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people seemed to be taking my qestion wrong
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chad
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When I read about how to select wire gauge, it talks about length of run and amps. This part I understand. However, I'm installing some LED light strips. When I do the math, I end up wanting These lights will be powered by a wire that24V output power supply.

These LED bars say you can carry 5 amps butconnect 10 or 16 feet of them in a chain, depending on how many connections. The real limit is 10 connections. There are 1 ft and 2 ft bars, hence 10 and 16 being different. Basically, they are calling out that the run lengthreal limit is confusing to me10 connections.

Does it meanSince the entire run length ofreal limit is the circuit? This would be several segmentsnumber of LED barsconnections, various connectors from the manufacturer as well as some wire I will add myself. I'm addingthink I can inject a 20 foot section between twolength of thewire between bars. A 20 foot run with In trying to calculate the wire gauge for this segment, I use 5 amps implies something likeAmps and 20 feet, which gives me a conservatively sized 14 AWG wire.

BUT .. shouldAND MY QUESTION:

I be calculatingunderstand the entire length ofmath behind the circuit? This would be more like 40 feet. This would make sense to me, but it would imply something like a 1214 AWG wire as cited above. But what throws me off is that the connectors from However, once the manufacturerrun of LED bars starts, andeach segment is then connected with all light fixtures ever it seems, all have likea 22 AWG wiresgauge wire. So, how does that work? Obviously And, if I didn't need the extra length, the wire they were doingship with, for connecting the math onpower supply to the whole lengthhead of the circuitlight bars, that wouldn't workis also 22 gauge.

Is the real answer that 40 foot segment can be broken intoWhy does the various segments of differentmath call for a larger gauge and the wire gauge / amps math is only on the length of the 12 AWG and, then, onwhile the length ofappliance connecting to it has much smaller wires? Aren't those smaller wires to the 22 AWG on its owndevice carrying the same current? Why can they be smaller?

When I read about how to select wire gauge, it talks about length of run and amps. This part I understand. However, I'm installing some LED light strips. When I do the math, I end up wanting a wire that can carry 5 amps but the run length is confusing to me.

Does it mean the entire run length of the circuit? This would be several segments of LED bars, various connectors from the manufacturer as well as some wire I will add myself. I'm adding a 20 foot section between two of the bars. A 20 foot run with 5 amps implies something like a 14 AWG wire.

BUT .. should I be calculating the entire length of the circuit? This would be more like 40 feet. This would make sense to me, but it would imply something like a 12 AWG wire. But what throws me off is that the connectors from the manufacturer, and with all light fixtures ever it seems, all have like 22 AWG wires. So, how does that work? Obviously, if they were doing the math on the whole length of the circuit, that wouldn't work.

Is the real answer that 40 foot segment can be broken into the various segments of different gauge and the wire gauge / amps math is only on the length of the 12 AWG and, then, on the length of the 22 AWG on its own?

When I read about how to select wire gauge, it talks about length of run and amps. This part I understand. However, I'm installing some LED light strips. These lights will be powered by a 24V output power supply.

These LED bars say you can connect 10 or 16 feet of them in a chain, depending on how many connections. The real limit is 10 connections. There are 1 ft and 2 ft bars, hence 10 and 16 being different. Basically, they are calling out that the real limit is 10 connections.

Since the real limit is the number of connections, I think I can inject a 20 foot length of wire between bars. In trying to calculate the wire gauge for this segment, I use 5 Amps and 20 feet, which gives me a conservatively sized 14 AWG wire.

AND MY QUESTION:

I understand the math behind the 14 AWG wire as cited above. However, once the run of LED bars starts, each segment is then connected with a 22 gauge wire. And, if I didn't need the extra length, the wire they ship with, for connecting the power supply to the head of the light bars, is also 22 gauge.

Why does the math call for a larger gauge wire, while the appliance connecting to it has much smaller wires? Aren't those smaller wires to the device carrying the same current? Why can they be smaller?

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edit approved Nov 20, 2022 at 3:53
Jacob Krall
edit approved Nov 20, 2022 at 3:53
Jacob Krall
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Choosing Wire GuageGauge

When I read about how to select wire gauge, it talks about length of run and amps. This part I understand. However, I'm installing some LED light strips. When I do the math, I end up wanting a wire that can carry 5Amps5 amps but the run lenghtlength is confusing to me.

