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For my home I would like to connect several led lamps (G9 Connector), to a cable wire.

I thought to cut the wire in several points, and using an electrical tape, to connect it directly. I don't want to use a lamp socket, since it's ugly. I want that it will looks "transparency" when it's turned off.

  • Is it safe? (I will turn of the home main power plug)
  • There is a better way to do it?

I don't want to use pre-made lamp strings since I want to design it and decide where exatcly will be each lamp.

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  • Are these lamps going to be exposed, or concealed behind fixturing/trim?
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Commented Apr 28, 2019 at 16:00
  • What voltage will these be?
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Commented Apr 28, 2019 at 16:21

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Low Voltage For Safety

If you run these lamps directly off mains (120V - 240V, depending on region), you are, quite literally, playing with fire.

The good news is, LEDs are inherently low voltage DC creatures, not mains voltage AC beasts. So use an inexpensive UL (or equivalent) tested/certified converted to switch from mains AC to 12V (or similar, varies by application) DC. Then you can play around with the lamp wiring with much less risk of hazards, including both life safety and fire.

Electrical Tape is NOT a Primary Connection Method

Electrical tape is great for:

  • Labeling - e.g., mark two ends of a wire with the same color for identification, or mark with white tape and then write a number or letter on the white tape.
  • Extra Security - e.g., wrap a loose wire nut to keep it tight (I've seen several references to this being a good idea for a wire nut on a single wire)
  • Quick Patching - wrap around insulation nicked in an extension cord
  • Testing/prototyping - temporary use to connect wires together for purposes of testing before permanently connecting the wires

It is NOT normally for permanent wiring (low or high voltage). I've learned this over the years (with low voltage!). Basically, electrical tape (or any tape) doesn't really hold wires together. A wire nut (US) or other connectors designed for holding wires together work much better. In particular, most (all?) of these connectors have conductive metal inside them which securely contacts all of the wires, instead of relying on a manual twisting of the wires to provide all the connections.

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    A loose wire nut that won't stay on except for using tape, is also a loose connection. It will fail in an arcing mode, creating a lot of heat and potentially starting a fire. The answer for loose wire nuts is "fix your technique". Different deal if the nut is capping a single wire. Nuts aren't made for single wires, so taping it on is necessary.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Commented Apr 28, 2019 at 16:23
  • @manassehkatz: Thanks for the great tip of the wire nut you saved my life. Are you sure that if I use for e.g. this product G9 5W 220V-240V is the same product will work behind a UL. Can I use for e.g. a laptop adapter and connect it to this lamp? In other works, is this lamp will work in 12V DC? amazon.com/220V-240V-White-Energy-Saving-Replacement-Spotlight/…
    – Aminadav Glickshtein
    Commented Apr 28, 2019 at 19:51
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    @AminadavGlickshtein The bulb you linked to is a mains voltage AC bulb. While internally (as all LEDs) runs on low voltage DC, the bulb includes a converter from AC 220 to DC 12(or similar). I am suggesting using an adapter to get DC and then using bulbs that are designed to run on DC. They might be bulbs designed to go with a DC power pack (i.e., the same type of thing as I am suggesting for your homebrew project) or might be designed for automotive use (typically 12V DC) or other battery-powered applications.
    – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
    Commented Apr 28, 2019 at 19:55
  • Thanks. I didn't found yet 12v G9 DC LED. I will continue my search. Thanks again.
    – Aminadav Glickshtein
    Commented Apr 28, 2019 at 20:04
  • @AminadavGlickshtein If you aren't using actual sockets, you don't need to limit yourself to G9 form factor.
    – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
    Commented Apr 28, 2019 at 20:15

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