Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask
    pdxtim's Avatar
    pdxtim Posts: 10, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #1

    Feb 16, 2010, 01:43 PM
    Lamp cord OK for speaker wire?
    Is it OK to substitute 16 gauge (16/2) lamp cord for wiring speakers?
    KISS's Avatar
    KISS Posts: 12,510, Reputation: 839
    Uber Member
    		  
    #2

    Feb 16, 2010, 02:24 PM

    Depending on the power of the amp, it should be fine. On the lamp cord, note that there is a ribbed and a non-ribbed side. This is used to keep the polarity of the speakers correct.

    The "ribbed side" should be connected to the BLACK speaker terminal.

    16AWG should easily be good for 100W.
    pdxtim's Avatar
    pdxtim Posts: 10, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #3

    Feb 16, 2010, 07:51 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by KeepItSimpleStupid View Post
    Depending on the power of the amp, it should be fine. On the lamp cord, note that there is a ribbed and a non-ribbed side. This is used to keep the polarity of the speakers correct.

    The "ribbed side" should be connected to the BLACK speaker terminal.

    16AWG should easily be good for 100W.
    Thanks for the info. Just one question. Any particular reason why ribbed side goes with black?
    KISS's Avatar
    KISS Posts: 12,510, Reputation: 839
    Uber Member
    		  
    #4

    Feb 16, 2010, 08:11 PM

    It's the standard that's all. Just like black, white and green for house wiring and usually red and black for Electronics test leads where red is usually positive.

    When dealing with thermocouples, red is negative.

    You have to put yourself in the correct world and use their standard.

    When wiring lamps the ribbed conductor should go to neutral, the wide prong or the threaded part of a light bulb fixture.
Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions
 

Question Tools Search this Question
Search this Question:

Advanced Search

Add your answer here.


Check out some similar questions!

Fishing speaker wire through attic [ 2 Answers ]

I have a cathedral ceiling in my living room and I have drilled a hole in the ceiling and ran a fish tape through it to re run the speaker wires that are already up there. My problem is that there is thick batting insullation and I can't see where the fish tape came out. The hole in the ceiling is...

Is it OK I replaced speaker wire with telephone wire? [ 2 Answers ]

I have an old component stereo system that we unpacked from the box only to find only one speaker had the wires for it. It's kind where a single larger cord is made up of 4 small wires that you stick the bare wire ends into color-coded holes both in speakera and in stereo. So I took some tleephone...

Can I use a single strand of lamp wire as the ground wire for a chandelier? [ 2 Answers ]

I am in the process of rewiring a chandelier to lengthen the chain. I have wired it using a single strand of the insulated lamp wire as the ground - is this safe/ok to do instead of using the exposed copper wiring I typically see for the ground?

Convert 4 wire dryer cord to 3 wire [ 2 Answers ]

How do I convert a 4 wire dryer cord to 3 wires?

Hard wire speaker wire to after market radio [ 2 Answers ]

My radio in my honda accord will not kick out sound. The power works, but I think the speaker wire is not connected it is a after market pioneer radio and I don't know what wire to connect from the radio to the factory wire.

View more questions Search