# Number of wires feeding color changing LED’s



## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

I know a guy who knows a guy who splices LVT wire between the driver and the fixture with wafer style fixtures. I told him it’s wrong and voids warranty with a fixture that costs twenty loonies but he just won’t listen.

Anyway, he tells me that color selectable fixtures like Lithonia wafers have three wires. As a matter of fact, depending on the color changing range, fixtures can be fed with up to five wires.

He discovered this when he pulled 2 wire for wafers and then had to re-pull 3 wire. I’m just posting this as a heads up to electricians who have no pride and don’t mind really bad hack work.


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## Mobius87 (May 20, 2019)

So he runs 18/2 from each light to a common location and remote mounts the drivers at that location? And then has to splice the lvt at each end, plus terminate the drivers?

Why would he want to do that much extra work?

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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Mobius87 said:


> So he runs 18/2 from each light to a common location and remote mounts the drivers at that location? And then has to splice the lvt at each end, plus terminate the drivers?
> 
> Why would he want to do that much extra work?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk


Keeps the drivers out of the insulation.


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## WannabeTesla (Feb 24, 2020)

I was recently called to a home where "The Contractor" who changed the cabinets out, did the owners a solid and wired them up for under cabinet lights before he tiled in the backsplash. 18/2. Better yet, he snuck it up from the main, through the pocket door channel-oh-so cleverly(no chance of damaged insulation in there...) The lady of the house was less than a week from due date of their first child and these lights (or absence of, rather) were driving her up the wall. I get there and there's just these spots under the cabinets where the wire was roughed in. Had to wire some series and some parallel in order to satisfy tolerances of the controller/ driver. They didn't want me to pull new. Sigh... i explained but to no avail.


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## Mobius87 (May 20, 2019)

99cents said:


> Keeps the drivers out of the insulation.


When did that become an issue?

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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Mobius87 said:


> When did that become an issue?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk


It’s an issue to me. I cut the hole In the ceiling slowly so the VB stays intact. Then I cut LVT and push it through the hole left by the pilot bit. I go in the attic and pull all the LVT wires to one location and mount the drivers on a framing member. Sometimes I do that at the hatch so I work off a ladder. It really cuts down on attic time and doesn’t mess up the loose fill as much.


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## mofos be cray (Nov 14, 2016)

I put rgbw led strip in my brother's place. That needed 5 wire. Its worth keeping in mind that there can be some difference between fixtures.
I also like 99's idea of locating the drivers near the hatch, any time you don't have to swim through insulation is great.


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