recessed patio lighting

[5544]

going round to wire up a customers patio at some point and she has purchased 6 recessed lights with 20cm fly leads instead of the fittings i suggested where you can wire then inside the fittings. this now means that i will need to purchase 5 waterproof junction boxes that will require three cable entries, and if i go for a 10amp rated cable that should be more than ample. she is going to go for the three core pond insulated cable housed on conduit.
the junction boxes will have to go underneath each light in order for second fix connection so they will be permanently underground.
the sealed gel filled connectors are in my opinion the only way to go but they vary in price. can anyone recommend something they have themselves used, which are not overpriced?

 

[Welchyboy1]

Make sure you have at least 150 mm of pea shingle below the lights or they will eventually flood!

The junction below the fitting sounds like real poor design can you not replace the flex to the light? Make it long and have an above ground adaptable box somewhere suitable?

The amount of these lights I have ripped out cause they have been installed poorly and become full of water is untrue

If I could not replace the flexes on the lights I would personally get her to buy some that you could as it's you who's gonna get the call back come the beginning of autumn!

 

[Octopus]

I would make sure she realises that sooner or later the gel pack will fail, as will the lights, and how does she plan for on going maintenance?

 

[Andyfm]

Whatever you use "in the ground" it will eventually leak and short out. I wish there was a way to stop importers bringing this foreign rubbish that does not suit our systems. And I wish these poncey lighting designers would realise they are asking for problems by specifying these type of fittings.
I have just told one that if he wants to use them, he`ll have to got someone else to install them as I`m not putting my name on the cert or the guarantee

 

[davesparks]

and if i go for a 10amp rated cable that should be more than ample. she is going to go for the three core pond insulated cable housed on conduit.
?

Oh dear! You need to select cable size in accordance with the correct procedure, not what you think should be ample.
Also why is she specifying the type of cable and installation method you are going to use? I wouldn't be too happy about burying galvanised conduit as it won't last very long really. Obviously it won't be plastic conduit due to the requirement for underground cables to have an earthed metal protection of some kind.

As far as the joint boxes go, Pratley IP68 ones are probably the best thing for the job (black ones can be buried, orange ones aren't recommended for it)

 

[Octopus]

Oh dear! You need to select cable size in accordance with the correct procedure, not what you think should be ample.
Also why is she specifying the type of cable and installation method you are going to use? I wouldn't be too happy about burying galvanised conduit as it won't last very long really. Obviously it won't be plastic conduit due to the requirement for underground cables to have an earthed metal protection of some kind.

As far as the joint boxes go, Pratley IP68 ones are probably the best thing for the job (black ones can be buried, orange ones aren't recommended for it)

I bet the budget won't cover those!

 

[davesparks]

They're less than £20!

But then by the sounds of it so were the lights!

 

[5544]

I've gone round the houses with this customer, and explained nearly all the above. have ended up with her keeping her e bay lights with fly leads, and explaining that i will have to junction box ever light. rubbish if you ask me, and yes i have already warned her that the boxes will fail in time. waste of money if you ask me.

 

[Royce44]

Appreciate this is nearly a year old but rather than create a new thread ill bump this one up.

What would be the best way to install these style of lights? As in cabling wise, an swa between the units wont work very well from what i imagine, conduit as per previous posts wont work so what else can be done?

Ps- this is for my own garden, and not on a tight budget as i DO want it to last longer than 5 minutes and no im not a diy'er, im just struggling to think of a foolproof design

 

[Leesparkykent]

Why won't SWA work?

 

[Royce44]

Would it be swa->jb->flylead to light?

if so then how can the flylead be protected from detioration once under the patio?

 

[Leesparkykent]

Would it be swa->jb->flylead to light?

if so then how can the flylead be protected from detioration once under the patio?

Oh got you didn't see the fly lead bit. Could gland the SWA in to a galv conduit Y box and then metal copex up to fitting. The only thing you might struggle with is the gland on the copex at the fitting end if there isnt any access.

 

[Royce44]

Yeah thats what i mean, most kits use a 3m flylead give or take, i think from measuring my design i can put an inspection pit (the one where patio slabs can be inserted into the lid) in the centre of my arrangement where i can then house the transformers in an ip adaptable box fed from a swa buried underground.
this still wouldnt get me around the issue of that gland on the end of the copex. If i could find small uplights with a built on housing to gland into then problem solved but i cant find any that i like.