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hi all,
i have these 12 volt underwater lights that i want to use in my pond. my problem is that the cables are not long enough to reach the transformer.
any ideas how i go about doing a joint for underwater application? do i need a waterproof junction box or something?
thanks,
julie
Try connecting it inside a peice of conduit and using silcone to block each end, or you can get this liquid electrical sealant from Jaycar Electronics.
How much cable do the lights have?
If at all possible, run the existing cable as directly as you can out of the pond and then attach extensions to each to get them back to the transformer or a convenient split point. Weatherproofing is worthwhile out of pond, but absolutely essential in it.
Yachties use the following method for joining cables in wet parts of vessels.
*** tin and then solder individual cables together,
*** waterproof the soldered join and the bare wires with silicon gel,
*** shrink heat-shrink tube over join and over old insulation,
*** put more silicon over your handiwork on the pair of cables,
*** shrink larger heat-shrink tube over the pair of cables (+ve and -ve) overlapping the exterior insulation.
This method preserves the double insulation of the original cable which is essential near water, even for 12 volts.
If you got cheapy lights with only single insulation (ie figure-8 cable) then I suggest that you replace it before installing the lights. Water will get in surprisingly quickly.
Cheers
Graeme
I've been trying to send this reply for 3 days now. Not sure why I can't except that I've just installed the latest version of Firefox, which I have been using for over 2 years.
Anyway, the only ACCEPTABLE & APPROVED way of doing what you wish to do is as per the following link;
http://www2.blackwoods.com.au/infoBA...3707&P=7119780
My god it worked!