This may be a dumb question, but I am gonna ask anyway just to make sure. The description says "Compatible with 12V lighting systems". I have a 12 gauge wire pre-installed, can I hook this pathlights directly to my existing wires? Do I need to change bulbs on the lights? Do I need to change anything before tapping into my 12 gauge wires?My total watts is way below 100watts, maybe around 52watts right now, and I am planning to add six of this lights. This may be a dumb question, but I am gonna ask anyway just to make sure. The description says "Compatible with 12V lighting systems". I have a 12 gauge wire pre-installed, can I... » Read More This may be a dumb question, but I am gonna ask anyway just to make sure. The description says "Compatible with 12V lighting systems". I have a 12 gauge wire pre-installed, can I hook this pathlights directly to my existing wires? Do I need to change bulbs on the lights? Do I need to change anything before tapping into my 12 gauge wires?My total watts is way below 100watts, maybe around 52watts right now, and I am planning to add six of this lights. « Show Less
789649
No question is a dumb question. When in doubt, just ask, that is all. YES, you can tap into your existing 12 gauge wire without any problem. 12 gauge can carry lot of current, lot than you need for your 12 volt system and ,like you said, you are only at 52 watts -you can easily add more if you want. I am at 110 watts, no issues what so ever for the last 2 years. So relax and do what you want to do: add one more lights. Also look at your transformer, check it is designed for how many watts. They go anywhere from 50 watts to upward of 200 watts
789650
The wire is probably OK as long as it is stranded copper like lamp cord wire as these lamps use snap connectors. Your transformer will dictate how many lights you can put on the circuit. If you have a 300 watt 12 volt transformer you could put 30 10 watt lamps on the circuit as long as your run is not too long. Bulb changes should not be required.
789651
I always go ahead and swap bulbs to LED type that are 1 or 2 watts each bulb and can have many more lights for the same wattage transformer. You then have the option of getting a lower wattage transformer to make the system even more efficient. And with a 50,000 hour life, you won't be changing bulbs anymore.
789652
If the limit on your transformer is 100 W and you have 52W installed now, then you can only add 4 of these because the bulbs are 10W.
1657713
only comes with the wire that is attached to each individual light. You have to get the low voltage wire (cut to the desired length you need to go through your garden) separately at Home Depot or similar store. The employee there should be able to help you choose the correct wire. You will need to measure where you want it to go in order to tell him how much you need. Hope this helps. Once you get them connected and working you'll love them. I do. I've had mine for years. You'll need an electrician to connect them to the transformer or someone that knows how to do it. Enjoy!
528567
What if you have one more light, WHAT?How do you hook them up? I put all the red wires together and all the black wires together and hook them to power. Red to positive and black to ground. OR I hook up a positive thru the switch I'm using, and a ground from the battery then I "tap" into each with the LED strip wires. You HAVE TO WIRE THEM CORRECTLY RED TO POSITIVE, BLACK TO NEGATIVE OR THE LED WON'T WORK AT ALL. Its not like a regular light bulb that can be wired in reverse. Hope all this mess helps you.
1979147
On mine, there were two solid colored wires (blue & brown?), and one (yellow) with a stripe. When I opened the back of the light, I found that the striped wire just ended and was not connected to anything. My guess is that they found 3-lead wire cheaper than 2 or 4-lead so that's what we get. The other two solid wires seem to work interchangeably as + or -, so they apparently added circuitry to make them idiot-proof.Short Answer:Striped wire: Not usedOther two: Connect to 12V DC
1978304
This is a more complex problem than it would seem. I tend to use overkill when sizing wire to a given load. In addition, a friend replaced all of my fixtures original quartz halogen bulbs with LED's that draw less current. And generally speaking, it is not just the load in amperes, but the length of the wire run in feet that determines the wire gauge needed. I would suggest that you employ someone with knowledge in electronics to size and determine your layout. This is especially true if your layout is complex and heavily loaded. I wish I could be of more help, but I have to hire an electrician. Good luck! This is a more complex problem than it would seem. I tend to use overkill when sizing wire to a given load. In addition, a friend replaced all of my fixtures original quartz halogen bulbs with LED's that draw less current. And generally speaking, it is not just the load in amperes, but the length of the wire run in feet that determines the wire gauge needed. I would suggest that you employ someone with knowledge in electronics to size and determine your layout. This is especially true if your layout is complex and heavily loaded. I wish I could be of more help, but I have to hire an... » Read More This is a more complex problem than it would seem. I tend to use overkill when sizing wire to a given load. In addition, a friend replaced all of my fixtures original quartz halogen bulbs with LED's that draw less current. And generally speaking, it is not just the load in amperes, but the length of the wire run in feet that determines the wire gauge needed. I would suggest that you employ someone with knowledge in electronics to size and determine your layout. This is especially true if your layout is complex and heavily loaded. I wish I could be of more help, but I have to hire an electrician. Good luck! « Show Less
1756998
No, this particular version needs to be hardwired. There is another version, however, that works by just plugging it in. Be sure to check that out when you look in the descriptions for these lights.
