wiring lights question

[ChefFish]

I have 3 Corallife double t5 lights on my freshwater tank. Can I wire the 3 of them together so I only have 1 plug? If so, how do I go about doing that?

[Stones]

So long as you are comfortable cutting some wires and putting everything back together, its rather easy.

110V AC electricity is wired in parallel. All you have to do is to twist together all of the neutral (typically white) power lines coming into the fixures with the neutral line coming from a single plug. The hot line (typically black) coming from your plug then gets tied into the 3 hot lines going into your fixtures. You'll need decent sized murrets to accomadate 4 wires, some electrical tape as well as a plastic gang box to conceal the connection and keep it water tight.

[craigwmiller]

What Stones said... and I would further recommend doing it as far away from the water as possible to ensure the waterproofness of the joint. (ie, as close to the plug as possible)

Another option would be to just use a power bar (or other 3-prong splitter) that you could mount with some drip loop height to keep water away from the joint.

[monocus]

if you are going to cut them i would use a wire harness-a lot neater.you could pick one up from an auto store

[ChefFish]

I have 3 units in a row and wanted to wire 1 to the next to the next then a cord running to my power bar. Sounds like it would be easier to just leave it be. Thank you for all the help!

[Stones]

Originally Posted by ChefFish

I have 3 units in a row and wanted to wire 1 to the next to the next then a cord running to my power bar. Sounds like it would be easier to just leave it be. Thank you for all the help!

This is still doable and is the exact way your lights and most of your outlets in your house have been wired.

All you'd need to do for this configuration is to combine the neutral wire from fixture 1 with the netural wire inside fixture 2. The netural wire from fixture 3 would need to go to both the neutral wire in fixture 2 and to the neutral wire on the cord going to your outlet. You'd have to do the same for the hot wires as well.

In the end, you'd have no connections being made in fixture 1 and the hot and neutral wires running to the inside of fixture 2.

Inside fixture 2 you have have to combine the neutral wire from fixture 1 and fixture 3 with the neutral wire inside fixture 2. You'd do the same for the hot wires.

Inside fixture 3 you would have the netural wire combined with the neutral wire on the power cord and then you'd have to add a short lenght of wire from this junction to feed the netural line into fixture 2. Same for the hot wires.

[mike31154]

Originally Posted by ChefFish

Sounds like it would be easier to just leave it be. Thank you for all the help!

I think you have the right idea there.

[frd72]

just use an extension cord with 3 outlets..

[BlueWorldAquatic]

Go to Rona, get one of the 3 to 1 outside splitters.

Easy as borstch

[The Grizz]

I can re wire them as easy as sliced bread Chris.