Wiring huge house and starting all the low voltage lines from 120v. transformers to undercabinet lighting, cove lighting, etc. and started to wonder today what others are using for the 12 - 24 volt low voltage wire in lighting installs. Typically I have always used a #12 zip style cord. Curious what others find to be best.
Best choice for low voltage wire
- Thread starter moresi
- Start date
- Status
stickboy1375
Senior Member
- Location
- Litchfield, CT
Zip cord is a code violation. 
i use a chapter 3 wiring method.
i use a chapter 3 wiring method.
stickboy1375
Senior Member
- Location
- Litchfield, CT
Check out 411. 4
electricmanscott
Senior Member
- Location
- Boston, MA
I use good old romex.
Wow, this one slipped past me. Any suggestion (brand, name, mfg., etc.) as to best type of wire to use that is readily available. I have seen others use romex from supply side of x-former but have found this to be problematic when making up fixtures not to mention harder to work with under cabinets.
Thanks
Thanks
arits74
Senior Member
- Location
- dixie arkansas
- Occupation
- working owner electrician
we use 18-2 lamp cord for the puck style lights
electricmanscott
Senior Member
- Location
- Boston, MA
arits74
Senior Member
- Location
- dixie arkansas
- Occupation
- working owner electrician
well if you can get 12-2 romex in them let me know,i hate the puck lights but alot of the customers want them,all they are is a heat source.i like the sea gull brand stuff that has a track that you put up similar to a piece of wire mold,then a piece of 10-2 low voltage wire snaps in that, then the lights snap over bothUh oh....
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
As are all filament type lamps, fluorescents create heat also but not as much for the same amount of light.
Nothing is more appealing than halogen or xenon lamps for undercabinet lighting in a dwelling.
Fluorescents put out great light but at annoying color temperatures and LED's are horrible color temperature also.
Juno trac12 system is awesome but expensive. Puck lights are cheap way out but practically impossible to install correctly and still look good.
hurk27
Senior Member
- Location
- Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
When mounting in or on cabinets, I mount the receptacles horizontal right at the top back lip of the upper cabinets in enough locations to supply each section of cabinets, this is where I plug in the power supply, from here I snake my wires down between the cabinets drilling through the bottom lip, and stapling up underneath to each light with 18/2 or 16/2 depending upon what the manufacture supplied, I try to only bring one run to each fixture, If the cabinets have zero clearance between them then the run is brought down in a hidden corner behind a door in the cabinet through the bottom to the fixture. for arch cove lights I insist on line voltage puck types that come with there own little junction box that allows one 14/2 run to each fixture, the puck will recess into the top of the cove mounted to the J-box, I have installed line voltage into cabinets but it can me much harder hiding the cable, and getting the connector ends through holes between the cabinets.
- Location
- Bremerton, Washington
If your lighting is not a Art 725 Class II system, then you must use a chapter 3 wiring method, IE Rigid, MC, AC or NM cable, one exception for under 100 VA.
Zip cord is not a chapter 3 wiring method, it drys out and becomes brittle, see Art 400,7 and .8 uses permitted and not permitted.
If you have a lighting system that is outside the power and voltage limits of Art 725, set to prevent fires and shocks, then its a fire hazard. Think of a low voltage battery and how easy it is to start a fire with it.
Zip cord is not a chapter 3 wiring method, it drys out and becomes brittle, see Art 400,7 and .8 uses permitted and not permitted.
If you have a lighting system that is outside the power and voltage limits of Art 725, set to prevent fires and shocks, then its a fire hazard. Think of a low voltage battery and how easy it is to start a fire with it.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
You ever use steel wool and a couple D cells to start a fire?
hurk27
Senior Member
- Location
- Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
I agree with the fact that with lower voltages the current is much higher then with line voltage, but many of these type of fixtures are sold "UL listed" as a assembly system and come with 18/2 or 16/2 zip cord with connectors on the ends or come with quick connect to pierace the insulation so the conductors can be run through holes in the cabinets, they do say in the instructions that the wires can not be run through the building surface, but there is no requirments for running inside of cabinets. these are a 411 type system.
hurk27
Senior Member
- Location
- Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
or with 120 volts and gun powder to set off flash pods :grin:
hurk27
Senior Member
- Location
- Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
Tom look at 411.3(B)(5) then look at 411.4(A)(2) Thermostat wire? or the cord in 411.3(B)(5)? "2008" so 725.179 would allow CL2 type cable, which would be common thermostat cable, which gives me chills, since many of these power supply's are 25-60 watt, and say they are class 2 listed, which at 60 watts is 5 amps and many of them are now electronic switching type power supply's with built in electronic current limiting, so maybe not so bad after all.
busman
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern Virginia
- Occupation
- Master Electrician / Electrical Engineer
hurk27
Senior Member
- Location
- Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
Nope and it is not allowed to even be grounded (411.5(A) ) also the power supply is required to be an isolating type, which an EGC would defeat this if so used, so secondary must not be grounded.
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
I used a single strand from #18 lamp cord with a single wrap around a matchhead.
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