Outdoor lighting advice.

[Keeno38]

Hi.

I am after some advice please in regard to outdoor lighting.

I have a run of armoured cable running the length of my garden to a summer house. The cable is on the far right side of my garden buried under a hedge.
I am have a garden overhaul which is a new patio and new pathways. I would like to have outdoor lighting to the patio.
For the uneducated like myself, I would assume I could spur off the existing armoured cable with smaller lighting armoured cable by the way of a junction box?
I'm sure there is more to it than that, so could you adcise me on the best course of action please.

I want to put the cable in before the new path is laid to avoid having to take it up again after.

What size cable would I need and is there a special junction box I can buy to enable me to join the existing run of cable. There is a seperate consumer unit for the summer house if that makes any difference.?

 

[Dustydazzler]

It would be beneficial at this stage to get a local sparks out to estimate for exactly what you are hoping to achieve

Last thing you want is to waste money on a bunch of cables that are no use to man or beast when it comes to wiring up the lights

 

[pc1966]

Yes, you can run the lights off the summerhouse circuit providing it has RCD protection. Which it should do anyway (and would do if under 10-20 years old).

However, what size of wire and how you run it very much depends on what you are trying to do!

Also you would be well advised to look at low-voltage lights here, though they need thicker wire (low voltage for same power = higher current = bigger voltage drop for a given size). Note: Electrical power engineers think of anything under 1kV as "low voltage" but the above is what would be called ELV as below 50V so generally safe to touch in most cases, outside of swimming pool where 25V would be a more appropriate limit.

 

[pc1966]

If you know where the lights should be but not sure what to do yet, put in duct with draw-ropes in them under the path so you can pull through the wire(s) you need later.

 

[Keeno38]

If you know where the lights should be but not sure what to do yet, put in duct with draw-ropes in them under the path so you can pull through the wire(s) you need later.

That's a great idea Thanks.

 

[Keeno38]

It would be beneficial at this stage to get a local sparks out to estimate for exactly what you are hoping to achieve

Last thing you want is to waste money on a bunch of cables that are no use to man or beast when it comes to wiring up the lights

Thanks, I fully intend to have an electrician connect everything up for me, I just wanted to have the cables in place as the garden is starting on monday.

 

[Keeno38]

Yes, you can run the lights off the summerhouse circuit providing it has RCD protection. Which it should do anyway (and would do if under 10-20 years old).

However, what size of wire and how you run it very much depends on what you are trying to do!

Also you would be well advised to look at low-voltage lights here, though they need thicker wire (low voltage for same power = higher current = bigger voltage drop for a given size). Note: Electrical power engineers think of anything under 1kV as "low voltage" but the above is what would be called ELV as below 50V so generally safe to touch in most cases, outside of swimming pool where 25V would be a more appropriate limit.

Many thanks for the reply.

 

[telectrix]

rather than tap into the existing SWA cable. consider running any new cables from the summer house Consumer Unit. that way any faults in the future can be disconnected easily. and you have isolation for any maintenance work.

 

[Keeno38]

rather than tap into the existing SWA cable. consider running any new cables from the summer house Consumer Unit. that way any faults in the future can be disconnected easily. and you have isolation for any maintenance work.

Thank you.. What size SWA cable would I need for lighting?

 

[Electrics]

Thank you.. What size SWA cable would I need for lighting?

1.5mm normally

 

[telectrix]

1.5mm normally

probably much smaller. 0.75mm will cope with a lot of LEDs.