WAGO connectors
WAGO CONNECTORS
WAGO connectors have replaced the wire nut in the toolbox of many electricians and serious DIYers, and for good reason: you insert the wire, lower the lever, and the connection is made, visible and easy to check by eye. LEDCO carries these lever connectors in 1, 2 and 3 inputs, for solid wire as well as stranded wire, in its accessories and connectors section, along with everything that goes with them in a lighting project: wire sold by the foot, connectors for COB strips, power supply connectors and a splitter for puck lights.
WAGO connectors with 1, 2 and 3 inputs: the right format for every connection
The WAGO lever connector comes in three formats. The 1-input WAGO serves as an end-to-end extension between two wires. The 2-input model connects a power source to a load. The 3-input model handles branches: one power input and two outputs to separate zones, for example two LED strip sections under cabinets separated by a range hood. For an installation that will grow, the one you will change next year by adding a zone, the reusable connection saves you from cutting and redoing wires every time.
Why the lever beats the wire nut
The quality of a twisted connection depends on the hand that makes it; a lever connection is the same every time:
- Constant contact pressure: the lever clamps the same way whoever installs it.
- Visual check: the transparent housing shows the wire is fully inserted, something a wire nut cannot offer.
- Solid or stranded: the ideal bridge between building wiring and the flexible leads of LED fixtures and power supplies.
- Reusable: lift the lever, pull the wire, start again as many times as needed.
- One hand: the compact format slips into spaces where fingers barely fit.
18-2, 20-2 and 22-2 wire sold by the foot
Between the power supply and the strip, the wire often runs several feet. LEDCO sells it by the foot, so you do not have to buy a whole spool for a single project. Transparent 22-2 wire disappears under a cabinet or along a glass shelf, while black and red 18-2 wire clearly identifies positive and negative, a real advantage when several zones run from the same power supply. The 18 gauge, thicker than the 22, is better suited to long runs and higher loads; our 12 V and 24 V voltage drop chart helps you decide. Transparent 20-2 and black and white 18-2 round out the choice depending on the finish you want.
22-4 RGB and 22-5 RGB-W wire for colour strips
An RGB strip needs one common conductor plus one conductor per colour, hence the four-conductor 22-4 RGB wire. An RGBW strip adds a white channel: that is the job of the 22-5 RGB-W wire. The right multi-conductor wire avoids improvised splices and keeps the wiring clean between the controller and the strip, even when the strip is installed at the other end of the room. At the connection points, the lever wire connectors link up with the supply wire, with no soldering.
2-pin 8 mm COB connectors: straight, L-shaped or with cable
8 mm COB strips connect without soldering thanks to dedicated connectors. The straight 2-pin connector joins two sections end to end, the L-shaped connector turns a right-angle corner, and the L-shaped version with cable lets you get around an obstacle or feed the strip from a distant point. For a clean finish, white heat-shrink tube, sold by the inch, insulates and protects the joints, and the 10 mm silicone end cap neatly closes off the end of a strip.
Green connectors, junction box and 8-port splitter
The green male connector and its female counterpart form a pluggable connection for a power supply output: you plug and unplug without undoing the wiring, handy for testing an installation before closing an enclosure or for replacing a power supply without touching the rest. On the line side, the power supply sits in a power supply junction box, where lever connectors make connections easier in a tight space; leave that side of the circuit to an electrician. For a set of LED puck lights, the 8-port LED puck light splitter distributes power from a single power supply to a maximum of eight fixtures, at 3 A per port.
Technical tips for WAGO connectors
Strip just enough, then look. The transparent housing must show the copper fully inserted before the lever comes down.
One connector per potential. Positive in one WAGO, negative in another; the 3-input model is for branching, never for mixing.
Choose the gauge before the connector. 18-2 for long runs and higher loads, 22-2 for a short, discreet link.
Leave the line side to the electrician. Lever connectors serve on both sides of the power supply, but the connection to the mains is the electrician's job.
Count one extra connector per zone. An installation that will grow next year is wired with WAGOs you can reopen, not with splices to redo.
For track lighting, connectors are specific to each system: L, T, X and butt connectors are in our tracks and connectors section. Before installing anything, our page on electrical certification in Quebec recalls what an inspector looks at. Need help planning the wiring? Write to the LEDCO team: we will help you choose the right connectors, the right wire and the right format for each connection.
WAGO Connectors FAQ
Wire nut or WAGO for an LED fixture?
The WAGO: it joins the building's solid wire to the fixture's or power supply's flexible lead without twisting, and the transparent housing lets you check the insertion. The wire nut depends on the hand that tightens it and cannot be checked by eye.
Which WAGO to feed two zones from one wire?
The 3-input model: one power input and two outputs, for example two strip sections under cabinets separated by a range hood. You need one for the positive and one for the negative.
Do lever connectors accept the stranded wire of a power supply?
Yes, that is precisely their advantage: they accept solid wire as well as stranded wire. That makes them the bridge between building wiring and the flexible leads of LED fixtures and power supplies.
What wire gauge between the power supply and the strip?
22-2 for a short, discreet link, under a cabinet or along a shelf; 18-2, thicker, for long runs and higher loads. For RGB, move to 22-4, and for RGBW to 22-5.
Can I reuse a WAGO connector?
Yes: lift the lever, pull the wire and redo the connection as many times as needed. That is what makes it so valuable in an installation you will change later.