1057299
Yes, you do have to wire around old ballast. It is no longer needed. I was able to plug the new ones right into the existing switch. Instructions were included. The first one took awhile to figure out because I did not want to damage anything. The next 6 lights were a breeze. One of the best things I've done to our motorhome. It seems we were always buying new bulbs and had one or two out. One bulb per fixture is OK. In some rooms I have two per fixture. Wifes bathroom where she wants more light. Have had them for 2-3 years no problem. Total of 12 bulbs in 8 fixtures. They work great. A little expensive compared to old tube replacements but haven't replaced any either. Would highly recommend these. Yes, you do have to wire around old ballast. It is no longer needed. I was able to plug the new ones right into the existing switch. Instructions were included. The first one took awhile to figure out because I did not want to damage anything. The next 6 lights were a breeze. One of the best things I've done to our motorhome. It seems we were always buying new bulbs and had one or two out. One bulb per fixture is OK. In some rooms I have two per fixture. Wifes bathroom where she wants more light. Have had them for 2-3 years no problem. Total of 12 bulbs in 8 fixtures. They work great. A... » Read More Yes, you do have to wire around old ballast. It is no longer needed. I was able to plug the new ones right into the existing switch. Instructions were included. The first one took awhile to figure out because I did not want to damage anything. The next 6 lights were a breeze. One of the best things I've done to our motorhome. It seems we were always buying new bulbs and had one or two out. One bulb per fixture is OK. In some rooms I have two per fixture. Wifes bathroom where she wants more light. Have had them for 2-3 years no problem. Total of 12 bulbs in 8 fixtures. They work great. A little expensive compared to old tube replacements but haven't replaced any either. Would highly recommend these. « Show Less
956293
My lights did come with those strange connectors. They are made such that you can strip the house wires and stick them into those connectors. My house wiring was not the correct gauge, so I cut the strange connectors off, striped the wires, and used wire nuts. Apparently the connectors are made for 14 gauge wire and my house wiring in that area is 12 gauge. Other than that little snag, installation went smooth and I have been very pleased with the lights.
1055797
We are happy to hear you enjoy your new LED Light Kit, and appreciate your inquiry. If you will please elaborate more on the connector you are needing, we will be able to better assist you. If you are needing additional light strips, we will list these available for purchase. If you are wishing a different type of connector we will need to know what type of connector you are looking for. We look forward to your response, and being able to assist you. Thank You SunWave
351680
These lights are NOT low voltage. I used threaded ridgid conduit (1/2 inch) for the post. The wires come straight out of the bottom of the light (there is no cavity to house the electrical wires) therefor you will need a straight through connector; such as a c-series LB, LR, etc. conduit body.
921200
Donna,FYI - I bought and installed this exact system with no difficulty. Your comment/question is too vague to answer. To recap the usual installation: the red dimmer wire must connect to the "+" side of the LED strip, and the black wire must connect to the "-" side. This is mandatory or else the LED's won't turn on. The dimmer is then plugged into the transformer, and naturally the transformer must be plugged into an active 120 volt outlet. Also, double check that you have good connections at the LED strip. If this doesn't help you, please explain in more detail how you have your system set up. I'd be happy to help you.Doobster Donna,FYI - I bought and installed this exact system with no difficulty. Your comment/question is too vague to answer. To recap the usual installation: the red dimmer wire must connect to the "+" side of the LED strip, and the black wire must connect to the "-" side. This is mandatory or else the LED's won't turn on. The dimmer is then plugged into the transformer, and naturally the transformer must be plugged into an active 120 volt outlet. Also, double check that you have good connections at the LED strip. If this doesn't help you, please explain in more detail... » Read More Donna,FYI - I bought and installed this exact system with no difficulty. Your comment/question is too vague to answer. To recap the usual installation: the red dimmer wire must connect to the "+" side of the LED strip, and the black wire must connect to the "-" side. This is mandatory or else the LED's won't turn on. The dimmer is then plugged into the transformer, and naturally the transformer must be plugged into an active 120 volt outlet. Also, double check that you have good connections at the LED strip. If this doesn't help you, please explain in more detail how you have your system set up. I'd be happy to help you.Doobster « Show Less
405717
I don't mean to be a smart aleck, but they control whatever function you hook them up to. I was replacing my old pigtail and the wires in the new cable were a perfect match. I used an ohm meter to run the wires and make sure they went to the same pin on the plug as the old ones, and they did. I just had to do a color for color swap over. I was also replacing a connector box on my trailer an missed a small ground wire connection, that really played havoc with my lights. Nothing was working correctly. Once I re-installed that small ground wire all was good.
1812427
Dear Jtucker, Thanks for your question. These two lights are not compatible to work with each other. Best regards, SunvalleyTek Customer Service
370312
You can Robin; you need to know how many watts, amps your lighting is - this is a very heavy gauge - the lower the number 12/3 - the more it can handle - you can probably get away with a higher gauge if you check a gauge chart....
1157765
No, this fixture is meant to be direct wired. That could also be a problem if these lights are wired in a series. The knock-outs are too small to fit 2 wires (one in and one out to the next light.
2133132
Comes with H4 connector, one that I wouldn't use for 100w bulbs. I cut the Main Power And Grounds off and found THICKLY INSULATED wire that equals approx 16 AWG wire. I say approx because this is made in Taiwan and they don't use our AWG (American Wire Gauge) scale. It wouldn't kill Taiwan and China to use a little thicker gauge wire if they're going to claim good for 100w bulbs like it says on the package. It should be at least the equivalent of 14 AWG wire because 16 AWG runs a 100W bulb right at a 3% voltage drop. That's ok for most electronics but with headlights every drop in voltage reduces lumen output.
28498
You are going to have to splice the wires to extend it. The cord they give you is a rather odd length, figuring that by the time you mount the light in some cases the wire has to go back a long the light wasting wire. I hope this helps.