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11-11-2017, 00:44
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Kingston, Ontario
Boat: Hans Christian 43
Posts: 382
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Connecting LED dome lights small wires to big wires...
I am looking for a solution.
The wire to all my dome light locations is good quality(Ancor) wire BUT it is 14ga. They are also very inaccesible to replace. The new LED fixtures have very small wires (22ga?)
The lights are divided into 2 circuits, 5 lights each, port and starboard, each with a 15A breaker. There is currently no fuse in either circuit.
1 how do I make the actual wire to wire splice? I have not seen any reducers that span that large a range
2 do I need to fuse these circuits?
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11-11-2017, 00:58
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Santa Cruz
Boat: SAnta Cruz 27
Posts: 7,198
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Re: Connecting LED dome lights small wires to big wires...
Strip back the 22 ga wire further than normal and double or triple it over in the crimp fitting. In theory, the breakers should be reduced to 5 amps--the breakers are the fuses, as they will trip at their rated amps.
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11-11-2017, 01:05
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Vancouver Island
Boat: Hullmaster 27
Posts: 1,128
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Re: Connecting LED dome lights small wires to big wires...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rowglide
1 how do I make the actual wire to wire splice? I have not seen any reducers that span that large a range
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you mean like these:
https://www.marineoutfitters.ca/inde...e=884345010142
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11-11-2017, 07:00
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Full time cruisers
Boat: Krogen 42
Posts: 403
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Re: Connecting LED dome lights small wires to big wires...
You can wrap the small and large wires together then use just one end of a crimp connector
__________________
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Terry
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11-11-2017, 07:06
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#5
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Senior Cruiser

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,307
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Re: Connecting LED dome lights small wires to big wires...
I had the same question a couple of years ago and got five pages of opinions and recommendations.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...res-99456.html
And again another discussion here.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...es-169756.html
Depending on the situation and relative wire sizes I use a couple of different techniques mentioned in the above discussions.
__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
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11-11-2017, 07:55
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: North Charleston, SC
Boat: Camano Troll
Posts: 5,176
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Re: Connecting LED dome lights small wires to big wires...
Quote:
Originally Posted by donradcliffe
Strip back the 22 ga wire further than normal and double or triple it over in the crimp fitting. In theory, the breakers should be reduced to 5 amps--the breakers are the fuses, as they will trip at their rated amps.
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This would be the best answer to both questions.
__________________
Ron
HIGH COTTON
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11-11-2017, 08:03
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Kentucky
Boat: 1969 Rhodes 28'
Posts: 307
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Re: Connecting LED dome lights small wires to big wires...
This may be heresy, but my preference for connections that are unlikely to be undone anytime soon is soldering and insulating with shrink tubing. In my experience this is more reliable in the long term.
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11-11-2017, 10:34
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Boat: Tayana 37
Posts: 152
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Re: Connecting LED dome lights small wires to big wires...
Quote:
Originally Posted by donradcliffe
Strip back the 22 ga wire further than normal and double or triple it over in the crimp fitting. In theory, the breakers should be reduced to 5 amps--the breakers are the fuses, as they will trip at their rated amps.
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The "theory" is incorrect.
Wiring 101 teaches that the fuse is sized to protect the wire itself from short circuit, not the device supplied by the wire.
The fuse size is related to the wire gauge.
Splicing the wires by folding together in spiral format and soldering is the only reliable method of joining small gauge wiring, followed by insulation with heat shrink tubing for insulation
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11-11-2017, 10:36
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: East shore Mobile Bay AL
Boat: ODAY 28
Posts: 425
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Re: Connecting LED dome lights small wires to big wires...
I use soldering as well but not always a option, I do strip back and double to triple the wire. and never had a problem.
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11-11-2017, 10:40
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#10
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cruiser
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Charleston, SC
Boat: 53' Hatteras Cruising Yacht
Posts: 175
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Re: Connecting LED dome lights small wires to big wires...
As all have said twist the wires together. I use "dipit liquid rubber". Fantastic stuff. Just dip the connection and an inch back on both sides of the wired connection.
Seals really well. I use a different color dipit so u know where the connection was made in case of troubleshooting or changes.
Lowe's, Home Depot, other, and online
Good luck.
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11-11-2017, 10:56
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Kentucky
Boat: 1969 Rhodes 28'
Posts: 307
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Re: Connecting LED dome lights small wires to big wires...
I should mention that using the new no-lead solder is more difficult than the traditional 60/40 kind. Fortunately I have a lifetime stash of the good stuff.
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11-11-2017, 11:18
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Santa Cruz
Boat: SAnta Cruz 27
Posts: 7,198
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Re: Connecting LED dome lights small wires to big wires...
Quote:
Originally Posted by kish
The "theory" is incorrect.
Wiring 101 teaches that the fuse is sized to protect the wire itself from short circuit, not the device supplied by the wire.
The fuse size is related to the wire gauge.
Splicing the wires by folding together in spiral format and soldering is the only reliable method of joining small gauge wiring, followed by insulation with heat shrink tubing for insulation
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Ahh, little grasshopper, maybe you don't know the ampacity for 22 gauge wire is 5 amps.
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11-11-2017, 11:35
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: North Charleston, SC
Boat: Camano Troll
Posts: 5,176
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Re: Connecting LED dome lights small wires to big wires...
Quote:
Originally Posted by kish
The "theory" is incorrect.
Wiring 101 teaches that the fuse is sized to protect the wire itself from short circuit, not the device supplied by the wire.
The fuse size is related to the wire gauge.
Splicing the wires by folding together in spiral format and soldering is the only reliable method of joining small gauge wiring, followed by insulation with heat shrink tubing for insulation
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Incorrect on both counts. Even though there is 14 gauge wire at for most of the circuit, protecting for 14 gauge wire leaves the leads to the LED fixtures unprotected. Replacing the breakers with 5 amp breakers protects this portion of the circuit.
Soldering is not the approved method for splicing wires. Crimp connectors are the recommended way. Now if you're talking about connecting #22 or smaller wires to each other, I might agree with you but not #22 to #14.
__________________
Ron
HIGH COTTON
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11-11-2017, 11:39
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: North Charleston, SC
Boat: Camano Troll
Posts: 5,176
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Re: Connecting LED dome lights small wires to big wires...
Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthernPride
As all have said twist the wires together. I use "dipit liquid rubber". Fantastic stuff. Just dip the connection and an inch back on both sides of the wired connection.
Seals really well. I use a different color dipit so u know where the connection was made in case of troubleshooting or changes.
Lowe's, Home Depot, other, and online
Good luck.
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You are suggesting using neither crimp connectors nor soldering but just twisting the wires together and dipping in liquid rubber?
That takes the cake!
Soldering beats that by a long shot and soldering is not the best, nor the approved way of connecting wires together.
__________________
Ron
HIGH COTTON
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11-11-2017, 11:40
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Kentucky
Boat: 1969 Rhodes 28'
Posts: 307
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Re: Connecting LED dome lights small wires to big wires...
Quote:
Originally Posted by rwidman
Soldering is not the approved method for splicing wires. Crimp connectors are the recommended way. Now if you're talking about connecting #22 or smaller wires to each other, I might agree with you but not #22 to #14.
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Not approved by who and why not?
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