Outside security light - junction box inside or outside?

[Geetar500]

I want to install a PIR security light on a garage, the light comes with around 700mm of outside rated cable.

Which would you do:

1) Fit an IP rated junction box on the outside wall, rear fed with T&E from the existing garage lighting circuit and then connect the light with a gland etc to keep it all as weatherproof as possible.

or

2) Drill a hole in the wall and put the cable from the light straight through and then connect up with a junction box on the internal wall.

Option 1 seems better for future maintenance as obviously I can just separate at the junction box without having to pull the cable through the wall (which would be siliconed in). Downsides are having the junction box outside increases risk of failure from water ingress etc, also some people would rather the "cleaner" look of not having another grey box on the wall (it's on the front of the garage so reasonably prominent).

Option 2 - no points of failure outside, but more of a pain to change the light if I needed to. Potentially a cable going straight into a wall could look a bit bodge?

Thanks in advance

 

[JohnW2]

Which would you do:
1) Fit an IP rated junction box on the outside wall, rear fed with T&E from the existing garage lighting circuit and then connect the light with a gland etc to keep it all as weatherproof as possible.
or
2) Drill a hole in the wall and put the cable from the light straight through and then connect up with a junction box on the internal wall.

You've really presented the pros and cons of those options yourself.

Avoiding having an outdoor junction box is certainly preferable so, given that the only downside is a little bit of possible 'inconvenience' at some point in the (possibly distant) future, I personally would certainly go for option (2).

Kind Regards, John

 

[markyd1]

Use a wiska 308 combi box with an ip68 gland outside never had a problem

 

[Geetar500]

You've really presented the pros and cons of those options yourself.

Avoiding having an outdoor junction box is certainly preferable so, given that the only downside is a little bit of possible 'inconvenience' at some point in the (possibly distant) future, I personally would certainly go for option (2).

Kind Regards, John

Thank you, I wasn't sure if I'd missed something or got something wrong.

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

I have always made the join on the inside with a plastic conduit going through the wall. I'd much rather make joints on the inside than at the top of a ladder and it looks neater. I usually use a round conduit box so all you see on the inside is a round plate flush with the wall.

 

[JohnW2]

I have always made the join on the inside with a plastic conduit going through the wall. I'd much rather make joints on the inside than at the top of a ladder and it looks neater. I usually use a round conduit box so all you see on the inside is a round plate flush with the wall.

Similar here, whenever possible.

Kind Regards, John

 

[blup]

If you are near enough to the outside light from the supply inside I would take it through the wall. As a continuation of the radial circuit, no need for junction box.

Blup

 

[JohnW2]

If you are near enough to the outside light from the supply inside I would take it through the wall. As a continuation of the radial circuit, no need for junction box.

No-one could argue against that being the best approach, if that were possible.

However, it seems pretty unlikely that the 700mm cable from the light would be long enough to reach 'the supply inside', doesn't it? By the time it has been through the wall, they'd probably only be about 400mm, maybe less, left.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnD]

Outdoor lighting is very prone to water ingress leading to RCD trips, and it is a very good idea to have a DP isolator inside the house (an FCU if the supply is not from a lighting circuit)

In which case you may as well do your connections inside as well.

If the cable on the lamp is too short, fit a longer one rather than a junction box.

 

[blup]

No-one could argue against that being the best approach, if that were possible.

However, it seems pretty unlikely that the 700mm cable from the light would be long enough to reach 'the supply inside', doesn't it? By the time it has been through the wall, they'd probably only be about 400mm, maybe less, left.

Kind Regards, John

The cables supplied are very often too short even if the jb is fitted outside because of (in my case at any rate) clutter on the outside wall ( soil pipe, chimney breast, window frame). One option would be to cut the supply cable short, crimp it up and bury it in the hole in the wall for a nice maintenance free junction. It just lessens external clutter of jb and cable runs.

Blup

 

[JohnW2]

The cables supplied are very often too short even if the jb is fitted outside because of (in my case at any rate) clutter on the outside wall ( soil pipe, chimney breast, window frame).

Quite so - which is why I doubted that what you were suggesting would be possible.

Kind Regards, John

 

[plugwash]

If the cable on the lamp is too short, fit a longer one rather than a junction box.

Many outdoor LED lights come with cables that cannot reasonablly be replaced.