Wiring Idea??

Re: Wiring Idea??

Dale Stansbery

Will you have enough room in each arm and the hub to run one long parallel circuit in and out of each arm and continue on to the next arm. Then there are no wire nuts at all. Make sure you wire it in parallel and not serially.

Re: Wiring Idea??

Tom Norton

There will be 2 -18 ga wires coming from each arm/socket to the center. This will be where line voltage will be connected.

Re: Wiring Idea??

Tony-Memphis

That's gonna be one big spaghetti ball of wire! Hmmm, I don't have any ideas except to split the hot and neutral coming in to two each and then connect each to one half of the arms to lessen the number of wires per connection. That's always a problem when I am building stuff - 15 wires that need to be connected to ground. For low voltage stuff, I just cobble it up. This is a bit more serious.

Tony

Re: Wiring Idea??

Bill Howatt

I like Dale's idea of running a parallel circuit between each lamp but this will require your arms accommodate 2 wires to the socket and 2 wires back in each arm. If not, then you need to have room elsewhere to make the connections which is why the big thing in the middle of many chandeliers is more than just decorative - it holds the connections.

I have no idea what the electrical code rules are for such wires but a saving grace is that for a 60W bulb only 0.5A is required. OTOH, if there are heating concerns then regular wire may be inadequate. Often you will see some high-temperature wire in fixtures.

Bill

Re: Wiring Idea??

John in NM

You could try sections of what's called a barrier strip, but those might need more space than you have available.

If you want to use crimp connectors, you tin the braided wire first, then crimp them.

I've been told you don't use solder on line voltage connections, because its possible that a high impedance connection could cause enough heat to melt the solder. I'm skeptical of that claim however.

more information?

John K Jordan

>>I will have 6-8 wires, depending on whether I go 6or 8 arms,that will connect to 1 wire leading up to the ceiling box.

Sounds like you would really have 12-16 wires that connect to 2 wires to the ceiling (one hot, one common for each light, one hot, one common from the box). Unless there is a continuous metal path from where you make the ground connection to each lighting fixture you may also need to run a ground wire to each: 18-24 wires connecting to 3 wires to the ceiling.

Instead of wire nuts within the fixture you might look into the small push-in connectors that commercial installers are using inside of light fixtures. Simple, compact, and quick. I bought them at an electrical supply house but I see HD has them now: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ideal-10-Piece-In-Sure-Push-In-Wire-Connector-Set-30-1391S/202911032

Some of these connectors go down to 22awg.

Three things would help to get useful responses.

- One, a drawing showing how things are configured and the place and space you will have for the ball of connections.

- Two, a logical wiring diagram showing how you plan to connect the wires, as a sanity check

- Three, the specifications on the light bulbs themselves, wattage, etc. For example, if using low wattage bulbs you might be able to use smaller gauge solid wire.

If using stranded wire with push-in connectors, it helps to "tin" the stripped ends before inserting them. I would not solder them inside the fixture.

JKJ

Re: Wiring Idea??

Tom Norton

Ralph, I think your idea is the most simple solution. I was thinking that a crimp connector in addition would be helpful.

soldering

John K Jordan

I don't know about the code for solder joints in light fixtures, but there is one other reason I would hesitate do it: Many times I've stood on a ladder or something to disconnect wiring overhead to fix something such as a bad light socket. I'd hate to have to solder OR unsolder something overhead.

Of course if you build it the whole thing on the bench then make only the power connection in the box with wire nuts you could take the whole thing down, especially if the entire fixture didn't weigh much. BTW, ceiling fans are the worst. I don't take them down unless I really have to.

JKJ

Re: Wiring Idea??

Joseph Mulherin

Tom, do you have a ceiling cone to cover the wiring? If so make the soldering connections along a single wire sequentially instead of a bunch of wires together then wrap with electrical tape. Use a soldering gun instead of a torch... and thin solder especially meant for wiring. I like Ralph's solution.

Re: Wiring Idea??

Don Evans

120Vac *can* be attached by solder to an approved type of glass or phenolic

circuit board inside the correct kind of enclosure. UL generally will not

approve its use just about anywhere else for power-line connections.

Solder is great for some low-voltage dc purposes. When a connection might

get subjected to heat (as in a house fire, resistive connection, etc.) the

mischief that running solder can cause is just too great for it to be a good

idea, so codes do not approve it in most areas. [Sorta like teflon tape in

high-pressure gas lines. :-)] Over time, electrolysis slowly destroys

soldered copper connections that aren't hermetically sealed, too. Some fungi

accelerate that.



Above copied from an unnamed forum but the information is accurate as far as the solder degrading.

This is something to keep in mind when doing any DIY hood project. Get a

copy of the UL construction-code book. You'll find that *all* connections

should be inside a non-meltable (fire-retardant) enclosure, via screw

terminals, wire nuts, or compression fittings of some kind. Heat and

humidity can quickly cause electrolytic corrosion on any soldered joint,

eventually causing enough resistance for it to get hot and melt down.

Re: Wiring Idea??

Jay Lombardo

A simple solution to your question might be to splice the six hots from the socket together with a pig tail wire 7 total in a small burndy split bolt. cover with rubber tape and then plastic tape over that. Repeat for the neutrals. This is done on the bench. When installing the fixture just wire nut the pig tails to the incoming lines.

I have used this method of connection thousands of times from fixture wires up to 500 MCM's. Retired electrician.

P.S

Not a big fan of push in electrical connections. Whether they are connectors or especially not on the back of your outlets. NEVER use those back stab connections. Contracted with many fire and flood restoration companies for a time and those stupid connections caused many fires, in combination with some pretty stupid moves by the homeowner

Re: Wiring Idea??

Jay Lombardo

Re: Wiring Idea??

Tom Norton

Jay, I like this idea. I will be using 18 ga wire from the sockets. So basically 7 or 9 wires need to be "clamped" in the split bolt. Any suggestion as to which size to look for?

Thanks

Re: Wiring Idea??

Jay Lombardo

Your're probably looking for the smallest one you can find or maybe the second . Something like a KS15. Not sure if the big box stores even sell them but any electrical supply house will have them in all sizes. The size you need is about 3 or 4 bucks. If the smallest one you can get is just a little big you can strip the wires a little long and after you twist them all together, fold the splice over and double its size to make sure the splice is tightly clamped.

Good Luck

Jay

Re: Wiring Idea??

Tom Norton

Thanks Jay! And Merry Christmas!