Lighting for Garden Steps

[GreenBoy1966]

Hi
I have seen a lot of threads on garden lighting in this forum, and after reading a few I am still not clear on what I need for this project (to be fair this is probably down to me and not the quality of advice given!)

My project is this: the entrance to my property is a set of 8 steps directly off of the road and then a long path to my front door.

I live in a rural area and there is no street lighting so it is very dark in the winter, and therefore the steps are a hazard.

I have tried using solar powered lights on the steps - but these are next to useless - generally as they do not get enough charge to keep them lit for very long after dark, which means they are invariably gone out by the time people get home.

I therefore seem to have 2 options:

1 - find some decent solar lights what work on a PIR - recommendations appreciated

2 - install a LV system from the front of my house down the path (approx 15m) to the steps and install some lights to cover the area - however I would want these on a PIR with dusk to dawn settings.

Can any one give me some advice on what would be best and most importantly recommend equipment?

Many thanks for all your support in advance.

Dave

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

2 - install a LV system from the front of my house down the path (approx 15m) to the steps and install some lights to cover the area - however I would want these on a PIR with dusk to dawn settings.

Do you actually mean low voltage (i.e. 50 - 1000V AC or 120 - 1500V DC)?

Please read this: //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:voltage-bands - the definition is not a matter of pedantry.

Bear in mind that if you install ELV lighting with the source in the house voltage drop will be an issue over that distance: http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Technical/Lighting/VoltageDrop.html

Can any one give me some advice on what would be best and most importantly recommend equipment?

Hard to say without knowing more about the site - are there walls, for example, on which lights could be installed?

Would a series of bollard lights be easy to install?

A lamp post is good in that the higher up the light is the wider an area it will cover, but domestic ones aren't as big as proper street lights, and if it's too far from the steps will they be in shadow, and if it's near enough to them to avoid that what will it be like after you've walked past it and are into the shadow area approaching the house?

You might need two posts, and they might need to be powerful enough to be a nuisance to you indoors.

And if the road is a public highway you probably have to ensure they are not a nuisance to road users - your local highways dept could probably advise. If a driver has an accident because he is dazzled by your lighting you could be in a heap of trouble. Wouldn't hurt to get it right.

Finally - do you know that outside lighting is notifiable?