Outdoor "floor" lights in Flagged patio

[pauloduarte]

Hi, first post, sorry if this is the wrong forum to post, wasnt sure if it was Garden or Electrics.

First part of the question should be very simple.

I am having my back garden, flagged, and in the process my wife wants uplights set in the flags. The guy that is doing it (a mate so very cheap rates) told us to prepare the cables in place and he would flag afterwards.

Questions:
1. Do i fit electric wires inside some kind of tubing?
2. Do the tubes/cables go under the MOT, under the sand or on top of the sand and only under the flags?
3. What type of wire do I need? I have a junction box in the wall outside, but has 4 wires in it, and one is earth, so not too sure what the other three are.
4. I also will have to connect them in series, is this a problem? And how to do it?

Thanks in advance for the help guys (and girls). Once I get home I will take some pictures of the wiring itself to get a clearer "picture".

 

[Chri5]

questions:
1. Do i fit electric wires inside some kind of tubing?
2. Do the tubes/cables go under the MOT, under the sand or on top of the sand and only under the flags?
3. What type of wire do I need? I have a junction box in the wall outside, but has 4 wires in it, and one is earth, so not too sure what the other three are.
4. I also will have to connect them in series, is this a problem? And how to do it?

Buy hituff external double sheathed cable.

Since you have a solid top (stone / flags) I'd dump the normal 450mm deepth rule and call the stone the mechanical protection. Carve runs in the soil, then sand, then top.

You need to confirm the service on the 3 core and earth junction to make sure it is a) working b) can take the extra load (unlikely to be very high- how many lamps?).

Series is daisy chain --------O-------------O-------------O-----------O--- etc
with a switch at or before the start of the run to the 1st light.

You need to consider the design and voltage of the lamps will they be 240v GU drive type lights or decking transformer 24v type.

External work should be notified to LBC and a competant person asked to do the works.

Look here for cable

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Cable_Index/Hi-Tuf/index.html

here for light styles and types

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In..._and_Lantern_Index/DriveOver_Light/index.html

 

[jj4091]

In the area where the flags are to go 1)dig hole 2mx1mx.5m,2)bury wife then flag over,3) forget about the lights. Or if you still want them please give more info about the type of lights you are wanting to use ie, mains volts? low volts via a transformer? led lamps?

 

[Steve]

LED lamps. Its only a feature, no useful light comes from the ground, so light quality isnt an issue. At less than 2 watts per lamp, LEDs cost next to nowt to run.

 

[Chri5]

LED lamps. Its only a feature, no useful light comes from the ground, so light quality isnt an issue. At less than 2 watts per lamp, LEDs cost next to nowt to run.

Crystal ball

How do you know tiny light level LED is what the OP wants

What I would say is that floor lighting isn't anything other than runway lighting when most LE LED's I've seen have been used. If the guy wants a vertical line of light out the fitting then big is best

 

[breezer]

How do you know tiny light level LED is what the OP wants

hate to say this but led lights are now used on police cars (instead of the halogen lights) I know this one is yellow, but they are leds

also my dmx light has leds it really is bright

 

[RF Lighting]

 

[Steve]

Anyone seen the low profile police car toppers now? You barely notice them until they flash at you!

 

[breezer]

could even get a mains walk over fitting and put

this in it

or

these

I did, have them in the garden, they are 12v ac colour change, oh and they all change colour at the same time

 

[r.bartlett]

questions:
1. Do i fit electric wires inside some kind of tubing?
2. Do the tubes/cables go under the MOT, under the sand or on top of the sand and only under the flags?
3. What type of wire do I need? I have a junction box in the wall outside, but has 4 wires in it, and one is earth, so not too sure what the other three are.
4. I also will have to connect them in series, is this a problem? And how to do it?

Buy hituff external double sheathed cable.

Since you have a solid top (stone / flags) I'd dump the normal 450mm deepth rule and call the stone the mechanical protection. Carve runs in the soil, then sand, then top.

You need to confirm the service on the 3 core and earth junction to make sure it is a) working b) can take the extra load (unlikely to be very high- how many lamps?).

Series is daisy chain --------O-------------O-------------O-----------O--- etc
with a switch at or before the start of the run to the 1st light.

You need to consider the design and voltage of the lamps will they be 240v GU drive type lights or decking transformer 24v type.

External work should be notified to LBC and a competant person asked to do the works.

Look here for cable

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Cable_Index/Hi-Tuf/index.html

here for light styles and types

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In..._and_Lantern_Index/DriveOver_Light/index.html

We use hituf cable by the shed load but we never ever bury it. If it's to be underground then we only use armoured..

Cheers

Richard

 

[breezer]

knowing how you all like pics

just taken it, sorry its a bit blured, its 3 led lights on one side oif the garden, and yes the middle one has lost one lot of leds, but that was my fault.

and a video clip of 1 light clicky

I will be removing the clip in a few days (eats band width)

 

[Chri5]

We use hituf cable by the shed load but we never ever bury it. If it's to be underground then we only use armoured..

Cheers

Richard

If large lumps of flag stone are covering the cable what issues with using hi-tuf are there?

The flags will provide a rather good mechanical protection and since hi-tuf glands can be used by a 2 y.o. I felt it was a more viable option

 

[CallEdsFirst]

In the area where the flags are to go 1)dig hole 2mx1mx.5m,2)bury wife then flag over,3) forget about the lights. Or if you still want them please give more info about the type of lights you are wanting to use ie, mains volts? low volts via a transformer? led lamps?

Genius plan = problem solved.

LED lamps. Its only a feature, no useful light comes from the ground, so light quality isnt an issue. At less than 2 watts per lamp, LEDs cost next to nowt to run.

Crystal ball

How do you know tiny light level LED is what the OP wants

What I would say is that floor lighting isn't anything other than runway lighting when most LE LED's I've seen have been used. If the guy wants a vertical line of light out the fitting then big is best

To be fair, I think this a suggestion rather than a guess. I would agree that the only real benefit to using anything else would be the foot-warming properties of a floormounted GU10!

If accent is all you require, LED is the way to go.

All sounds a bit risky though, on the cheap, getting you to do more than just trench digging type labour. Its not just the donkey work to save money if you have to design the circuit and rough it in!

Oh, and is it wrong that I spent hours on website the other day?

http://www.emergencyequipmentshop.co.uk/lightbars-c-36.html?osCsid=7dcc4d4bf6b5e022988af82c65ab349f

 

[bernardgreen]

Cable under flagstones has one problem if a flag starts to sink the edge of the flag presses on the cable and may damage it.

For the cables under my flagstone area I used plastic conduit.

Of course not a single slab has sunk in 20 years...

 

[jj4091]

Of course not a single slab has sunk in 20 years...

Bernard, are you bragging or complaining?