Wiring CFL's with cleats (help needed)

[Bottled Cat]

Alright, so I am going to build myself a new cab. I have been using outlet adapters on power strips, but I'm building this cab custom myself and want to mount my lights using cleats instead. From what I understand, I just take an extension cord and parallel wire everything on the single cord right? Cut off the female end, strip wire housing where connections need to be made, and continue on down the line?

For this practice, would you use a 2 pronged (non-grounded) extension cord such as: Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more ?

I would assume that finding the correct wire on that would be easier than a grounded extension cord, which has a rounded body and the wires aren't housed separately: Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more

Any suggestions/help/insight would be great. Thank you.

 

[Thew1sest]

Yes essentially you'll need to parallel wire your cleats together, just be sure your overall amperage doesn't exceed and electrical equipment your using. Add up your watts and divide by (either 120 AC, or 240 AC) depending on your outlet. And that will give you your total amperage of your system. Make sure you get the correct wire of the cleat spliced with the right wire to the extension cord. Before you get into any wiring fiascos, I would first check to see if the extension chord is the same gauge wire as the wire to the cleats. If not then get wire that is the same gauge (I found all these at radio shack, they'll have female adapters to splice in as well). Also youll want something to hold the cleat wire and extension chord together, so the easiest and cheapest bet will be those twist connections or a crimp connection. Twist-on wire connector - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Make sure you have both correct wires spliced from the cleat to the extension chord, and twist both wires together, you'll need to twists per cleat. You're biggest problem is going to be parallel wiring all your cleats to the same chord. Getting 6 or seven pairs of cleat wires to splice into one wire of the same gauge might be a little tricky, but easily manageable. Types of Electrical Wiring"[/URL] They often have tricky little electrical connectors often at radio shack or hardware store just have to look deep. Just remember you'll need to splice the cleats together in a parallel fashion, and make sure all connections from your cleats to extension chord are safe, snug, and secure. Happy growing!!!!

 

[Bottled Cat]

Thank you for the perfect response
thaaank you

 

[Thew1sest]

Little tricky at first it makes it easier if you have a wire stripper and patience, but remember its just a wire, if it doesnt work right away you can always try another configuration, happens to me all the time, when I finally plug it in the moment of truth and nothing happens.. aww sigh.. the joys of trying to create an artificial, controllable, micro climate

 

[Bottled Cat]

Also, do I need to worry about some kind of ground? Would running that 2 pronged extension cord through the cleats, and into a surge protector be sufficient enough to prevent any type of electrical hazard?

 

[Thew1sest]

It should be as long as everything is plugged into the surge protector (typically has 3 prongs). So it's looking like Outlet --> Surge Protector--> Extension chord--> cleats

Code wise I'm not sure if it'll meet or not meet any requirements, but functionality wise it will work just fine. Make sure your connections are not left open, but securely and properly spliced.

 

[Bottled Cat]

Thank you Thew1sest, you da bomb.