What gauge wire for an LED light bar? The current system of the LED light bar is straightforward, and you can use almost all standard wires.
Before choosing the correct wire gauge for an LED light bar, you must know the 2 wire types: solid core and stranded wire.
Solid Core
In the middle of the solid core wire, the conductor is copper with a plastic insulating wrap on the outside. It is convenient to use and easier to connect.
Stranded wire
Typically, several conductors and an insulating jacket in a particular Stranded wire. This wire is flexible but needs to be reinforced with some soldering to connect.
Both wires are compatible with the LED light bar, but we recommend using solid core wire.
Choose the proper light bar wire gauge.
The following are the specific steps to choosing a suitable wire gauge for the LED light bar.
1. Calculate the bus length required to connect the LED light bar.
2. Calculate the amount of current the wire needs to carry. First, measure the total length of the LED light bar connected to the power supply. Then multiply that number by the watts per foot. For example, LED lights can consume about 4.4 watts per foot. If your line is about 16 feet, multiply 4.4 by 16 to get 70.4 watts.
3. Divide the total wattage calculated in the previous step by 12 to obtain the total amperage or current. So divide 70.4 watts by 12, and you get 5.87 amps.
4. Refer to the table below to find the correct wire gauge. On the scale below, the smaller the number, the thicker the wire.
What should I consider when choosing wires?
When choosing to wire for your LED light bar, you need to consider voltage drop and wire ampacity.
When the wire is shorter, the resistance will be more excellent. This is due to the much smaller area through which electrons can flow. At this point, the voltage is expected to drop. Your voltage system constantly changes, causing a lot of current draws. So choose the correct light bar wire gauge before deciding on any size and length.
Another consideration is wire ampacity. Ensure that the wire you choose can carry the power amount. Otherwise, the wire will heat up due to the excessive resistance, melting the outer jacket. It's hazardous and may cause a fire.
Through the above, you may know that the processing capacity of different wire gauges of LED light bar wiring is very different. Choose carefully before buying.
