiency and allows you to either place greater loads on your home runs or to use a lower voltage tap in effect giving you the ability to increase voltage to existing fixtures in the future or to add more fixtures to that run without having to install a new home run cable. Most low voltage landscape lighting wire comes in two different sizes. Additionally when considering what wire gauge to use for your landscape lighting design installation its best to understand that different gauges have their own pros and cons. In comparison 12 gauge wiring which is thicker can reach 10 688 feet for one fixture at 15v.

This is to. The wire number or wire gauge refers to the diameter of the bundle of strands with the smaller number being a larger wire. Landscape lighting cable is sunlight resistant suitable for direct burial and for use at. Any system under 200 watts will be fine using 16 gauge wire.

The cost difference between it and smaller cable is essentially negligible and 18 gauge is about as big as you can go if you still want to be able to fit it into most cob holders or terminals. After determining the wattage and the number of fixtures you will need a certain length of wire to properly power your landscape lighting. How to splice low voltage landscape lighting wire. As the wire size amp rating chart at cerrowire states under normal household temperature conditions the maximum current rating for a 14 gauge wire is 15 amps while that for a 12 gauge wire is 20 amps.

The following steps need to be followed to splice the low voltage landscape lighting. Low voltage landscape wiring or electrical cable comes in several numerical gauges or sizes. Over 200 watts you should use a 12 gauge sized wire. 16 gauge wiring can go as far as 3 135 feet for one fixture at 15v.