One plug, one wire, one switch, two light bulbs - help?
May 20, 2017 9:58 AM Subscribe
I've promised to join two the lightbulbs my kid uses for his terrarium (one UV lamp and one heat lamp) which are currently on two separate wires without switches that are plugged and unplugged to turn them on or off, onto one single wire, with a single switch, to turn both on or off via the switch, without having to plg/unplug. But...
... my hunch is that theoretically, these two bulbs should be in series, on a single circuit - right? This theoretical hunch is currently getting interference from my non-electrical pratical instinct - which would simply opt for two blues and two browns coming out of the switch, each set going to one of the two lamps. Please help break my hesitation... which is it, two sets of brown and blue coming out of the switch, or instead one blue that leads to pole A of the first lamp, then a wire that goes from pole B of the first lamp to pole A of the second lamp, and then the brown that goes from pole B of the second lamp back into the switch?
I just know I've faced and solved this before, but I can't remember which circuitry logic I went for last time. Thanks muchly!
... my hunch is that theoretically, these two bulbs should be in series, on a single circuit - right? This theoretical hunch is currently getting interference from my non-electrical pratical instinct - which would simply opt for two blues and two browns coming out of the switch, each set going to one of the two lamps. Please help break my hesitation... which is it, two sets of brown and blue coming out of the switch, or instead one blue that leads to pole A of the first lamp, then a wire that goes from pole B of the first lamp to pole A of the second lamp, and then the brown that goes from pole B of the second lamp back into the switch?
I just know I've faced and solved this before, but I can't remember which circuitry logic I went for last time. Thanks muchly!
Best answer: They should be in parallel (your second option).
You can either:
(1) run two sets of wires from the switch (brown and blue to each bulb), one pair to each bulb,
or
(2) run one set of brown and blue from the switch to the first bulb, then another pair of brown and blue wires from the first bulb to the second bulb.
The two options are effectively the same. (2) might result in less visible wiring.
posted by pipeski at 10:17 AM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
You can either:
(1) run two sets of wires from the switch (brown and blue to each bulb), one pair to each bulb,
or
(2) run one set of brown and blue from the switch to the first bulb, then another pair of brown and blue wires from the first bulb to the second bulb.
The two options are effectively the same. (2) might result in less visible wiring.
posted by pipeski at 10:17 AM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Never wire line-voltage lights in series. They won't get enough voltage to work.
I also encourage use of actual plugs and a "surge-protector" power strip, as the fewer exposed wires the better.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 10:54 AM on May 20, 2017 [5 favorites]
I also encourage use of actual plugs and a "surge-protector" power strip, as the fewer exposed wires the better.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 10:54 AM on May 20, 2017 [5 favorites]
the fewer exposed wires the better
Yeah, obviously in my comment I'm assuming that you know how to wire electrical items in a safe way manner. if you can't do the job in a way that carries no risk of exposing or shorting together wires, go with a power strip or something.
posted by pipeski at 11:37 AM on May 20, 2017
Yeah, obviously in my comment I'm assuming that you know how to wire electrical items in a safe way manner. if you can't do the job in a way that carries no risk of exposing or shorting together wires, go with a power strip or something.
posted by pipeski at 11:37 AM on May 20, 2017
Response by poster: Not exactly sure what was tempting me to think in series instead of parallel... maybe christmas lights? So: thanks for, erm, illuminating me. (I do enough straightforward stuff to work safely - I just never really got enough into the logic of electricity to feel comfortable circuit diagramming beyond the elementary.)
posted by progosk at 12:20 PM on May 20, 2017
posted by progosk at 12:20 PM on May 20, 2017
Our fish tank lights are plugger do into a timer to solve this problem. It automates things and has a built in manual switch.
posted by fimbulvetr at 5:57 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by fimbulvetr at 5:57 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]
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