How to Choose LED Light Wire (5 Key Points)

LED lighting systems are not complicated. Because they use so little electricity or current, you can use almost any LED light wire. However, there are a few things you must be aware of, including a more profound knowledge of LED light wiring to help you get the correct size wiring for your LED lighting system.

Buy solid or stranded LED Lighting wire?

There are two types of wire: solid core and stranded. The solid core wire contains a single solid conductor, usually copper, with a plastic insulating jacket wrapped around this conductor. Stranded wire, on the other hand, usually includes several conductors bundled together, with an insulating sheath encasing all of them.

Stranded wire is flexible, but it can be a little tricky to use. Welding hardens it, but at the same time, you have to hold it in place with joints. On the other hand, solid wire is a little more flexible, and it is easier to make connections with this type of wire. Both types of wire can be used with your LED lighting, but using a solid core wire is a little easier.

What is the correct LED Lighting Cable gauge?

You need to know and choose the correct gauge for your wire system; the bigger, the better. But the problem with a large wire is that it can be a little challenging to control, and it’s not as flexible as a thinner wire. Fortunately, LED lights don’t draw a lot of currents, so you don’t need to use a large wire.

If you’ve ever purchased a cord, you may have noticed many types and sizes of wire. Different types of wire are used for various purposes, but knowing the correct wire size or gauge determines the amperage, which is key to making the right choice.

When it comes to choosing a wire, you need to look at the size of the wire. The American Wire Gauge (AWG) system specifies wire sizes that stand for American Wire Gauge. Wire gauge refers to the physical dimensions of the wire. And it is named with a number opposite to the diameter of the conductor. In other words, the smaller the gauge number, the larger the diameter of the wire. Thus, a 14 gauge wire is smaller than a 12 gauge wire. In addition, common sizes include 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, and 2 gauge wires. The physical dimensions of the wire determine how much current can safely pass through that wire.

How to Choose LED Lighting Wire color coding

Another criterion that is best to consider is the color of the sheath or the insulation covering the cable or wire. The color will help you to identify the encapsulated wire inside.

Red or black insulation means there is hot or ribbon wire inside.

A brown or white housing means you will find neutral wires or cords.

A yellow/green or yellow housing means an earth wire is inside.

Remember that electricity or current can pass through the neutral wire, so care must be taken when handling them. You must turn off the light or circuit breaker before proceeding with any installation.

What should you consider when choosing electrical LED Lighting cord?

When choosing a wire for your LED system, you need to consider two things: the voltage and the capacity of the wire.

Copper is often used as a conductor because it has some excellent properties, but it has some inherent problems. You will see more resistance on your circuit when the cable is longer. This resistance is measured in ohms. As the wire gets smaller, the opposition also increases due to the much smaller area that electrons can flow through.

As the resistance increases, you can expect the voltage to drop. If you have a reasonably long, small wire, you can expect the 36 volts your driver should be putting out to drop to about 35 volts. This drop can cause your voltage system to change constantly, inadvertently causing an enormous drain on the current. Therefore, learn to determine your correct wire gauge before deciding on size and length.

Another consideration is the amperage of the wire. It would be best if you made sure that the wire you choose can handle the electricity that will pass through it. A small wire can heat up efficiently due to its resistance, which can be dangerous and melt the wire’s jacket. Worse still, this could start a fire.

Caution

Most LED setups in the home have short runs of wire, and they are also connected in series with only a tiny amount of current. You can use small wires, but if you want to install several lights and drive them in parallel, you are better off not using small wires. You may have a large amount of current needing to pass through your wires. Check the handling capacity of the different wire sizes.

In addition, LED lights do not require special wiring. They can be used with any standard light fixture as long as they are enclosed, which can lead to heat damage. Bad wiring may lead to electrical interference.

Where To Buy LED Light Wires?

DelightFire is an experienced business wholesaler producing all types of wire and cable, including LED light wires. We are constantly updating our modern technology to provide our customers with the best-LED light wires. Therefore, if you want to purchase high-quality LED light wires, please contact us or submit a quote request.