Wiring an LED light.

[chunkolini]

What's the thinnest type of wire I can safely use on this type of bulb?
Making myself a lamp for the front room.
Thin because I like minimalist furniture.

 

[daedalusminos]

Very thin...less than 32AWG, but the point would be how robust it needs to be.

 

[Ruffian]

Well 4.5 watt is for ease 5w.

Which is 0.02amps at 250v
So in essence something very small would work.

 

[chunkolini]

Skinny is good, I did notice the wires on the bulb holder were like bell wire.
I'll get something similar.
Photos when it's finished.

 

[WorkshopChris]

A GU10 fitting should be capable of tacking a 50w halogen as you never know lamp may be fitted in the future. Unless this is for your own personal use.

 

[chunkolini]

This is just for home use.

 

[brightspark]

bell wire no use use 2core flat flex .75mm it has to be double insulated @230v

 

[chunkolini]

I'll go with That. Thanks

 

[WorkshopChris]

If you are tight for space you could go 0.5mm 2 core that works out around 5mm OD then change to 3 core in the base if its metal and needs the earth.
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CA0dot5F2.html

 

[Jetex]

With a lamp of only 4.5W, the copper wire can be very thin but as you are using it at 240VAC you need to make sure that the insulation on the wire is suitable. For lights use double insulated wire, the most commonly available wire for lighting is a .75mm conductor, twin core or three core if your lamp is made of metal.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I'll still experimenting with LEDs for my conch shell illuminated ornament [not lamp, it'd never be bright enough for that . Thanks to all who offered help, advice and sent bulbs for me to try ].

I've so far used an old Nokia phone charger with the connector cut off....works....and am going to try a PP3 9V battery next. Seems as the lads say that really thin stuff works [at least for mine - I'm going to try wiring 2 x LEDS in parallel next, to judge combined light output & heat generation.]

We'll expect pics of yours in due course.....

 

[chunkolini]

Lamp body and support is steel so I will include an earth

 

[Sean]

Go 12v led you can use thinner conductor an wont need to be double insulated...back to bellwire?

 

[daedalusminos]

I assume you're talking about the wiring within the lamp fitting - i.e. an integral part of the lamp. If that's the case and it is housed within an earthed metal 'conduit' (class I) then I do not believe the wiring has to be double insulated. Even if the housing was plastic then providing that plastic meets the criteria that can form part of the double insulation to meet class II then the wiring does not have to be double insulated.

The safest solution would be to go low voltage (class III), that way you could have custom LEDs hard wired and not have the inconvenience of the bulky GU10 bulb - though admittedly it does have the built in reflector. Downside is you need a low voltage power source.

 

[chunkolini]

Photos in projects section