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As part of a current project I am looking to install uplights in the ground at the end of the drive which I believe are also known as Drive over lights or Walk over lights. S
crewfix and Toolstation sell them and one I have purchased to look at is from Screwfix (5548T) which is a GU10 Enlite fitting.


Now this fitting has a flex coming out of it with about half a metre on it which isnt going to go far. In fact it isnt going to allow me to wire from one light to another.

I have read online there are Gel based junction boxes to water proof this and also a mix of stories as to whether or not I have to use armoured cable or not.

Can any of you guys give any advice on how i can go about putting 3-4 uplights in at the end of the drive. the whole drive will be tarmac and block paved border so there will be no flower beds, etc.. to hide any junction boxes in there?

Some other thoughts:

1. Do I have to work with armoured cable? If not whats the alternative?
2. Whats the depths I have to put it in at when they dig the drive up?
3. Whats the rules on the junction boxes in the drive?
4. what tricks/tips on what i can use to over come regulation problems, etc..)



(FYI.... I have rewired many houses but never done any outside work before)
 
You should also make sure a mini gravel soak away is installed under each light

This allows for water drainage, its probably the most imprtant part of the job, and is normally never done

Hence why 9 out of 10 of these installations are tripping out and left switched off after the first full winter!

I personally also additionally reseal all joints with clear mastic just to give an extra sealant, its easily removed if you need to change a lamp eg gu10s etc and just re seal after, but will save you unwanted call backs
 
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The last outdoor job I done I also used ducting with tees to come up for the cable..
Some fittings especially ground lights are sealed so I jointed by twisting cores in line and then applied heat shrink..
The 240v bollard lights had internal drivers so I removed all the drivers, wired them all in series and located 1 driver in an enclosure
 
I would agree with Charlie. The last few i had to deal with,i did them the same method. All 12v DC,all transformers,drivers and control systems,inside the property. I specced deep shrouds,for the lamps,and looped one curl of duct+cable,in each one. I removed the lamp fitting's cable,added another IP rated gland,and did my connections,within the lamp housing.
No joints or connections,outside the sealed units or property.

Any other method or voltage,seems to attract every bit of myther,from DIYers to landscapers,or it's just plain weather,that kills it.

The best advice for these layouts,is be involved from the off,and be prepared to supervise....a client of mine had their super team of concrete imprint drive,heroes,trying to alter things,and every time i returned to reset things,it revealed the extent of their "hardcore base":eek: ...which amounted to the thickness of butter,a hardened 1970's dinner-lady,could scrape on to your school toast...;)
 
Thanks for your responses above guys. Generally I have gotten the following information which you all seem to generally agree on:

1. Use low voltage to eradicate problems as mains voltage lighting is more likely to trip out and get water problems.

2. Soak Away installed underneath using 110mm soil pipe to help reduce water into the lights.

3. Using Ho7 Cable and NOT armoured.

4. Rip the cable out of the existing fitting and replace it. Well I can i do that but it will be one cable only running back to a junction box as there is no room for looping the lights. Plus this fitting is Gu10 mains so if i refer to point 1 you are mostly advising me not to use this type of fitting


QUESTIONS

a. Has anyone got and suggestions on what Walk over lights to use that are similar size to GU10? Perhaps a make/model / link?

b) using ho7 cable under my drive - What depth minimum should it be run or will this become irrelevant with low voltage? Does it need to be in ducting?



Please remember the driveway guys are going to be looking at me and i have to have a full plan of implementation so it can be installed correctly.
 
What’s your budget?
Search for constant current led ground lights...
Loads of cheaper brands out there;
KSR, Ansell, Aurora, Searchlight, are all good value for money
 
Im looking at putting 3-4 uplights at the end of the drive in block paving before the tarmac starts. I want to do it for as cheap as possible and thats why I started at the screwfix/toolstation lights that are £16/£18 each.

I would say that if this is going to cost over £200 then I would start to question if it is worth me giving this a try on this property.

Most cheap fittings seem to be 240 mains with one 0.5m cable coming out. If this is the cheapest then I found cable connectors at around £7 called Raytech Happy Gel boxes which I could connect under the light and run a single cable from each light at the end of the drive back under the house and put a normal junction box in near the consumer unit. This would mean the only failures could occur at each light as there is no main junction boxes outside other than these little gel box connectors under each light at the fitting.
 
Materials only as I will do the labour of laying the cables whilst the driveway people are in digging up.

There's a bit of mix in stories here.... Some are saying SWA is needed and some arn't for 240v under the drive?

I don't really want to work with SWA as I have just ripped some old stuff out for the garden shed and its a pain to work with because it's so stiff.

I am pretty sure I have watched various Youtube videos of people putting plug sockets out the in the garden and in flower beds and on walls etc... that were all done in flex in conduit and not SWA cable.

I'm a little confused as to what is right and what is wrong?
 
I would say,if eyebrows are going up at £200 for bits...the customers reach has exceeded their grasp...

To do this type of job,with any longevity built in,will require buying the correct gear...and that costs,what it costs ;)
 
PEG.... I agree it costs what it costs and that's why i am currently doing the exercise of going through the parts that will make up this system so i can price it up. Once its finally priced up Ill have the knowledge of how to do it and how much it will cost and I can make the decision at that point If I go ahead and install on this project. If it doesn't go ahead on this project due to cost then I will have these figures for the next project where i can budget it in.

Based on the 230v fittings at screwfix and toolstation the £200 is achievable I would say, however £90 per light that then requires a driver, etc.. as well would not be so.


Like I said.... I am looking for you guys to make product suggestions. No one seems to be telling me what can and can't be done in respect of the cabling as I do not want to use SWA as its to hard to work with.
 
The problem I see is that I find swa one of the easiest cables to work with and also the most suitable for this job..
Especially if you’re going down the mains voltage route..
Based on the description of the job; I would wire it in swa to an inspection pit and then joint out of there to each fitting. Using say kopex to go from the pit to each burial sleeve.. the kopex can be glanded to the bottom of the sleeve..
 

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