Does it mean the entire run length of the circuit? This would be several segments of ledLED bars, various connectors from the manufacturer as well as some wire I will add myself. I'm adding a 20 foot section between two of the bars. A 20 foot run with 5 Ampsamps implies something like a 14 AWG wire.

BUT .. should I be calculating the entire length of the circuit? This would be more like 40 feet. This would make sense to me, but it would imply something like a 12 AWG wire. But what throws me off is that the connectors from the manufacturer, and with all light fixtures ever it seems, all have like 22 AWG wires. So, how does that work? Obviously, if they were doing the math on the whole length of the circuit, that wouldn't work.

Is the real answer that 40 foot segment can be broken into the various segments of different gauge and the wire gauge / amps math is only on the length of the 12 AWG and, then, on the length of the 22 AWG on it'sits own?

Choosing Wire Guage

When I read about how to select wire gauge, it talks about length of run and amps. This part I understand. However, I'm installing some LED light strips. When I do the math, I end up wanting a wire that can carry 5Amps but the run lenght is confusing to me.

Does it mean the entire run length of the circuit? This would be several segments of led bars, various connectors from the manufacturer as well as some wire I will add myself. I'm adding a 20 foot section between two of the bars. A 20 foot run with 5 Amps implies something like a 14 AWG wire.

BUT .. should I be calculating the entire length of the circuit? This would be more like 40 feet. This would make sense to me, but it would imply something like a 12 AWG wire. But what throws me off is that the connectors from the manufacturer, and with all light fixtures ever it seems, all have like 22 AWG wires. So, how does that work? Obviously, if they were doing the math on the whole length of the circuit, that wouldn't work.

Is the real answer that 40 foot segment can be broken into the various segments of different gauge and the wire gauge / amps math is only on the length of the 12 AWG and, then, on the length of the 22 AWG on it's own?

Choosing Wire Gauge

When I read about how to select wire gauge, it talks about length of run and amps. This part I understand. However, I'm installing some LED light strips. When I do the math, I end up wanting a wire that can carry 5 amps but the run length is confusing to me.

Does it mean the entire run length of the circuit? This would be several segments of LED bars, various connectors from the manufacturer as well as some wire I will add myself. I'm adding a 20 foot section between two of the bars. A 20 foot run with 5 amps implies something like a 14 AWG wire.

BUT .. should I be calculating the entire length of the circuit? This would be more like 40 feet. This would make sense to me, but it would imply something like a 12 AWG wire. But what throws me off is that the connectors from the manufacturer, and with all light fixtures ever it seems, all have like 22 AWG wires. So, how does that work? Obviously, if they were doing the math on the whole length of the circuit, that wouldn't work.

Is the real answer that 40 foot segment can be broken into the various segments of different gauge and the wire gauge / amps math is only on the length of the 12 AWG and, then, on the length of the 22 AWG on its own?

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chad
chad
  • 245
  • 2
  • 4
  • 8

Choosing Wire Guage

When I read about how to select wire gauge, it talks about length of run and amps. This part I understand. However, I'm installing some LED light strips. When I do the math, I end up wanting a wire that can carry 5Amps but the run lenght is confusing to me.

Does it mean the entire run length of the circuit? This would be several segments of led bars, various connectors from the manufacturer as well as some wire I will add myself. I'm adding a 20 foot section between two of the bars. A 20 foot run with 5 Amps implies something like a 14 AWG wire.

BUT .. should I be calculating the entire length of the circuit? This would be more like 40 feet. This would make sense to me, but it would imply something like a 12 AWG wire. But what throws me off is that the connectors from the manufacturer, and with all light fixtures ever it seems, all have like 22 AWG wires. So, how does that work? Obviously, if they were doing the math on the whole length of the circuit, that wouldn't work.

Is the real answer that 40 foot segment can be broken into the various segments of different gauge and the wire gauge / amps math is only on the length of the 12 AWG and, then, on the length of the 22 AWG on it's own?