The Importance of Outdoor Light Cable
Outdoor lighting brings your home a welcoming glow at night. You’ll need to dig a trench and run power cables from your breaker box to your lighting fixtures.
You can add different types of lighting to the same line, based on their wattage. However, you need to make sure the wire can handle it. This is why it’s important to use cable rated for outdoor use.
Weather Resistant
If you are using low voltage landscape lighting, the outdoor light cable needs to be resistant to a wide range of weather conditions. The outdoor electrical wire should also be able to withstand the heat from sunlight and UV radiation. This is important for both the longevity and performance of the outdoor lights.
For buried lighting installations, we recommend UF-B cables for their durability and moisture resistance. This type of wire can be directly buried and does not require any conduit. It is easy to install and poses minimal risk during maintenance as it does not contain any exposed bare copper.
You should carefully plan your lighting layout before trenching and burying the cables. Take into account the location of the light fixtures, their wattage and power rating as well as the distance to the transformer. You want to avoid overpowering the transformer.
When installing your lights, you can use push-pierce type connectors or hard-wire them. Carolina Outdoor Lighting Pros prefer to hard-wire all of our connections instead of using quick-connect connectors. When hard-wiring your fixtures, turn off the lighting transformer and breaker before starting. Then, use wire strippers to expose about a half inch of each copper end. Twist the ends together tightly clockwise to create a solid connection. Next, insert the two connector outdoor light cable halves firmly over the end of the cable that sticks out from the sod. The sharp prongs inside the connector will pierce the sheath and make contact with the internal wires. Once everything is connected, the fixture should light up, indicating that the connectors have made a solid contact.
UV Resistant
Having your outdoor lighting wired with UV resistant cable helps ensure it will not be damaged by the sun. UV rays are not only damaging to the skin, but also to plastics and other materials. If a wire is not designed to resist UV radiation it may degrade over time, and this can cause electrical problems, including short circuits. For this reason, it is important to choose a wire that is specifically rated for use outdoors, and is not simply labelled as “outdoor-rated.”
The UV resistance of cable ties is determined through exposure tests conducted on finished products using various methods. Typically, these tests are performed by manufacturers to verify that their product is resistant to the degradation caused by prolonged UV exposure. The most common test method is the xenon-arc exposure test, which represents the most realistic and representative form of actual sunlight exposure.
If you’re looking for a cable tie that can be easily identified, consider using a write-on flag tie marker. These can be used to label bundles for easy identification, and they’re also durable enough to stand up to sunlight and other environmental conditions. Alternatively, you can also choose from a wide selection of other UV-resistant cable ties and fixing devices that offer different levels of protection and functionality for your wire and cable bundling needs.
Fire Resistant
Fire resistant outdoor lighting cable provides added safety in hazardous situations. Its construction protects the wiring from electrical shocks during a fire breakout or from falling debris that could cause further damage to it. Additionally, it has a special insulating layer that reduces the amount of smoke and acidic gases produced by the wire during a fire break out. This makes it ideal for use in public buildings, schools, arenas, and other closed areas.
When selecting a fire resistant wire, consider the voltage needs of your lighting system. Standard household voltage will require a thinner gauge wire, while high-voltage systems require thicker cables to handle the power load. Determine your voltage requirements and consult an electrician to choose a wire gauge that meets or exceeds your needs.
The inner sheath of a fire-rated cable is made of a low-smoke, zero-halogen compound that ensures little to no gas emissions. The outer sheath is also designed to prevent the spread of fire from one area to another, making it a great choice for use in critical circuits such as power supply circuits for fire alarm equipment, emergency voice/alarm systems, and emergency indicator lights.
While today’s LED lighting is much waterproof connector manufacturer safer than old halogen fixtures, improper wiring can still put your outdoor lighting at risk of fire and other disasters. To help avoid these risks, be sure to carefully plan and mark the path of your cables and use a conduit to protect them from physical damage.
Water Resistant
When installing outdoor lighting it is important to use cable glands that are water resistant. This will help to prevent water entering the fitting and causing damage. It is also a good idea to call in a professional electrician when installing outdoor lighting as they can help ensure the installation is completed correctly. Moreover, they can check the cable glands used are water-resistant and that they have been tightened correctly. If they have not been tightened properly this could allow water into the light fitting which can cause electrical damage and potentially lead to a fire.
When it comes to waterproof LED lights it is also important that the power supply cable ends are perfectly sealed as well. This is because when the LED light cools down the air will expand and if it is surrounded by humidity then the end of the power cable will be sucked in. This can cause big drops of water to appear on cold surfaces inside the product and damage the internal electronics.
For this reason it is recommended to use cables that are specifically designed for outdoor use, such as UF-B (underground feeder) cable. These cables are rated to be buried underground and will be waterproof. Using other types of wiring not designed for outdoor use, such as Romex wire, can lead to problems.
