TECHNOLOGY


Get wire right


Troubleshoot low-voltage wiring installations with tips from these experts.


W 24 Irrigation & Lighting Fall 2022


ith applications in both irrigation and landscape lighting systems, nearly ev- ery lighting and irrigation profession- al has experience installing, repairing or troubleshooting low-voltage wir- ing. Similarly, every contractor likely


has a story about what they’ve uncovered when they’ve dug into the ground. From systems that aren’t waterproof to connections that weren’t designed to last in damp and acidic soil, missteps are sure to lead to a system failure down the line. Tese tips from lighting and irrigation professionals will help you navigate the issues you’re most likely to encounter when working with low-voltage wiring.


NOT BUILT TO LAST


Te old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” just doesn’t apply when it comes to irrigation and lighting systems. Te light fixtures, connectors and other pieces


BY LAUREN SABLE FREIMAN


of the system often provide many clues to the system’s staying power. “You can judge a system based on the materials


that were used,” says Sean Curran, owner of Beautifi- cation Trough Illumination Inc., based in Amesbury, Massachusetts. Oftentimes, new contractors or do-it-yourselfers will


head to the big-box stores for materials. Many times, those materials aren’t the best ones for the job. “Te biggest thing I see is novice contractors using


twist-on wire nuts, basically the kind you see at big-box stores,” says Brian Qualls, national business development manager for Unique Lighting Systems in Phoenix. Tose twist-on wire nuts are primarily designed for use with single-stranded wire, on which they’ll create threads on the end of the wire, making them difficult to remove. In the multistranded wire used with low-voltage landscape applications, a twist-on wire nut has nothing to grab onto. “I’m just taking the wire and twisting it into a ball,


which creates two problems,” Qualls says. “First, I can eas- ily get the nut off with very little effort. I’m also creating a pinch point for electricity where it gets very hot. I’ve ac- tually seen examples where the top of the wire nut melts because electricity isn’t flowing as smoothly as it should.” Quick connects, two nickel prongs that are pierced


to the side of the wire and clicked together with plastic snaps, are another common find on a DIY project. “Quick connects are made of nickel. If they’re in acidic


soil, they rot away and you have to chase down every con- nection for repair,” Curran says.


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