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Lowes had stranded 16ga-2 lamp wire. Would this be ok for bed accessories and lighting?
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Lamp Wire for exterior use?
- Thread starter jonathan1994
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If not cord clearly rated as being for outdoor use (may also be labeled landscape), that would be a hard no.
Personally, would eschew 16 gauge as being too thin and would opt for 14 or 12.
Personally, would eschew 16 gauge as being too thin and would opt for 14 or 12.
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- #3
If all you're planning on powering is, say, a strip or few strips of LEDs you should be able to get away with it, again provided it is outdoor rated. If planning on ever needing to power anything which draws more amperage than that I'd opine on erring on the side of caution. Generally speaking, the thicker the gauge the more robust the cladding and insulation which will be exposed to the elements.
Picking the brains of someone at a bona fide hardware/home improvement store could well be advantageous as to what is available, even should you end up not purchasing it there.
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As others have posted, amperage draw and length of wire is important when selecting proper gauge of wire. If your using it for LED’s, assuming amperage is low, 16ga, is fine but the length of the wire is important too. The longer the wire, the thicker it needs to be to provide the same electrical load.
As for the type, avoid Lamp wire. It lacks UV resistance and will degrade, develop cracks that expose wire and could cause electrical shorts and fires. Also, Lamp wire is not always 100% copper, you may notice different color conductors designed for residential AC wiring, instead of DC automotive wiring. Stick with DC automotive wiring because it’s more resistant to UV damage and is manufactured with more copper strands to resist wire damage from vibrations.
As for the type, avoid Lamp wire. It lacks UV resistance and will degrade, develop cracks that expose wire and could cause electrical shorts and fires. Also, Lamp wire is not always 100% copper, you may notice different color conductors designed for residential AC wiring, instead of DC automotive wiring. Stick with DC automotive wiring because it’s more resistant to UV damage and is manufactured with more copper strands to resist wire damage from vibrations.
16g would be plenty to power small LEDs, but the issue becomes circuit protection. You need to use a wire that can safely carry the fused amperage. If you're using the add-on 12v in the rear of the bed, those circuits are rated for 20 amps. If you use too thin of a wire, and it shorts out, the wire risks melting and burning before blowing the fuse.
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