Horse Stable Lighting

[stevcolx]

Since you guys are great help and very knowledgable I'd like to pick your brains so to speak. Ok here's my project I need advice with.

I'm buying a 30ft x 12ft stable block. It will be 2 x 12ft x 12ft stables and 1 x 6ft x 12ft tack room. Once it is built I'd like to install lighting in it. The plan is to buy weatherproof strip lights for the 2 stables and the tackroom. Wire all the lights to a circuit breaker I plan to install in the tack room and also fit weatherproof switches to the outside. Oh and also like to install a light or 2 on the outside. Now as far as power in concerned it will either be by generator or mains. But as the house is about 150 feet away from where the stable will be I'm not sure on that one.

So, any advice on what I would need to accomplish this?

Thanks in Advance!!

Colin

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

You will also want to consider where you install your swicthes, so there can be no accidental damaged caused be the horses, also the type of cable used and the method of containment used for the environment.
If you decided to use the power from the house rather than a geny.
You need to think about the route the cable will take ie will it be burried, the size suitable for the load and any voltage drop that may be factored in.

 

[stevcolx]

I'll have to put the switches on the outside because knowing horses the nibble at things inside the stable. As far as the power is concerned I'd have to make a trench leading to the house for mains but a generator that I have could do until such time I could organise mains supply. So with 3 inside lights and 2 outside lights I'd need a 5 way circuit breaker? Is that correct? Plus for 4 switches. That would be 3 for the inside lights and 1 for the 2 outside lights.

 

[riveralt]

I'll have to put the switches on the outside because knowing horses the nibble at things inside the stable. As far as the power is concerned I'd have to make a trench leading to the house for mains but a generator that I have could do until such time I could organise mains supply. So with 3 inside lights and 2 outside lights I'd need a 5 way circuit breaker? Is that correct? Plus for 4 switches. That would be 3 for the inside lights and 1 for the 2 outside lights.

Given what you have said, are you sure you understand how this would work and feel competent to do this work? Outside switches will need to be IP rated and you only need one circuit for the lights unless you want to deliberately separate each light into its own circuit.

What will be the load on the circuit(s)?
What size MCB(s) will you fit?
What type of Earthing system will you use TT?
What about a RCD?

 

[stevcolx]

I'm not sure. Hence my question. I have a plan but no idea how to implement it and how it's all supposed to go together.

 

[riveralt]

I'm not sure. Hence my question. I have a plan but no idea how to implement it and how it's all supposed to go together.

On that basis alone you should get an electrician in to do this job for your. While what you propose can be done by a competent DIYer with a good knowledge of circuit design, construction and inspection you have to ask yourself if you can design, implement and test what you are proposing.

You should also remember that the work you propose is notifiable to your Local Authority Building Control and you should speak to them before you start any work.

 

[digdilem]

Hi. I've done this on quite a few stables. (I work for an equine charity)

Flourescent strip lighting is by far the best. For the best results, fit double tube ip-rated units like http://www.screwfix.com/prods/98946/

So many people under-rate stable lighting. Our farriers and vets have complimented me on our lighting saying they can actually see what they're doing.

Outside switches - I quite often do banks. One switch for all the inside stables, one for the outside and one for the tack/feed room. But whatever you (or her, more commonly!) want.

With all stable electrics, do go for weatherproof. Wet hands are common, as is condensation and leaks. I don't go as far as armoured cable, but do make sure all your runs are completely out of reach of horses (8' high ish) and ducted if not. (The round plastic ducting is cheap and easy to work, is good for all but the most determined nibbler)

Also put in a PIR security light on the approach, either flood or bulkhead. Makes it a lot easier to find the light switches.


Now, with all that said, are you SURE you want mains?

I have a 3-block that's inpractical to get power to. I spend about £250 on a 6-bulb 12v solar lighting kit. Decent panel, six 12v energy saving bulbs. Works reasonably well, enough for night checks and so on, but nowhere near mains standard. But - the panel charges enough in the winter to even keep an electric fencer running, and with a bunch of old burglar alarm batteries, keeps enough charge for the lights to run for a couple of hours a night.

