Wireing multiple lights together in series.?
Question:I want to be able to put 4-6 lights together so that one plug will turn them all on. However, I cant just run it to a power strip or the like. If i have 4-6 keyless sockets can i just run the wire in series and chain the lights together and then put a plug on the end? The lamps im useing are 60 watt. Thanks
Answers:
No. When you put lamps in series they share the voltage and each get just a fraction of it. If you put six in series they will each get 1/6th of 120 volts and will just glow a little. You want to put them in parallel so each sees the full voltage and is at full brightness.
Put a plug onto each lamp cord. Then get an zip extension cord (two parallel wires) of the length you need with a triple socket on the end (a few bucks depending on length). Then get three of the little clip-on sockets that a plug fits into (they swing open and then snap closed with their internal pins piecing both wires - no cutting or stripping of wires needed). Snap on those sockets along the cord. Now you have one cord with six parallel sockets to plug lights into.
You should wire them in parallel. If you wire them in series they will all be very dim it they work at all.
You want to wire them in parrell, at each light you want to splice all the whites together and all the blacks togther, if you wire them in series you will have voltage lost at each light
you don't even have to wire them in series. parallel wiring is best, so that if you lose power to one light, the rest down the line from it won't stop burning. Just a thought.
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