I have the 150W Costco kit and a 100W Costco kit. I think I have a total of 13x 3w lamps and 10x 5w spots between them. Each light (lamp and spot) come with a 25’ lead that I think is 18 gauge but might be 16 (the stamped sheath is blurry). Most websites show that 16AWG is standard so perhaps it’s 16? Each kit comes with 100’ of 14 gauge wire for connecting hubs to the transformer The kits come with several 8-port round hubs The kit states that the maximum length between transformer and hub is 50’ and from hub to light is 25’ I understand that no more than 80% load on each transformer. My configuration would not exceed 25-30% on either. I have a 30 yr old established garden which makes identifying a simply straight wiring path tricky. The Costco kits include the round style hubs that have 8 grommeted holes but also have a central threaded hollow post. The wiring bus inside has 8 clamp style connector pairs. Q1: Is it acceptable to have 8 lighting wires come in, utilizing all 8 ports, and have transformer wire come in from underneath via the hollow threaded post? That would mean doubling up two of the lighting wires into a single pair of connectors. Q2: Online wire tables show that 14 gauge wire can be up to 100’ for 60W total. I want to run that 14AWG wire 75 to 80 feet and connect 6 of the kit lights totalling 20W, but the instructions say I’m limited to 50’. Can I exceed the kit’s stated limits? Q3: Online tables show that 16 gauge wire can be run up to 60’ for a max of 60W. For 3 or 4 lights, 25’ to a hub isn’t going to be long enough. Can I add additional wire to those lights and if so, how long can I make those? Assume I use high quality connectors. Q4: for those extended lights, should I replace the existing wire if they’re only 18AWG with 16 or 14 gauge in order to have those longer runs? Q5: My driveway is pebble cement and not something I can cut into. However, there are power and data lines crossing the driveway. Assuming it would be connected correctly, could I run the 14AWG wire along this existing set of wires? Can the wire coating withstand Seattle-style weather (degrade with moderate sun etc) and last 10+ years? Many thanks for your time and attention.
Hi, there. I’m a fellow DIYer who’s been installing lighting for about 25 years. I’ll try to address each of your questions as succinctly as possible. A1: I think the lead wire might be 14 gauge (which you should be able to confirm by comparing it to the 14 gauge wire included). I believe it’s at least 16. I’m not sure it’s possible to fit two wires (either 1 or 16) into a single hole but they’re only intended to supply power to one fixture each. Better to use an additional hub. A2: I think the 50 foot limit is because these are entry level kits that include very basic transformers. I think the 75 foot (including lead wire) max distance from the transformer is likely based on the assumption the consumer will install all of the included fixtures and add a handful more later. Given the number of included hubs, the kits are probably intended to have multiple 50 ft or shorter length runs but no hubs more than 50 ft from the transformer. Having said that, if you’re only including a few fixtures on those proposed runs over fifty feet, I am pretty sure you should be fine. To be on the safe side, you might want to go with 12 gauge wire to decrease the likelihood of voltage drop. You may want to confirm my recommendations with VOLT customer service. A3: I’m not sure I fully understand your question. But again, it appears that VOLT is recommending a 75 foot maximum distance per fixture (including the lead wire)from the transformer. A4: I definitely think you should contact VOLT customer service to confirm whether it’s advisable to accomplish what you’re attempt to do with the kits you mentioned. A5: I think the wiring is meant to be buried but it might be possible to run your wire through conduit so that it’s not directly exposed to the elements. I encourage posters to include a photo or two of their property or the scenario they’re trying to describe. Seeing a scenario can. help us figure out if there are alternatives to the solutions you propose. HTH
Thanks for that. I think the lead wires are 18AWG even though industry standard is 16AWG. The stack on the wire makes it almost impossible to identify between a stamped 6 and 8. But I believe I read elsewhere in these forums that it’s 18. I’ve done done calculations for a 40’ length of 14 gauge (transformer to hub) and 40’ length of 18 gauge from hub to light and the total drop is 1.9 percent, which should be fine.
