Walkover paving lights - more hassle than it's worth?

Brahman Naren

Brahman Naren

-
Hi All

My first post here, and looking for advice on a full home renovation that is about to start. They are kicking off with some garden work whilst the builders knock down half the house, so I suspect this will be question 1 of many questions over the next year.

They are about to start the foundation for the paving and then lay down the paving slabs. So I am looking to install walkover lights in my garden paving to outline the paving edge.

The electrician said he can do it, however, he recommended that I do not go ahead with this and instead install small lighting posts on the various corners of the paving.

He said the walkover lights will break after a few years and are then difficult to replace. He said that water will eventually get in from beneath or above and break down the seal or find away into the fixture/cabling resulting in the fixture ultimately failing. Even with the gel and various protection methods he claimed it will ultimately fail faster than expected. Whilst the posts do not have the same risks and can also be easily replaced.

The walkover lights are more convenient, less intrusive and look better. However if they fail frequently, I won't be able to afford to replace them.

Is this true? I am not experienced with this, what should I do?
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
It’s an interesting conundrum because as a customer you have a clear idea of what you want. Also good, and what you’d like to expect, to have a spark familiar with the products that are out there and their limitations.
Ultimately the decision is yours. It may be that if you spend more time researching you may find a more durable product out there that suits you initial spec? All the best with your project.
Are you sure that having hard landscape done before main building work is the right order and that your new paving and fancy lighting isn’t going to be trashed by Mr builder and his big digger sorting out foundations and new drainage etc?
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
This is one I disagree with I’ve had drive-over lights on my driveway for years in rainy greenock and only 1 problem was a duff fitting that was a leaker. Get a good brand. The more you pay now the less you’ll pay in the long run.... Make sure he reads the instructions and installs them right.... most lights need a good layer of gravel underneath sort of like a french drain.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
MFS Electrical said:
This is one I disagree with I’ve had drive-over lights on my driveway for years in rainy greenock and only 1 problem was a duff fitting that was a leaker. Get a good brand. The more you pay now the less you’ll pay in the long run.... Make sure he reads the instructions and installs them right.... most lights need a good layer of gravel underneath sort of like a french drain.
Click to expand...

Really? It would really appreciate if I can get some recommendations for brands/lights.

And for draining, what would I tell the builders/electricians to do to ensure there is sufficient?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
FatAlan said:
Are you sure that having hard landscape done before main building work is the right order and that your new paving and fancy lighting isn’t going to be trashed by Mr builder and his big digger sorting out foundations and new drainage etc?
Click to expand...

I agree. It wasn't the ideal option, however, with what has progressed so far, there will not be much happening in the back garden area anymore after this so the risk is minimal.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Brahman Naren said:
Really? It would really appreciate if I can get some recommendations for brands/lights.

And for draining, what would I tell the builders/electricians to do to ensure there is sufficient?
Click to expand...
Most of the lights instructions specify installation methods. I can’t remember exactly but I know there had to be a specific type of gravel under them to a certain depth and being greenock I decided to connect all the wee gravel pits together with ducting so they would drain away easier
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
See I would go for a GU10 LED as there is less to go wrong. Out of interest, these fittings come pre-flexed what do you find the best to use in regards to wiring and terminating between the two and do you take each cable back to a central internal point or daisy chain. I fitted some Collingwood colour changing and the driver was internal but needed 5 core flex.

INewport.jpg
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Sounds like he's giving you good advice, posts are certain to be more easily repaired than stuff set in paving. In the long run you may find you have to pull up paving slabs just to fix some lighting circuits.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I’ve installed ground & walk over lights they were mains & low voltage.Thats over a year ago,no problems with them.
Made sure water could get away,stones/gravel in bottom of fixing tube,enough room to make connection,& heat shrinked with wago’s,bit of a pain I must admit.
I’ve got little column lights in my garden...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
These won't give you any problems. They will never rust either being 316 stainless. Not really cheap if you want a few, but it's the only brand I'll fit in the ground.

Never fit anything less than IP68 ground lights. Anything else I've tried has only lasted a few months to a couple of years. Water gets in. These are submersible to 9m depth in water.

