I'm trying to re-wire a chandelier (8-light-candelabra) and am having a devil of a time finding wire that matches what came out of it...I didn't know better, so went to lowes and got 18/2 wire (that is too small - or at least is smaller than the original) and SPT-2 16/2 wire that I can't get through the (18") tube. Lowes claims to have SPT-1 16/2 wire from southwire, but it's a lie...it's the SPT-2 that I bought, even though the description says it's SPT-1. Checked the usual suspects (ebay, amazon, walmart) and can't find this. Should I just go ahead and use the 18/2? I do see SPT-1 16/2 (if it's not also a lie) listed at an elec supply shop on the other coast, but is this really that rare?
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Using smaller gauge wire than what came with the light is not allowed. I would check with a local electrical supply store for the wire needed. Big box stores usually only have what sells. Some online only stores sell suspect electrical products.– crip659Commented Mar 31, 2023 at 20:24
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Please confirm, you pulled out the old wire– DIY75Commented Mar 31, 2023 at 20:26
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2What is the total wattage (actual watts, not "equivalent") of the 8 lights?– manassehkatz-Moving 2 CodidactCommented Mar 31, 2023 at 20:35
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lol...yeah, I've pulled out the old wire. The total wattage (in theory, I'm not hip to the newfangled led lights), is 20 (8 X "25 Watt replacement using only 2.5 Watts (200 lumens)").– J.S.Commented Mar 31, 2023 at 21:09
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1That was the mistake, you could have used the old wire to pull the new one. Try puting the old wire in and use it to pull the new wire (with some lube)– DIY75Commented Mar 31, 2023 at 23:39
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1 Answer
18/2 lamp cord is rated for 10 amps. If your fixture does not exceed that, you are OK. One can only speculate why the original (or is it?) wire used was 16/2, but such speculations are irrelevant.
