Outdoor light wire, what can I do with it apart from a lite?

[Scarum]

I have lived in my house for almost 10 years and still haven't gotten round to fitting a light for the rear garden. The wire still dangles from the wall and the lightswitch is there inside, all done when the house was built.

I am not keen on an outside light, I don't really need it.

For example, I wondered if it could be connected in some way to an outdoor transformer for low voltage lighting to create a nice feature at the other end of the garden.

Or is there an "alternative" outdoor light I might consider, something a little different?

 

[JohnD]

The wire still dangles from the wall

 

[Scarum]

The wire still dangles from the wall

Lol

The exterior wire and it is insulated and covered.

 

[Albert]

Or is there an "alternative" outdoor light I might consider, something a little different?

Different is something personal, go to B&Q, Homebase or any other one and choose the one you like.

If you intend to use the DANGLING? cable for supplying lights for the garden, please seek advice as there are quiet strict rules concerning cable run in the garden...

 

[Scarum]

So what does a wire do when it's coming out of a wall and not attached to anything?

 

[Albert]

So what does a wire do when it's coming out of a wall and not attached to anything?

enjoing the weather...

 

[Scarum]

So what does a wire do when it's coming out of a wall and not attached to anything?

enjoing the weather...

Like all other external cables / wires? What you trying to tell me?

 

[Albert]

That I hope that it is safely isolated...

 

[Scarum]

Of course not, I use it to hang my washing on.... what do you think?

 

[Albert]

that you use it to hang your washing on...

 

[Scarum]

riiight... such wit Albert. Or did I mean something else?

 

[Albert]

Sorry, just wondered about the safety part of this, I read again the posts and, my fault, I missed the part you said that "it is s insulated and covered"....

 

[Scarum]

When Wimpey built my house there as so much poor workmanship but even they didn't go so low to leave the rear light fitting in such a dangerous state.

 

[Space cat]

Put a nice big outdoor transformer on it then you can be as creative as you like with low voltage stuff all over the garden.

I would drill a hole in the back of a single entry PVC conduit junction box with watertight lid then screw and silicone it over the wire's exit hole. Extend the wire down through heavy duty PVC conduit to your transformer.

What happens at that end depends upon the transformer's enclosure. It would be nice if the conduit went straight in. Alternatively, bring it as close as you can and put a cable gland on its bottom end. In this case you'll be using outdoor grade flex all the way down the conduit. If you have to run conduit between two fixed junction boxes, solvent weld vertical runs at the bottom but leave other joints loose to allow for expansion.