Outdoor lights at front door/garden

[sergeantash]

I'm looking to wire in some lighting outside at the front of my house. The first will be a 20w PR light next to my door - do I spur an FCU from my downstairs light circuit (using 1.5mm) and run a cable straight through the wall into the rear of the light and so not revealing any cable externally?

Next, I want to setup some lights around the front garden, low power (most likely LED) just to make the garden look a little prettier, these will most likely be ground embedded cabling - whats the best way to hook these up? Mains or lighting circuit and via an FCU?

My CU is RCD protected.

Appreciate your help!

 

[riveralt]

I'm looking to wire in some lighting outside at the front of my house. The first will be a 20w PR light next to my door - do I spur an FCU from my downstairs light circuit (using 1.5mm) and run a cable straight through the wall into the rear of the light and so not revealing any cable externally?

If the PR light manufacturers instructions ask for an FCU then yes - and you would probably use a switched 3Amp FCU. But you could just run 1mm T&E from the nearest ceiling rose line and neutral loop through a switch and onto your wall light.

Next, I want to setup some lights around the front garden, low power (most likely LED) just to make the garden look a little prettier, these will most likely be ground embedded cabling - whats the best way to hook these up? Mains or lighting circuit and via an FCU?

My CU is RCD protected.

Appreciate your help!

You will need steel wire armoured cable if you intend to bury cable in the garden linked back to the Consumer unit or spurred from another household circuit. I'm also pretty certain that you will need to inform your Local Authority Building Control and pay their fee before proceeding - unless you employ an electrician who is deemed competent to sign their own work off.

What you're proposing for the garden could work out quite expensive to make the garden prettier - might be better and cheaper to buy some extra plants

 

[OwainDIYer]

I'm looking to wire in some lighting outside at the front of my house. The first will be a 20w PR light next to my door - do I spur an FCU from my downstairs light circuit (using 1.5mm) and run a cable straight through the wall into the rear of the light and so not revealing any cable externally?

How many lights are already on your circuit?

Next, I want to setup some lights around the front garden, low power (most likely LED) just to make the garden look a little prettier, these will most likely be ground embedded cabling - whats the best way to hook these up? Mains or lighting circuit and via an FCU?

A kit of low voltage lights and transformer, plugged into a 13A socket.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

whats the best way to hook these up? Mains or lighting circuit and via an FCU?

Is your lighting circuit not mains powered then?

low voltage lights and transformer

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:voltage-bands

plugged into a 13A socket.

How do you know he has an outside socket?

 

[OwainDIYer]

low voltage lights and transformer

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:voltage-bands

Ooops, do beg pardon.

Extra Low Voltage lights.

plugged into a 13A socket.

How do you know he has an outside socket?

Transformer and mains plug inside. Only ELV wiring outside.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

That is horrible....

 

[OwainDIYer]

That is horrible....

It's safe and effective and easily DIYable.

The transformer can be mounted somewhere convenient and inconspicuous - it does not have to be in the middle of the lounge

 

[londonboy]

That is horrible....

It's safe and effective and easily DIYable.

The transformer can be mounted somewhere convenient and inconspicuous - it does not have to be in the middle of the lounge

I agree.
I'd prefer this than have an enclosure with everything in it outside.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It's safe and effective and easily DIYable.

And a cheap, nasty, shoddy, amateurish bodge.

 

[Donkmeister]

It's safe and effective and easily DIYable.

And a cheap, nasty, shoddy, amateurish bodge.

If using ELV lights as the OP suggests, I would be more inclined to a weatherproof enclosure outside with a bank of outlets controlled by switches inside the house, but that may be because of the layout of my house and garden.

 

[digdilem]

It's safe and effective and easily DIYable.

And a cheap, nasty, shoddy, amateurish bodge.

I call it the Ground Force effect.

You'd see exactly this whenever Charlie (God bless her and her free range bits) used a low voltage (or even mains) water feature. Wiring up outside, through the wall, plugged into a handy socket.

 

[sergeantash]

low voltage lights and transformer

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:voltage-bands

Ooops, do beg pardon.

Extra Low Voltage lights.

plugged into a 13A socket.

How do you know he has an outside socket?

Transformer and mains plug inside. Only ELV wiring outside.

Sorry for the late reply, I know it has been a while but this challenge still awaits and I appreciate all of the responses.

This solution, as you say, is simply, easy and I assume won't require me to seek permission from the council? In addition, can such lighting kits have their wiring buried without additional shielding??

Ban-all-sheds, I fully appreciate what you're saying and if I had the time/money I would prefer an external electrics housing box, primarily because it would open up the ability to expand the outdoor electrics in the future more easily, but I haven't the time...nor the money unfortunately

 

[ban-all-sheds]

This solution, as you say, is simply, easy and I assume won't require me to seek permission from the council?

Outdoor lighting is notifiable.

In addition, can such lighting kits have their wiring buried without additional shielding??

No.

 

[JohnW2]

This solution, as you say, is simply, easy and I assume won't require me to seek permission from the council?

Outdoor lighting is notifiable.

In addition, can such lighting kits have their wiring buried without additional shielding??

No.

I suppose that is probably strictly all true, but have to say that, in relation to ELV wiring..... !!! Some degree of mechanical protection (even if only hosepipe) for any buried ELV wiring would make sense but, again, beyond that ......!!!!

Kind Regards, John.

 

[sergeantash]

This solution, as you say, is simply, easy and I assume won't require me to seek permission from the council?

Outdoor lighting is notifiable.

I might have misunderstood but doesn't your above reply contradict a response you gave to someone else on this subject?

There's no requirement for them to be ELV.

Para 3© of Schedule 2B exempts "pre-fabricated equipment sets and associated flexible leads with integral plug and socket connections."

So if you buy a pre-assembled lighting set with a plug on it it's exempt. If you roll your own from lights, cable and a plug it's notifiable.

So now I'm confused - I believed that if I bought a pre-wired lighting set from B&Q for instance, with a transformer plugged into a socket inside the house, it wouldn't be notifiable?

Based on your above reply to another user, I can choose any pre-wired outdoor wiring kit, regarding of voltage/ELV? And I would assume that such pre-wired kits might support buring the wiring.