I would consider other ELV walkover lights but I've tended to stick with what I know and trust the past 6 or 7 years since I started using Collingwood.

GL018 C - Collingwood Lighting - https://www.collingwoodlighting.com/index.php/en/products/ground-lights/item/gl018c-uk
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I'm not sure what you want feedback on, it seems like you were mostly offering advice?

If you mean you're thinking of fitting ground lights with GU10 lamps, don't! Anything with replaceable lamps WILL get moisture in, if they are recessed into the ground IMO. I only fit IP68 fittings. Usually ELV. Use gel joints. The Collingwood ones are good, if expensive.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I was hoping for some feedback of my post 26.
mattg4321 said:
I'm not sure what you want feedback on, it seems like you were mostly offering advice?

If you mean you're thinking of fitting ground lights with GU10 lamps, don't! Anything with replaceable lamps WILL get moisture in, if they are recessed into the ground IMO. I only fit IP68 fittings. Usually ELV. Use gel joints. The Collingwood ones are good, if expensive.
Click to expand...
Just interested in how others wire to fittings do you go from fitting to fitting or each to one point what was used to make off what cable/flex was best to use others experiences good or bad is useful advice to the rest of us.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I try to use Collingwood ELV ground lights.

Site driver in box somewhere out of the way and easily changed if necessary and accessible.
Run 2 core nyyj cable daisy chain round all lights in ducting if necessary
Connect using Collingwood gel filled connectors

Result: bulletproof installation.

Actually not totally true. I've had one driver fail. Easily changed in 5 mins work.

Probably done 25 installations like this now over 6 or 7 years. When we were using 230v IP66/7 fittings before that we had no end of problems with water ingress. Not fit for purpose IMO
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ha, yeh I know. I went and clicked through your profile and realised you were joking. But I won't lie to you, my heart stopped beating for a few seconds!

And I agree that if my electrician saw it, he would be hurt. However, after hearing so many differing opinions about ground lights from electricians and electrical suppliers I wasn't sure what to believe. I really wanted to get the walkover lights as it looks nice and was a practical solution. However, only if doesn't need frequent fixing or replacement at a high cost.

I figured everyone involved has some invested interest in what they say, so I think he would understand that I may go to the lovely folks of the internet who have nothing to gain (except the knowledge that they gave someone a mini heart attack).

What I found was that the majority of you seem to agree with him!
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
anthonybragg said:
I was hoping for some feedback of my post 26.

Just interested in how others wire to fittings do you go from fitting to fitting or each to one point what was used to make off what cable/flex was best to use others experiences good or bad is useful advice to the rest of us.
Click to expand...
Mine have two entry points 1 in 1 out I suppose you could bury a flex between them but I didn’t like that idea so I used submarine joints in the SWA out from my house under each light with a flex tail coming up to them. As I said the gravel around them is the key to not getting them full of water.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

Electrical Goods - Electrical Tools - Brand Names Electrician Courses Green Electrical Goods PCB Way Green 2 Go Pushfit Wire Connectors Electric Underfloor Heating Electrician Courses Heating 2 Go
These Official Forum Sponsors May Provide Discounts to Regular Forum Members - If you would like to sponsor us then CLICK HERE and post a thread with who you are, and we'll send you some stats etc

Advert

YOUR Unread Posts

Daily, weekly or monthly email

Receive a daily, weekly, or monthly email containing a digest of new and recently updated threads.

Thread starter

Brahman Naren

Brahman Naren

-
Joined
Location
Hertfordshire

Thread Information

Title
Walkover paving lights - more hassle than it's worth?
Prefix
Forum
UK Electrical Forum
Start date
Last reply date
Replies
40
Unsolved
--

Thread Tags

Tags Tags
failure lights water worth

Advert

Thread statistics

Created
Brahman Naren,
Last reply from
Dranok,
Replies
40
Views
4,909

Advert

TrueNAS JBOD Storage Server

Tilers | UK Tiling Forum | Tilers Forums | Find a Tiler
Plumbers Forums | Plumbing Advice | Gas Forum
Back
Top