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Landscape Lighting..."pierce point" connectors for the lights...

Judge Smails

Well-Known Member
May 29, 2001
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Not an electrical expert. Bought the LED lights from Home Depot, may have been a mistake. They have the "pierce point" connections. (Dude below needs to clip his nails...or I guess that is a woman with man hands)

squeeze_connector_around_wire.jpg


I've read some stuff from contractors since saying how terrible a connection this creates, chance to come loose or allows water to get in and disrupt things.

If I use this, what would be the best way to waterproof the setup? I've read some stuff about silicone in a baggie over top of it, stuff like that.
 
Not an electrical expert. Bought the LED lights from Home Depot, may have been a mistake. They have the "pierce point" connections. (Dude below needs to clip his nails...or I guess that is a woman with man hands)

I've read some stuff from contractors since saying how terrible a connection this creates, chance to come loose or allows water to get in and disrupt things.

If I use this, what would be the best way to waterproof the setup? I've read some stuff about silicone in a baggie over top of it, stuff like that.

I had the exact same setup in my landscaping for years and never had a problem.
 
Not an electrical expert. Bought the LED lights from Home Depot, may have been a mistake. They have the "pierce point" connections. (Dude below needs to clip his nails...or I guess that is a woman with man hands)

squeeze_connector_around_wire.jpg


I've read some stuff from contractors since saying how terrible a connection this creates, chance to come loose or allows water to get in and disrupt things.

If I use this, what would be the best way to waterproof the setup? I've read some stuff about silicone in a baggie over top of it, stuff like that.
Pierce point connections suck for outdoor use. A spoonful of vaseline on the connection and wrap with saran wrap should be enough to waterproof. If you want more protection then use some roofing tar/caulk product.
 
Not an electrical expert. Bought the LED lights from Home Depot, may have been a mistake. They have the "pierce point" connections. (Dude below needs to clip his nails...or I guess that is a woman with man hands)



I've read some stuff from contractors since saying how terrible a connection this creates, chance to come loose or allows water to get in and disrupt things.

If I use this, what would be the best way to waterproof the setup? I've read some stuff about silicone in a baggie over top of it, stuff like that.

Did you ask this guy?

bcec32c3-4897-4517-879e-e32b2725d2b7_1.cd5c412053fc9958f650c3ccac8e0878.jpeg


I've never used it but, the commercials really make me want to use it.
 
Given that you went to PrettyHandyGirl.com for your DIY advice, I think that "dude" may, infact, be a chick;)

Just google image searched for "pierce point connection landscape lighting" and that seemed like the clearest photo. Disturbing in hindsight.
 
Do not use those connectors. The entire system relies on the plastic providing a normal force to keep a good connection. This will fail. Low voltage/low current connectors need very high normal force else they will corrode. Low voltae/low current will not be able to break through the corrosion.

You want a connector that uses the metal contact to provide the normal force, not the plastic. Go to your electrical supply house and ask them for a recommendation.

Otherwise, I'd use a crimp splice connector.
1. Choose a size larger than your wire.
2. Cut off an inch or so of the slave wire (the one that is attached to a light) and split to create two individual wires and set aside.
3. On the end with two wires (the incoming main and slave to the light) strip the wire, fan the strands, co-mingle the strands and twist them together.
4. On the other end of the main run strip and twist.
5. Insert the strands from number 3 above into the splice connector and using the proper crimp tool crimp them in place.
6. Now for the tricky part. Strip one the wires from 2 above, fan the strands, co-mingle strands with the main run and twist. You have just created a shim so that the over crimp connector will work.
7. Insert this shimmed end into the other end of the crimp connector and using the proper crimp tool crimp them together.
8. Repeat 3 through 7 for the other side of the main run and slave wires.
9. Repeat 2 through 8 for each of the other lights you be installing.

The normal force on the connector (if properly crimped) will be VERY high. I would cover it with a good silicone and wrapping from the supply house. Corrosive products such as fertilizer will be the only thing you have to worry about, and even then I'd bet on 25 years or more.


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Do not use those connectors. The entire system relies on the plastic providing a normal force to keep a good connection. This will fail. Low voltage/low current connectors need very high normal force else they will corrode. Low voltae/low current will not be able to break through the corrosion.

You want a connector that uses the metal contact to provide the normal force, not the plastic. Go to your electrical supply house and ask them for a recommendation.

Otherwise, I'd use a crimp splice connector.
1. Choose a size larger than your wire.
2. Cut off an inch or so of the slave wire (the one that is attached to a light) and split to create two individual wires and set aside.
3. On the end with two wires (the incoming main and slave to the light) strip the wire, fan the strands, co-mingle the strands and twist them together.
4. On the other end of the main run strip and twist.
5. Insert the strands from number 3 above into the splice connector and using the proper crimp tool crimp them in place.
6. Now for the tricky part. Strip one the wires from 2 above, fan the strands, co-mingle strands with the main run and twist. You have just created a shim so that the over crimp connector will work.
7. Insert this shimmed end into the other end of the crimp connector and using the proper crimp tool crimp them together.
8. Repeat 3 through 7 for the other side of the main run and slave wires.
9. Repeat 2 through 8 for each of the other lights you be installing.

