If you’re looking for a way to make your landscape stand out at night, low-voltage lighting may be the perfect solution. These types of lights are affordable, easy to install, and won’t crack or leak after being left outside in the elements. If you’re installing your own low-voltage system, splicing together different lengths of wire is an essential step. Whether you need to extend the length of a single lead or connect two wires together, splicing is the process that enables these things to happen safely and effectively. A great way to splice wires is by using a barrel splice. This type of splice provides strength above standard methods and is easy to remove if future maintenance is needed. If you want to learn more about splicing low-voltage landscape lighting wire follow along with this guide!
What You’ll Need
A wire stripper, pair of wire cutters, an electrical tape gun and electrical tape, a wire stripper, a wire cutter, a small screwdriver, and a soldering iron. You’ll also want to find a safe place to work.
Step 1: Cut Your Wires to the Desired Length
If you’re splicing wires you’ll want to make sure you cut them to the appropriate length. Cutting a wire too short can cause damage to the system that could lead to reduced performance or other issues. If you’re splicing wires together, the length doesn’t matter.
Step 2: Strip Away the Existing Coating
Each type of wire has an outer coating that must be removed before splicing. Failure to remove this coating could result in a splice that fails to hold up as efficiently as it should. The best way to remove this coating is to use a wire stripper. Be sure to cut the coating as close to the wire as you can so that there is no overlap.
Step 3: Twist the Wires Together and Apply Soldering Fluid
Twist the two wires together and apply some solder to the joint. Don’t add too much solder, as this could cause a big mess. If you’re using a lower voltage wire like most people who install low voltage lighting do, you’ll want to apply a smaller amount of solder to the joint.
Step 4: Splice in the Barrel and Protect With Heat Shrink Tubing
Splice the wires together by feeding the two ends of the wire through a barrel splice. This will help ensure that the wires stay in the correct position and don’t move around when they’re in use. After you’ve completed the splice, use heat shrink tubing to protect the splice from the elements. This is especially important if you’re splicing a low voltage wire with a 12-volt lead.
Conclusion
Splicing low voltage landscape lighting wire is an easy way to make your setup stronger and more efficient. If you follow these steps you’ll be able to make your wiring setup look professional and keep it safe from the elements.