Garden electrical accident

[fat Andy]

Whoops! Tidying the garden to give Mrs FA a surprise and earn some much needed brownie points, I managed to cut through the lead from her Solar panel to the fairy lights in a small tree.

looking at it there are 3 wires all identical all twisted in a string. Is there a correct way to wire it or can I just splice them back together?

 

[ringo]

The wires are different colours? If so one will be live and one neutral, you have to get that right. If they all appear to be self insulated wires they might be three separate wires to three separate lights?

 

[fat Andy]

The wires are different colours? If so one will be live and one neutral, you have to get that right. If they all appear to be self insulated wires they might be three separate wires to three separate lights?

about 20 lights, all (very thin) cables identical encased in green plastic. all the 3 twisted wires disappear into all the led bulb holders

 

[tendril]

get yerself down to b&q sharpish and buy a replacement (if they are different just say you upgraded them)

 

[Giles]

The wires are different colours? If so one will be live and one neutral, you have to get that right. If they all appear to be self insulated wires they might be three separate wires to three separate lights?

If they are solar powered lights, with no connections at all to mains, there won't be live and neutral.

I assume the cut wires are all the same colour, or you wouldn't be asking?

Trial and error if so.

At least if its just a solar panel, a little rechargeable battery, and a bunch of LEDs then its all safe low voltage so you don't need to worry about electric shocks and stuff.

Giles..

 

[geminisnake]

Hubby reckons just splice them(Mine have snapped due to high winds more than once!). He's asking if one of them is white at all? But if not just splice them!

 

[Firky]

Get a chocolate block connector, ideally a waterpoof one. Sorted. Or better yet tell her that fairy lights look really fucking tacky and does she want the neighbours thinking you have a trio of ducks flying up your stair case?

 

[fat Andy]

Get a chocolate block connector, ideally a waterpoof one. Sorted. Or better yet tell her that fairy lights look really fucking tacky and does she want the neighbours thinking you have a trio of ducks flying up your stair case?

 

[fat Andy]

Hubby reckons just splice them(Mine have snapped due to high winds more than once!). He's asking if one of them is white at all? But if not just splice them!

no white wire. I'll splice away.
thanks

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Admit nothing and blame it on squirrels.

 

[Termite Man]

I suspect the 3 wires are just providing power to differnt lights so you don't get the first light brighter than the the last one due to the bulbs electrical resistance.

 

[gentlegreen]

I suspect the 3 wires are just providing power to differnt lights so you don't get the first light brighter than the the last one due to the bulbs electrical resistance.

Doesn't work like that with LEDs. There's basically a threshold voltage below which they won't work at all.

White / blue LEDs need about 3.3 volts to work - so if there are a lot of them and only a few volts of solar cell / rechargeable, they will be wired in parallel. With higher voltages, they would use multiple series strings in parallel ..

Some LED lamps are so crude they rely on the demand of a lot of LEDs to stop them blowing.

There should be a "common" wire - probably negative - every home should have a multimeter.