Fast wire help please!

So being a total noob at wiring I wasted too much in assembling my diy hlg 600w. Just the basic red black. Where can I get more and what do I look for? Canada if it helps.

Thought I could figure it out and went to Canadian tire and couldn't find anything.

Sitting at tim hortons sipping a double double waiting on a reply lol!

This is the wire.

It's a pretty small gauge so I think I can use any 300v copper wire so long as it fits in the wire receptical. But I'm worried there may be something wrong with using 2 different gauges.

Automotive supply should have lots of wire in different gauges. Auto parts counter at Canuk Tire should be able to help.

Most lights I've seen are using 18 gauge wire.
Any color will do...just make sure all the "+" use same color and all "-" use another.
Maybe a little further up that wire you'll see "18 to 22 AWG" ?

Mak'er Grow said:

Most lights I've seen are using 18 gauge wire.
Any color will do...just make sure all the "+" use same color and all "-" use another.
Maybe a little further up that wire you'll see "18 to 22 AWG" ?

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Hey I bought one that ended up a thicker gauge. Shouldn't be a problem right?

P10p said:

Hey I bought one that ended up a thicker gauge. Shouldn't be a problem right?

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I doubt it as heavier is usually better but if half your wires are different there might be an imbalance when wiring up LEDs.

I'm no electrician tho and just do basic house wiring at my own house.

P10p said:

Hey I bought one that ended up a thicker gauge. Shouldn't be a problem right?

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Depends...if going into a connector on a strip or QB board it may need to be a certain gauge or size.

Mak'er Grow said:

Depends...if going into a connector on a strip or QB board it may need to be a certain gauge or size.

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The wire I bought seems to work, I guess i'll have to keep an eye on it?

I believe the wire that comes with it is about 20 gauge, I got a 16 gauge. Fits in the connector and works for now.

P10p said:

The wire I bought seems to work, I guess i'll have to keep an eye on it?

I believe the wire that comes with it is about 20 gauge, I got a 16 gauge. Fits in the connector and works for now.

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Using a smaller wire gauge (ie. larger wire diameter) is fine. What could be dangerous is using a larger gauge wire (ie. smaller wire diameter) where a lower gauge is required. If a wire can't carry the current, it could start a fire.

If the existing wire is 20ga and you went with 16ga or 18ga, you'll be good. You just can't go the opposite way (eg. use 22ga where existing is 20).

You really should know for sure though, it almost sounds like you're guessing. Lights are meant to be run continuously, and hence put continuous current across the wire. The wrong gauge and it could heat up.

spek9 said:

Using a smaller wire gauge (ie. larger wire diameter) is fine. What could be dangerous is using a larger gauge wire (ie. smaller wire diameter) where a lower gauge is required. If a wire can't carry the current, it could start a fire.

If the existing wire is 20ga and you went with 16ga or 18ga, you'll be good. You just can't go the opposite way (eg. use 22ga where existing is 20).

You really should know for sure though, it almost sounds like you're guessing. Lights are meant to be run continuously, and hence put continuous current across the wire. The wrong gauge and it could heat up.

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This is absolutely true. I was definitely being impatient.

I'm half worried now because it definitely is a thicker wire in diameter you can just tell but its a different type of wire. The one that came with the kit seemed less copper colour and more silver colour. It was also one solid wire.

The one I bought, while thicker, was copper. It was also strands of copper wound together to make the wire, not one solid piece. Any worries? From the research I did I think the copper wire I bought is just how its normally sold in Canada, or its braided because it is a thicker wire.

P10p said:

This is absolutely true. I was definitely being impatient.

I'm half worried now because it definitely is a thicker wire in diameter you can just tell but its a different type of wire. The one that came with the kit seemed less copper colour and more silver colour. It was also one solid wire.

The one I bought, while thicker, was copper. It was also strands of copper wound together to make the wire, not one solid piece. Any worries? From the research I did I think the copper wire I bought is just how its normally sold in Canada, or its braided because it is a thicker wire.

Click to expand...

Stranded or solid at these lower sizes is fine. It's the gauge that matters. As long as you are certain that you're equal or larger in size (smaller in gauge), you'll be good.

You shouldn't have any issues as long as it makes a good connection.

Thanks for all the help everyone

So 16 gauge wire works in the molex connectors on the QB boards? One guy tried to force in 14AWG and broke the molex connector.