Showing posts with label SPT-2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SPT-2. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Spt-1 Wire Vs. Spt-2 Wire.

Spt1 vs Spt2 wire
Spt-1 on Top, Spt-2 on bottom
18 gauge wire is found pretty much everywhere, almost every house and office in the country has some that is used for power cords on products and for those of us in the lighting industry it's the standard for C7 and C9 light line. The wire come in generally two varieties Spt-1 and Spt-2. These are both 18 gauge wire, that means that the copper wiring on the inside of the wire itself is the same. The main difference is the insulation!

On the left the photo shows both Spt1 (top) and Spt2(bottom), as you can see Spt-2 wire has almost double the amount of insulation. This added protection lets you run more power through the wire itself.


Spt-1 wire can handle up to 7 amps, or 770 watts.
Spt-2 wire can handle up to 10 amps, or 1100 watts. 

Using that information will let you evaluate your power needs, be sure to never exceed the recommended amperage this WILL cause the wire to fail and be a potential hazard.
Click here to check out our rolls of 18 gauge wire!
Click below to read more.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Globe Light Size Comparison + Calculating Amperage

Globe Lights

Globe lights come in a variety of sizes, and I'll be the first to admit that the designations G30, G40, and G50 do not give a clue as to the size of the bulbs! Just remember the larger the number, the bigger the bulb. G50 are the globe bulb that most people think of when they think of globe style light bulbs, these are a large 2" diameter bulb. These styles of bulbs are available on both C7 (candelabra) base and C9 (intermediate) Base, we have some options for Medium base which is the size of a household light bulb but you'll have to call or email us for info on those bulbs.

More than just the size varies with Globe light bulbs, wattage of bulbs varies as well. G30 and G40 with a C7 (candelabra) base are 5 watts, where as C7 base G50 bulbs are 7 watts. You have to take this into consideration when decorating with globe lights because you DO NOT want to overload your wire. Speaking of which, here's the math on calculating amps for wire:


(Bulb Wattage) x (Number of Bulbs) = Total Wattage
(Total Wattage) ÷ 110 (Volts) = Amps

Example; Standard SPT-1 Wire handles 7 amps, so you do not want to exceed this, lets say you have 100 G4 Globe bulbs that are 5 watts a piece, your calculations should look like this

5 Bulb Wattage x 100 Bulbs = 500 Watts
500 Watts ÷ 110 Volts = 4.55 Amps

So as you can see, 4.55 amps is below so you can safely use 100 Globe bulbs on SPT-1 Wire. Most stringers we carry are SPT-1 unless noted and our spools of light light is available in both SPT-1 and SPT-2 options.

I hope this cleared up the confusion on bulb size of Globe lamps and let you have a little insight on how to decorate safely by calculating how many amps your number of bulbs are going to use.

Please visit our Globe Lights Page today!

--
Zach
All American Christmas Co.
www.aachristmas.com
www.allamericanchristmas.com

Monday, June 30, 2008

SPT-2 Wire...

SPT-2 Wire is a great alternative to the standard SPT-1 Wire that most companies carry if you are looking to run higher wattage bulbs or do longer runs. As you can see from the picture on the left, both SPT-1 and 2 are 18 gauge wire (determined by the copper inside the wire), but SPT-2 (bottom of picture) has a noticeable amount more of insulation. This extra insulation allows this wire to be rated at 10 amps (as opposed to 7 amp Spt-1).

SPT-2 is usually considered a commercial product, but works equally as well for small residential projects as well. We carry a full line of products for this wire type, bare wire, quick connect plugs, replacement sockets, and C7 & C9 Spools. Using 10 amp C7 spools will allow you use 7 watt bulbs without concern, and with C9 you can use 10 watts bulbs no problem.

Please note, you shouldn't mix and match Spt-1 and 2 products. For example, you shouldn't use SPT-1 barewire with SPT-2 sockets.

Unlike most big Christmas Light retailers we carry a wide varitey of C7 & C9 lightline spools in SPT-2. They are available in both Green and White wire colors, and in all major spacings.

Visit www.AAChristmas.com to view all our SPT-2 products.