Low Voltage landscape wire 12-2 guage

[mrrman]

I am looking at buying 200ft or so of landscape wire and was wondering if you can join multiple lengths together i.e 2-100ft pieces. It seems cheaper to buy 100ft lengths than a 250ft roll. Thanks

 

[mugs]

You could use a wire nut, but I don't know if that's recommended because of the potential for water intrusion.

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: mugs
You could use a wire nut, but I don't know if that's recommended because of the potential for water intrusion.

I would recommend soldering each wire, heatshrinking each wire and then placing a larger heatshrink sleeve over the entire cable and shrinking that one. About 8 inch piece of heatshrink over the entire splice.

Unless the OP has heatshrink readily available (already purchased), it would depend on the cost of the heatshrink vs the extra cost of the 250 foot roll of wire.

I guess the OP could also tape the spice tightly but that isn't as good as heatshrink but would probably work, especially on the low voltage DC stuff.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: mugs
You could use a wire nut, but I don't know if that's recommended because of the potential for water intrusion.

I would recommend soldering each wire, heatshrinking each wire and then placing a larger heatshrink sleeve over the entire cable and shrinking that one. About 8 inch piece of heatshrink over the entire splice.

You beat my post by about 2 seconds. That's what I was going to say. Also, they do make water-tight heat-shrink. I'd use normal HS over each soldered wired, then one big piece of water-tight heatshrink over both. Just to be sure.

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: MichaelD

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: mugs
You could use a wire nut, but I don't know if that's recommended because of the potential for water intrusion.

I would recommend soldering each wire, heatshrinking each wire and then placing a larger heatshrink sleeve over the entire cable and shrinking that one. About 8 inch piece of heatshrink over the entire splice.

You beat my post by about 2 seconds. That's what I was going to say. Also, they do make water-tight heat-shrink. I'd use normal HS over each soldered wired, then one big piece of water-tight heatshrink over both. Just to be sure.

Not sure about specific water tight heatshrink, but if you put enough heat to it (either heat gun or propane torch), it will shrink and slightly melt together.

Another alternative would be to heatshrink (or tape) the individual wires after soldering and then brush epoxy over the entire splice and let dry (harden). That would do the trick too.

 

[sao123]

i believe they do make a waterproof junction box for this purpose.

 

[feralkid]

These are sold at most home centers, hardware stores and electrical supply shops.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: feralkid
These are sold at most home centers, hardware stores and electrical supply shops.

Those are indeed spiffy looking, but IMO the red plug at the end is suspect. "Accepts 8 to 22 gauge wire" means the hole is too big for smaller wire and will let moisture in. I would use them outside but say, under an eave or porch, no problem. But not directly buried in the soil.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: feralkid
These are sold at most home centers, hardware stores and electrical supply shops.

this is what i was gonna say. why go to commercial extremes for a home job?

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: feralkid
These are sold at most home centers, hardware stores and electrical supply shops.

this is what i was gonna say. why go to commercial extremes for a home job?

Short circuit?
Fire?
Electrocution?
Death?

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: MichaelD

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: feralkid
These are sold at most home centers, hardware stores and electrical supply shops.

this is what i was gonna say. why go to commercial extremes for a home job?

Short circuit?
Fire?
Electrocution?
Death?

You can short those 12 volt low voltage DC lighting systems out and they will not cause damage. They simply shut down until the short is removed (or at least mine does - and yes, I've tried! )

 

[Modelworks]

You need to use this:
http://www.affordablequalityli.../docs/3msplicekit.html

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: MichaelD

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: feralkid
These are sold at most home centers, hardware stores and electrical supply shops.

this is what i was gonna say. why go to commercial extremes for a home job?

Short circuit?
Fire?
Electrocution?
Death?

low voltage, caps with gel inside. no chance of electrocution at all, especially when its buried. ive used these on lighting projects, went back to replace lines that got chopped up and the gel was still inside the caps after a year or so. if we worried about every little thing that could possibly happen, the world would suck. hows a fire going to start from a 1/2a 12v cable buried in the dirt?you have more chance of the fire starting at the transformer than you do at that wire cap.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: Modelworks
You need to use this:
http://www.ccl-light.com/docs/3msplicekit.html

those are way cool, id use those over the ones i was talking about.



edit:
in my job we arent allowed to splice wires, we have to land on terminals in an outdoor enclosure. but if i were still doing landscaping, id use those cool 3m things.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: Modelworks
You need to use this:
http://www.ccl-light.com/docs/3msplicekit.html

those are way cool, id use those over the ones i was talking about.

yeah, i was just searching around and found them.
I see them in google shopping as cheap as $3
Definitely the way to go, UL approved too.

 

[runzwithsizorz]

Sure, you can slice(tip, use waterproof connectors) on and do a run of up to 200ft, especially with 12ga,(not 14), DEPENDS on how many fixtures, their total wattage draw on THAT run, and the transformers output. As a landscape contractor, I have installed dozens, and dozens of high end systems, And it is extremely rare when I have to do a SINGLE run of more than 150ft. with anything more than a 100 watt draw. Anything more and your pushing your luck, even with a 2, or 300 watt transformer. This is the reason why most of the better transformers on the market are split phase.
You trying to light up the entrance driveway of the Beverly Hillbillies mansion?

 

[Rubycon]

Class 2 wiring and you're current limited so no real fire/shock risk. However if your splice gets wet it will corrode and fail prematurely. You can use Raychem solder sleeves, bare butt splice covered with glue filled heat shrink (contractors use these to splice well pump line!), or just a common crimp type butt splice covered with silicone electrical (bug) tape. Scotchcast is really overkill but will work too.

 

[MichaelD]

Ah, I forgot that we're talking about 12V here. My bad. Ok...maybe the earthworms would be not so comfy?

 

[MrPickins]

I've spliced 12v lines with the waterproof wirenuts. It worked just fine.

Although, I did the splice inside a waterproof junction box that I siliconed up really well.

 

[Fritzo]

they sell caps filled with silicone gel that is for splicing underground wire. I used several with my dog's radio fence.

 

[Howard]

Western Union splicing, solder, hot-glue filled inner heat-shrink tubing for water-tightness, second longer shrink for strain relief