installing garden lights

[cottie1972]

Hiya all
I am in the middle of revamping the garden and have had decking laid - before the joiner encloses it all off I want to run some cables around to wire up the lights and water features - how is it best to connect these to one plug? is it better to have all the plugs going into the house or is it expensive to install an external socket - if not how do I connect any extentions? - Im presuming good old electrical tape might be a little dodgy in the rain! - any tips - thanks in advance of any replies!!!

 

[breezer]

you want a purpose made box, try here
other brands os switch box are available, but you need to have a plug in rcd at the other end, and you should also use a "weather proof cable" to connect from your house to the box

this assunes the cable will be protected by the decking itself

 

[Steve]

this stuff is probably part p notifiable and all that crap, but here goes:

From an FCU in the house, run 1.5mm SWA (armoured cable) round the garden to numerous outdoor junction boxes with metal glands (wherever you want a light) terminating it at the last box. This is the expensive way.

The DIYers way is to run 1.5mm T+E or 1.25mm flex round the garden, looping in at each light fitting. Safe until someone chops the cable with a shovel. Your choice

 

[breezer]

i disagree.

if you use the box i suggested, with a cable i suggested, then you can plug it in, (with rcd as i also suggested) this is NOT notifiable under part p. also with regardto garden lights there are a whole range of low voltage kits

 

[Steve]

we posted at the same time there i think! i was looking at it from a permenant install point of view! but i suppose if its only plugged in, and rcd'd, then anythings possible!

 

[cottie1972]

Hiya - have noted both ideas and im off to bandq over the weekend to check out what they have - many thanks for all of your help!!!! Suze

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

Hiya - have noted both ideas and im off to bandq over the weekend to check out what they have - many thanks for all of your help!!!! Suze

But only do research in qandb, then buy better stuff from a specialist (builders/electrical) supplier. More than likely be cheaper too.

 

[Hazelb]

I've wired lights in to my garden with the 'ring select-a-light' range. I've found it realy flexable. Good for me as I am always changing the design of the garden!

The range is low voltage, so I just drilled a hole in the wall and ran the lv cable in to the house before connecting it up to the transformer and plug.

Lost of different lights available and you can expand the system at a later date!

 

[breezer]

Lost of different lights available and you can expand the system at a later date!

only to the maximum rating of the transformer

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Also unless you're using LED lamps you are extremely limited on how far you can extend the ELV cable...

 

[breezer]

er no!
would you care to expand on tha one?

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also as for check out the sheds, then get from electrical wholesalers, for chepaer lights i have never heard so much (insert your word here)

what everyone forgets is that this is a diy forum, people want things easy and cheap, you can get a set of garden lights for less than a tenner from a shed.

now i readily say the afore ementioned lights are are insulting to cheap and nasty but it is what joe public wants for the average back garden. now if it is for a professional display or commercial / public garden then yes wholesalers every time for the Quality but sheds sell cheapness in most things, and as always yes you do get what you pay for

 

[ban-all-sheds]

er no!
would you care to expand on tha one?

105W of 12V lighting - length limit for the 1mm flex supplied is 1.1m

To extend this to, say, 10m requires 10mm² T/E, and 19.5m is the end of the line for 16mm².....

 

[breezer]

but i still disagree.

may i suggest the following

you said 105W of 12V lighting - length limit for the 1mm flex supplied is 1.1m

that sounds wrong for a start (105w =1.1m)
@ 12v that is 8.75 A
8.7A down a 1mm cable means the cable can be longer than (as you said) 1.1 metres

i have a set of 12v "garden lights" its much longer than 1.1 metres, yes granted its about 10.9 volts at the other end (havent checked it) but its sure is a lot longer than 1.1 m

 

[plugwash]

it depends how much volt drop you consider acceptable

i'm guessing bas is working on a maximum volt drop of 4% (0.48V for a 12V system) you could probablly get away with more if just feeding lights

 

[felix]

you could probablly get away with more if just feeding lights

As long as they aren't halogens

I've got this idea lined up. Centre tapped 24 volt transformer in the house -> 2.5mm flat twin and earth (in heavy duty PVC conduit) -> pair of old 12 volt halogen fog lamps in series. The earth wire connects the transformer centre tap to the junction of the two bulbs. Like a 3 phase neutral it doesn't have a lot to do - unless a bulb goes. For added safety it'll also be earthed, as will the transformer core and screen.