External wall lights

josefa · Post by **josefa** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 1:09 pm

Hi
We are installing some outside lighting and need to know what cabling to use. A junction box has been fitted to the outside of the house by a professional electrician and now we want to run cable to the lights. The lights themselves have just a live and neutral connection.

What sort of cabling do we need? Since it will be visible on the outside of the house we want to avoid the yellow or blue arctic cable. There is three core pond flex available (would we just ignore the earth connection) or two core, though this seems more suited for internal applications (similar to a radio power lead).

Any advice much appreciated.

sparkydude · Post by **sparkydude** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 7:23 pm

Hi , More information is required, how far from this junction box are your new lights going. What are you proposing to put up , is it rated for use outside and appropriateley water resistant.

Nick

josefa · Post by **josefa** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 9:58 pm

Hi

The lights are going above the door and window in the attached photo and the fuse box is on the far right of the house as you look at the photo, on the right hand wall (almost in the picture). However we do plan to also fit another light from this box at the front of the house, which i guess would mean running cable a lot further...

The lights are proper outdoor lights, it says on the instructions the fitting should be fitted to a lighting supply protected by a 5 amp fuse or circuit breaker.

In looking at the certificate from the electrician we have had an exterior fused spur installed.

is this enough info? Sorry to be so vague !
thanks

josefa · Post by **josefa** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 10:15 pm

also, this is the junction box etc that we will be connecting the lights to? if this helps at all? ( I am clueless, posting on behalf of boyfriend who will be doing the work but is currently abroad!)

We have been looking at 2 core cable and arctic cable and pond cable etc and are confused about what to use, all the different thicknesses etc - i just want it to be safe if it's outside.

thanks again

sparkydude · Post by **sparkydude** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 5:28 am

if you are going to be running the cable a long way from this junction box to your light positions then you will have to use an armoured cable, the same as the ones your electrician has wired into the junction box already at the bottom of the picture. they are not the easiest of things to install and i would recommend getting your electrician back to wire them up . Just to make sure everything is safe. Have a look around on the main UHM site and it shows you how to terminate the cables. You will need to use 3 core 1.5 SWA cable for the lights and then near the light fitting mount a galvanised conduit box which you can then convert the armoured cable into a flex to connect the lights up. The three flexes you have mentioned are not suitable for the use you are proposing, they have no mechanical protection so if hit with anything , it wil pierce the insulation and cause the fuse to blow. also they do not provide any form of protection against Ultraviolet light. The cables will need to be terminated at the bottom of your junction box so that water cannot enter the box and short out the connections. Sorry to be the bringer of bad news but i do not think this is really a DIY job unless your boyfriend has some experience of this type of cable.

If i can be any more help let me know

Nick

josefa · Post by **josefa** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 7:48 am

Thanks Nick - I thought that might be the case... just needed some clarity on what we should do!