Tapping led driver wire into house wire

Thread Starter

WAstarita

Joined Jan 20, 2017
2
I've purchased a few of these led disc lights https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CY9P90U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They are going in my basement, I figuring 2 every 8 feet or so, totaling 12 -14 (depending if I branch off with smaller ones over the laundry area. Each one comes with its own little driver, I'm going to encase them in steel junction boxes to be safe but the line side wires are only 26awg. My plan was to run one "common" 14-2 down the center of the ceiling and tap into it for each light. Is there a tap or a safe connector that I can do this with? I'd prefer to use connectors as the driver only has a 5 inch pigtail, I don't want to strip too much back or have to get into soldering new wire to the board.

Thanks in adavance
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
Electrical code says wires too small to be protected by the circuit breaker must be housed in a closed box.
I think you smelled this coming, but here's your confirmation.
 

Thread Starter

WAstarita

Joined Jan 20, 2017
2
Agreed, but thats not what I was asking. Is there a better connector then just a wire nut for connecting such a difference in gauges of wire?
 

AnalogKid

Joined Aug 1, 2013
10,989
3M and others make insulation-displacement clamp-on splice connections. These are a popular way to add stuff to automotive wiring, but others are rated for house wiring. When my company replaced all of the inductive ballasts with solid state, the installers went through bags of them. The technique would be to strip off the outer 14-2 jacket, separate the white and black, and clamp on a tapped connection. It would be safe, but as a flying splice not in a fireproof box, probably not meet code.

ak
 
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