The normal force on the connector (if properly crimped) will be VERY high. I would cover it with a good silicone and wrapping from the supply house. Corrosive products such as fertilizer will be the only thing you have to worry about, and even then I'd bet on 25 years or more.

You mean like the end of this video right?

LdN

 
Not an electrical expert. Bought the LED lights from Home Depot, may have been a mistake. They have the "pierce point" connections. (Dude below needs to clip his nails...or I guess that is a woman with man hands)

squeeze_connector_around_wire.jpg


I've read some stuff from contractors since saying how terrible a connection this creates, chance to come loose or allows water to get in and disrupt things.

If I use this, what would be the best way to waterproof the setup? I've read some stuff about silicone in a baggie over top of it, stuff like that.
I think the finger nails give it way.. Using around my pond but unfortunately my set is not working right.
 
I have/had the same kind of setup in my yard with the tiny incandescent bulbs. I had problems with the pierce points relaxing and no longer making sufficient contact. Also had several of the plastic prongs break off, pierce points corrode, and the contact points where you insert the bulbs stop making proper contact. On the positive side, I have 2 or 3 lights where I haven't replaced a bulb in 10-12 years that still light up.
 
Not an electrical expert. Bought the LED lights from Home Depot, may have been a mistake. They have the "pierce point" connections. (Dude below needs to clip his nails...or I guess that is a woman with man hands)

squeeze_connector_around_wire.jpg


I've read some stuff from contractors since saying how terrible a connection this creates, chance to come loose or allows water to get in and disrupt things.

If I use this, what would be the best way to waterproof the setup? I've read some stuff about silicone in a baggie over top of it, stuff like that.


Just wrap them with a layer of electrical tape. Just do it well enough to keep it from leading. I'd give it three wraps and make sure its sealed. Use the tape that is 2 or 3 inches wide.
 
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Not an electrical expert. Bought the LED lights from Home Depot, may have been a mistake. They have the "pierce point" connections. (Dude below needs to clip his nails...or I guess that is a woman with man hands)

squeeze_connector_around_wire.jpg


I've read some stuff from contractors since saying how terrible a connection this creates, chance to come loose or allows water to get in and disrupt things.

If I use this, what would be the best way to waterproof the setup? I've read some stuff about silicone in a baggie over top of it, stuff like that.

I've installed several. IMO, the brand carried by Lowe's is much better. The pic in your OP is the connector system used by the brand carried by HD. It's cheap & flimsy and you basically have to pinch the connector together and hope you pinch hard enough to pinch the wires and snap the two sides together. I tend to use thicker gauge wire, which makes the 'pinching' harder to do. Personally, I find the brand carried by Lowe's to be much easier, much better and much more reliable. The brand carried by Lowe's uses a screwing system.... you thread the wire thru the bottom section of the connector and its very secure, you then align the top part of the connector and screw top-bottom together. As you screw top-bottom together you pierce the wire. Once you have the top-bottom screwed together: 1, you know you have a nice secure connection that is not going to "un-snap" like the HD brand, and 2, you know the wire is properly pierced.

My suggestion..... put all the lighting back in the boxes, return to HD and go to Lowe's and buy the similar lights. Digging & laying the wire is 80% of that project, and it looks like you have the wire dug & laid, so the hard part is over. Connecting the Lowe's brand lights will be easy.
 
I've installed several. IMO, the brand carried by Lowe's is much better. The pic in your OP is the connector system used by the brand carried by HD. It's cheap & flimsy and you basically have to pinch the connector together and hope you pinch hard enough to pinch the wires and snap the two sides together. I tend to use thicker gauge wire, which makes the 'pinching' harder to do. Personally, I find the brand carried by Lowe's to be much easier, much better and much more reliable. The brand carried by Lowe's uses a screwing system.... you thread the wire thru the bottom section of the connector and its very secure, you then align the top part of the connector and screw top-bottom together. As you screw top-bottom together you pierce the wire. Once you have the top-bottom screwed together: 1, you know you have a nice secure connection that is not going to "un-snap" like the HD brand, and 2, you know the wire is properly pierced.

My suggestion..... put all the lighting back in the boxes, return to HD and go to Lowe's and buy the similar lights. Digging & laying the wire is 80% of that project, and it looks like you have the wire dug & laid, so the hard part is over. Connecting the Lowe's brand lights will be easy.

Not sure how or why someone created a new username to bump this 4 year old thread. But I wrapped the pierce point connectors in electrical tape and buried them and have had zero issues.
 
Second the electrical tape. Never have a problem with these connections. When they are tightened down, they are pretty sealed without the tape.
 
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