What gauge wire for antique beer light?

[Tawn]

I have recently purchased a 1969 Budweiser beer light/clock.

I need to replace the original power cord with a longer one, about 14'-16' in order to run the wiring through the wall. Installing an outlet near the clock is not an option.

Anyone have a recommendation on what gauge of wire I should use to make the new cord?

The lable is long gone, and I have no idea how many amps it pulls....can't be many. The lights are floresent.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,... I imagine 14ga lamp cord would be more than sufficient...

 

[wyliesdiesels]

You'd probably do fine with 16ga cord but the only thing is, cordage is not permitted to be run in walls!

 

[Jeff Ivers]

In the pic, it looks like there are remnants of the old power cord. Can you not determine the gauge of it? When I think of power cord, I think of the cord on a lamp or electrical tool. Is this what you want to run through a wall?

 

[Tawn]

You'd probably do fine with 16ga cord but the only thing is, cordage is not permitted to be run in walls!

Check...It will be behind some cork tiles on the wall in the garage. If I ever go to sell the place, I will pull it out.

Unless, I have grossly miscalculated, there will be no fire hazard - that is one of the reasons, I want to use a heavier gauge wire than the "minimum".

 

[1953mercury]

I would go with 01 just to be on the safe side. Mike

 

[Tim The Tool Man]

Hold on here! You cannot re-wire that light as it poses a HUGE safety hazard as per NEC code 16-29 subsection 21: "Do not re-wire old beer signs"

I think you would be far better off (and probably sleep better at night) if you shipped that light to me for safe disposal.

 

[rlitman]

Cork is an amazing insulator. Better than many foam boards, and a horrible material to cover up wire with. Just get a 16 gauge wire, and staple it up in the corners. It will be small enough that nobody will notice it.

I will suggest that you look closely at the insulation on the new lamp cord. Old lamp cord used to be 60C rated. I just bought some new stuff at HD, that was 105C rated. That is so much better than the old stuff that used to get warm and crack.

 

[Tawn]

My original plan was to mount the clock above the door going into the house, near the ceiling.

I was going to have the new powercord go behind the sheetrock / corktiles right at the clock / light and run it straight down between the studs for about 6'-8' and have it come back out from behind the sheetrock / corktiles near an outlet to avoid having the exposed cord running down the wall.

If this plan poses a safety or fire hazard, I will simply use some of those hard plastic, self adhesive, surface wire runs they sell at HD to put the power cord in.

Im a long ways from being an electrician, but I don't understand how running a new, heavier than needed, power cord through the wall for 6-8' is a fire hazard but Im always willing to learn.

 

[Tim The Tool Man]

It sounds like you want one of these (below) mounted above the door. Then you rewire the light with a short lamp cord. Putting a lamp cord in the wall is a hazard for many reasons. Here are a few I just though of: It will rest along the inside of the drywall and in the future someone might drive a nail through it. The hole created to insert the cord into and out of the wall could act as a draft/conduit for fire. The hole created to insert the cord into and out of the wall would become a great raceway for mice that love to nibble on wire in the wall. The cord might dry-rot and crack causing an unseen short in a wall...

 

[Zeke]

Im a long ways from being an electrician, but I don't understand how running a new, heavier than needed, power cord through the wall for 6-8' is a fire hazard but Im always willing to learn.

I have worked as a contractor in a lot of small stores back when the signs were everywhere. I have seen 6 of them all plugged into a couple of daisy changed multiple connector extension cords. I'm not talking about a fused plug strip.

The abuse of such cords is a main factor in making all lamp type cords and any cords plugged in at both ends from meeting code. Your situation may not in fact be a fire hazard. But, it is still a hazard in that you have an unprotected cord concealed.

Now let's say you will remove such when you leave. Let's also imagine that someday someone decides to give you a surprise birthday party and decorates the place. They drive a pin right into your hidden cord behind the cork.

Stranger mishaps have occurred.

Use some wire mold or something safe. Don't let an insurance inspector find a cord in a wall either before or after an incident.

 

[Tawn]

Thanks for the info guys, I really appreciate it.

Could I pull the type of wire regularly used to wire houses (I dont know the correct name) from the outlet which is low on the same wall, up between the studs up to the type of outlet Tim posted a pic of? The wire would be unsecured and unpotected between the studs.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[pattenp]

Thanks for the info guys, I really appreciate it.

Could I pull the type of wire regularly used to wire houses (I dont know the correct name) from the outlet which is low on the same wall, up between the studs up to the type of outlet Tim posted a pic of? The wire would be unsecured and unpotected between the studs.

Thanks again for the help.

It's NM-b or Romex and yes you can. On addition of circuits in existing walls the romex doesn't need to be stapled. Use what's referred to as an old work box that has retaining clips to hold the cable where it enters the box.

Edit: The outlet Tim posted won't work with the box I posted.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Ayuh,... I imagine 14ga lamp cord would be more than sufficient...

I don't think I have ever seen 14 gauge "lamp cord" !

The most common lamp cord (SPT-1) is usually 18-20 gauge and 2 conductors (but 3 conductor SPT-1 is available).

SPT-2, not really very common, is usually 16-18 gauge and 2 or 3 conductor.

 

[nehog]

Hold on here! You cannot re-wire that light as it poses a HUGE safety hazard as per NEC code 16-29 subsection 21: "Do not re-wire old beer signs"

I think you would be far better off (and probably sleep better at night) if you shipped that light to me for safe disposal.

Bullfeathers! That section only applies to beer signs that were designed for Pool Halls... Bar beer signs can be safely rewired! So do not listen to Tim, instead send the light to me and I'll install a new cord for you for free.

Caution: I work slowly and as well, I always completely test all work I do, so it might take a while before you see your sign back, but I'll do it for free. Really. Honest.

 

[Zeke]

Jeez, I couldn't get 15 bucks apiece for Miller, Coors and Bud neon signs in the late 80's. They all came with nice appliance cords when new. And pull chain switches.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

The wall between a house and a garage is a FIREWALL and you cannot penetrate it without taking special precautions. You cannot have openings in one side of the wall, in the same stud bay with an opening on the other side of the wall, and everything would have to have boxes, properly installed, meaning tight fit around the edges to the sheetrock, and proper, fitting face plates.

Charles

 

[Tawn]

Done. A friend who is a licensed electrician is coming over Thursday evening and running an outlet near the clock for me. Thanks for preventing me from doing something dumb.

Tawn

 

[rlitman]

I don't think I have ever seen 14 gauge "lamp cord" !

Sure. SPT-3 can even have a ground wire, and comes in as large as 10 gauge. That's what's used for air conditioners, but at that size, the "lamp" part of its name start's to not make so much sense.

But yes, Zeke's comment about someone putting a pin into the cork through the cord is a very good one.

The new outlet is by far the best solution.