It's easier than starting up a generator every time you want to see what's going on, a lot easier to install, and you're very unlikely to kill anyone if you get it wrong.

If you do go mains, you're going to need to do a lot of digging (if so, hire a mini digger for 150m, you're going to need to be at least 300mm deep with armoured) and consult a proper sparky. No offence chap, but your questions don't suggest you know what you're doing with mains electric and it's really not something you want to screw up. If you get a decent sparky on side, he may advise you and do the final tests and connections - and sign you off so you're legal.

IMO, go the solar low voltage route. Motto: "It's not quite as crap as it used to be!"

 

[OwainDIYer]

Animals are much more vulnerable to electric shock than humans, and there are specific requirements for electrical installations where they're present. Straw and hay can also present a dust and fire hazard.

A sparky used to doing agricultural work would be better than a house-basher.

You might also want emergency lighting in case the power fails suddenly leaving you in an enclosed space with an anxious animal.

 

[RF Lighting]

Horses will chew, kick, bash, kick and generally abuse any wiring they can reach.

Keep everything well out of the way of the animals.

I normally mount the switches outside the stable fairly high up with a drop of PVC conduit to protect the wiring.

Keep the switch far enough away from the door so that a horse can't reach it with it's head out of the door.

Protect all circuits with at least a 300mA RCD for fire protection, but preferably with 30mA shock protection.

Don't forget plenty of security for the tack room. I know of so many that have been burgled round here.

 

[stevcolx]

Thanks for all your advice. Sounds like I might need a sparky to do all that or I could fit solar lights. Only thing is with Solar is are they bright enough to light a 12ft x 12ft stable?

Well if I go to mains I'll certainly get a sparky. There will be a few around Huntly so I should be ok there.

Thanks again!

 

[martinxxxxxx]

I have a 3-block that's inpractical to get power to. I spend about £250 on a 6-bulb 12v solar lighting kit. Decent panel, six 12v energy saving bulbs.

Please provide link for the one you use.

Regards

Martin

 

[bernardgreen]

If you fit PIRs to detect approaching humans please give some thought to what happens when a horse moves around at night. Or pokes his head out of the box and into the area of a PIR.

If humans approaching need lights to be turned on then remote manual switching might be prefereable to PIRs

There is a stable block about 1/4 mile from here and visible from our lounge window. Some nights the lights are on and off all the time in an area which is otherwise totally dark. The lights are therefore distracting. Constantly on would be far less distracting than the On Off On Off

 

[digdilem]

Hi again.

I've pulled my expenses and I know I got the kit from Tooled Up and cost £287, but I've been on their site and they no longer sell the specific one. Closest thing they've got seems to use the same solar panel and is is

http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=169343 which is 2 x flouro instead of 6 x CFL edison bulbs.

18w panel, bit of wiring, the voltage regulator, bulb holders and bulbs. Supply battery and extra wiring yourself.

Is it bright enough? Yes and no. If mains is not too expensive or impractical, I'd say go for that as first choice. It's fix and forget, everybody understands it, you'll have plenty of oomph.

Using a generator is a real pain in the wossname, not just to start, but also remembering to keep fuel handy, starting it in the dark, theft of it, etc etc.

The 12v CFL bulbs are probably equivalent to, mm, 25 to 30 watts. Not bright enough to /properly/ clean a horse or stable with, but enough so you can work safely and do a passable job. There are quite a range of 12v lighting systems for camping, and some of the LED ones emerging do seem to give more brightness.

Also - fair point about PIR's, although the solar ones are obviously a lot less intrusive to neighbours than 500w or even 150w mains jobbies. I actually tend to fit the 60w PIR bulkheads on mains systems now, because most of the 150w floods are really badly made and create so much heat.
But yeah, mount them so the horses don't set the things off