Another question about cable length calculations. Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[Dadwood]

I want to fit 4 low voltage lights under my kitchen wall cabinets. Each lamp is 12v 10W. Each will be wired to a mains transformer having individual connections for the 4 pairs. The cable run to the lamp furthest from the transformer is 6m (20 feet). Two questions please: 1. What size cables shall I use for the low voltage side? 2. Do all 4 cables need to be the same length in order to avoid imbalances within the transformer?

[kbrownie]

Dadwood,
you will find that the manufacturers instruction usually give a recommendatated cable CSA for extra low voltage equipment (it's not low voltage) normally 1.0mm csa.
Ideally evenly spaced is always best but I don't suspect it will make much differnce in this case.
Regards
KB

[Dadwood]

kbrownie,
Many thanks for your kind reply. The transformer manufacturer's instructions are all in the German, so I will ask a friend, fluent in that language, to translate for me. (Once again, I have to thank this forum and its experts for providing such valuable help. Our local kitchen installer told me to run it all in bell wire; "It's only 12volts", he said. "You're worrying about nothing".) How wrong, and potentially dangerous, would that have been if I'd heeded his 'advice'. Thank you again.
Kind regards, Dadwood.

[rosebery]

Ha Ha. So the kitchen installer doesn't understand the difference between volts and amps and their relationship. Unbelievable!

Cheers