Flat Extension Cord

[rstehle]

I need to run about 20' of wire under a rug. Looking for a source for some flat wire that will be as unobtrusive as possible. Anyone have a source?

[MikeKrebs]

First, don't do it. Second, spt1 is pretty flat.

[1pet2_9]

I'm curious about the "don't do it" part? Is it just the 20' part, or is wire under a walkway rug bad for any length for some reason? I have WS2815 LED strip in the expansion joint on my driveway, and I drive over it every day, with no consequences.

[algerdes]

Wire under a rug, unless designed for it, is never a good idea. The crushing down of folks walking over it, along with the hard floor below, is the number one problem. Broken strands in the wire result in a "electrical choke point" which creates a location for possible overheating due to the same amount of current going through a smaller wire. Think fuse! If two cores, side by side, are both subjected to the downward crush, there is the potential for shorting.

There are rubber channels you could use under the rug, but that would create an uneven rug.

With all that said, there are some cables that are actually made to be run under rugs. Google is your friend in this search.

As far as in your expansion joint, your wire is pretty protected by the material (cement?) on either side. We run through sidewalk expansion joints each year. Zero problems.

[1pet2_9]

Maybe this is more about running DC wire. I've been running AC wire for more than just lighting, and the only real issue I've run into is trip hazard.

Did you find a good adhesive for the expansion joints? My LED strip hasn't jumped out of the joint yet, but the minute it does (and we drive over it), it's dead. I couldn't really get it to stick long-term because of the dirt. I had to weed-eat. BTW people love the strip in the driveway. I was just trying to find a way to route 400 pixels to the other side without going all the way around.

[rstehle]

Not helping............

[NDNS00ner]

Hey Randy, I found this on Amazaon....

https://www.amazon.com/Profile-Elect...435304698&th=1

[1pet2_9]

Not helping............

We are. Mike said not to do it. I wanted to know why, and reasonably you would, too.

[rstehle]

Not my first rodeo. If you can't contribute to the answer, please ignore.

[1pet2_9]

Well, Mike is right. Spt-1 is pretty flat. I put a placemat over it all the time. But I use it for AC. He might also be right that you just shouldn't do it, so I'm exercising my right to ask.