# Wire 4 outdoor lights with one switch



## timcsi (Jun 10, 2009)

I would like to wire 4 outdoor lights with one switch. Please see attached GIF picture. Is this the correct way to control all 4 lights with one switch - wire all the red(live) wires from switch and lights together in a pigtail and all the black(neutral) wires in another pigtail ?


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## HouseHelper (Mar 20, 2007)

All depends on where the incoming power is, at a light or at the switch.


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## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

Nitpicking.

A pigtail is a short length of wire, one or both ends of which may be twisted together with the ends of other wires. Not the bundle of twisted together ends itself.

Wire colors as you have shown is appropriate for automotive wiring and 240 volt building circuits however the neutral in 120 volt circuits must be white.

Where does the power feed enter the picture?


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## timcsi (Jun 10, 2009)

I updated the diagram. Basically there was an outdoor light fixture on the exterior wall so I removed it. This light fixture was controlled by a switch in the house. After I removed the fixture I see 3 wires, live, neutral and ground.

So the idea is after removing this light fixture I would like to connect the 3 wires to power a total of 4 new light fixtures. The 4 lights will be mounted away from the wall on top of some posts but under a covered patio roof. So they won't be rained on but the sun does shine on them(my patio roof is clear PalRam Suntuf). It looks like this :
http://tntbuildersinc.com/2010/01/29/patio-cover-3/

How to connect them physically ? So it won't be pigtailed in this case because there's 5 wires bundled together ? BTW do I need UF or THWN cables ? I plan to staple the cables onto the rafters.


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## jbfan (Jul 1, 2004)

Use uf, thwn can not be used without conduit.
Take a wire from the old box to the first light location, then a wire from there to the next and so on.
Connect color to color.


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## timcsi (Jun 10, 2009)

OK but due to my configuration :

Live wire from Lights A,B,C all need to be "pigtailed" or bundled together with the live wire from the wall(Only light D can pigtail with the wire from Light C). So that's 4 wires that need to be "twisted" together. What's the right way to do that ? Can a pigtail cap enclose more than 2 twisted wires together ?

Is it the same thing with the ground wire ?


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

You do not have a pigtail. You are using the term wrong. You are simply connecting 4 wires with a wire nut. No problem with that.

A pigtail example would be if you still had a fixture in the first box. Then in addition to the 4 wires you would add a fifth short 6 inch wire to connect to the fixure. The 6 inch wire is a pigtail.


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## timcsi (Jun 10, 2009)

I see. oh that's what I meant - the wire nut thing. OK so I have to do the same with ground wire too ?

For the UG cable is this the one I should use ? 
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202316487/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053


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## CheapCharlie (Feb 5, 2011)

Here's how you wire the lights. Easier to search on google than draw it out for you.

Hope this helps.


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