Wire nuts OK here? Or what's better?

[rharman]

I've replaced all our old fluorescent under/over cabinet fixtures with LED strips. Really like these - tunable temperature (27k - 62k) and dimmable.

The plan is to mount the power supply and controller to a 1x3 and have a P-Clamp at each end to secure the AC and the outbound feeds to the LED strips. The configuration would be essentially how it's laid out as shown. They're just sitting there for now.

I have a 24V power supply and controller for each cabinet section/area using the AC feed that was installed in each cabinet section when we remodeled.
A 16-3 feeder from the wall connection to the top of each cabinet and the power supply is wire nutted to that.

Are wire nuts OK here - sitting atop the cabinet? I could use **** connectors and crimp them if needed or use the Wago inline connectors (which I do not have at this time). The Wago's just strike me as a fancier wire nut though.

The other pic shows a laundry room cabinet where the power supply and controller are hard-wired to the wall connection and placed inside the cabinet as it goes all the way to the ceiling (under cabinet lights only). I plan to make a false front out of white pegboard to hide the hardware and protect it.
BTW.... that is a mid-size plate - I need to get a full oversize for this one.

Thanks!

Top of cabinet typical install - Wire nuts OK?


Laundry cabinet - hardwired.

 

[nadogail]

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that in this instance Wire Nuts should be OK. This is because the maximum voltage on the those conductors is only 24 Volts, The Wire Nuts are not exposed to casual tampering by non-qualified persons, there being out of sight and on top of a cabinet separates them fro access.

That should meet the intention of the writers of the "Code".

 

[nadogail]

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that in this instance Wire Nuts should be OK. This is because the maximum voltage on the those conductors is only 24 Volts, The Wire Nuts are not exposed to casual tampering by non-qualified persons, there being out of sight and on top of a cabinet separates them fro access.

That should meet the intention of the writers of the "Code".

The proposed false front of White Peg Board makes it better.

 

[rharman]

The wire nuts are on the 120V AC feed. The power supply *outputs* 24V to the controller and the controller 24V to the lights. Those are crimped ferrules.

The pegboard false front for the laundry cabinet is to keep stuff on the shelf away from the power supply & hardware. I also used flat washers under those so there is an air gap between the hardware and the cabinet back. No wire nuts except inside the box in the wall for this one.

 

[billconner]

I'm going to say the exposed wire nuts on 120 volts is definitely not up to code. What is the breaker/fuse size protecting the "16/3 feeder from the wall connection" or is that a plug and receptacle? I think you need a handy box and strain reliefs to connect the power cord to power supply. In the laundry room, that plate should be a receptacle with a plug feeding the power supply.

 

[walrus]

What kind of wire for AC is that? Doubt its listed for the purpose. How big is the breaker on that circuit? That would determine the wire size if I was installing it. Use a handy box or ??? to make AC connections in.

 

[rharman]

It's 16-3, looks like SJ to me. It's been in there for years - electrician installed when we remodeled.
15a circuit like all the other lighting. Wall boxes were installed in each cabinet section to support the under/over lighting.

The smaller white wire you may see is 20-3 to connect the lower lights to the controller.

 

[Bert_]

Put the connections in a box

 

[rharman]

Of all the things I thought of, amazingly, I never thought of using a box to house the connections.
A single gang will fit nicely on the 1x3 mounting board I plan to use.

 

[rharman]

@Bert_ , @walrus - Would it be a good idea to pigtail the ground wire to the handy box?

 

[mike93lx]

@Bert_ , @walrus - Would it be a good idea to pigtail the ground wire to the handy box?

Plastic or metal? If metal, you have to ground it. If plastic, there is no benefit