Shop Fittings

Why use stranded wire in light fixtures?

I need to rewire a ceiling fixture where the sockets and some of the wires have deteriorated because of heat, even though we nexer use more than the recommended max 60 watt bulbs. The only wire I could find in my shop is Romex, which, of course, is solid wire, so I have to make a trip to Home Depot. I'll do that, but it started me wondering, why do we use solid wire in walls, but only stranded in fixtures? Is it because it's more flexible? Does it make better electrical connections with wire nuts?

Public Comments

1. It is indeed because it is flexible and less likely to break as a consequence. If you think about it, the brittle nature of solid-core wire is not a problem for "in-wall" wiring, because once it is installed, it's likely to spend the next hundred years just sitting still, carrying electrons back and forth. The wire that hangs down from the celing to your beautiful lamp, however, is exposed to the room air currents, and might swing back & forth a bit.
2. Stranded wire is better for AC, as electrons tend to flow on the outside of the conductor.