Shed lights kept dimming, learned a big lesson about wire size. | Electricians - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals

Wait, 16 gauge for 80 feet? No way that's enough even for LEDs.

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I used 16 gauge wire for about 80 feet to my shed lights last year. Calling it a big lesson feels like an overreaction to me. Voltage drop is a basic thing with long wires, but shed lights usually don't draw much power. If you were running a heater or big tools, I'd get it, but for a couple of bulbs? Check if you have LED or old bulbs because they handle voltage differently. So wire size can matter, but it's often not a critical issue for simple lighting.

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ninar686mo ago

Yeah but what were you actually running out there... like @the_anthony said, thin wire dims lights, but was it just a few bulbs or something more? The load really tells the whole story.

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the_anthony6mo ago

Two years ago, my garage lights dimmed (the wire was too thin) until I used thicker wire.

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