Installing Pathway Lighting
Many people turn to garden lighting to improve the aesthetic appeal of their outside spaces. Well the good news is that most landscape lighting is quite effortless to install and very safe. Even if you’re new to putting in lighting fixtures you should be able to put in most landscape lighting without much effort. In the following article I will show you some simple steps you can take to install your new lights.
There are three main elements to landscape lighting: the light fixtures, a transformer, and some low-voltage electrical cable. Each is important and you can buy most at a hardware store. First, you must determine the areas that you wish to light and the result you would like to attain. Each light fixture is different. For this article we will assume you have done Your preparation, shopped for Your light fixtures, and purchased the appropriate size transformer to cover the cumulative wattage of those fixtures.
The first step is to lay out the components.Arrange the path lights along the walkway you are lighting. Then take the low voltage wire and string it along the lights and up to the transformer, going under or around any obstacles you may encounter such as trees or shrubs. Leave the wire loose as we will be encircling each fixture with a small loop of wire before burying it. Your first light should be at least 10 feet from the transformer.
Your second step is to dig the trench. Move the garden light fixtures out of the way and, using a shovel, fold back a part of grass all along the path about 12 ins wide. Use the edge of the shovel to make a trench about 3 ins deep where the cabling will lay. .
The third step is to bury the wire. Place the proper gauge of low voltage wire into the newly dug trench and remember to leave it some slack. Also make sure that you make a hole in the grass to stick the wire up into.
Your fourth step is to make holes for the fixtures. Set the outdoor lights in the grass in their proper position, checking to make sure they are evenly spaced. Also check to make sure that the head of the light fixture doesnt extend into the path so that they do not get disturbed when people are walking. Using a long steel punch or a screw driver, make a hole in the ground to accommodate the fixtures stake. Drive the stake into the bottom of the fixtures if you have not already done so.
Your 5th step is to cable Your lights. Each brand of fixtures is different so consult your instructions enclosed with your brand of fixtures. But with most, you take the connector at the base of each light and slip it around the electrical wire until you hear a click. This indicates that the quick connect component has made a firm connection and has pierced through the low voltage wire. In order to make a stronger connection you can also bypass this connection altogether, splitting the wire and wiring it with wire nuts as you would a traditional light fixture. After wiring all the fixtures, push the fixture and its attached stake, firmly into the holes that you made before for them. Tuck the connector and wire at least two ins into the ground and make sure the stake is flush with the grass. The sixth step is to plug in the transformer. Peel the wires from the ends of the electrical wire you have placed near the transformer. The transformer needs to either be mounted to a post or directly to the house. Turn it on and, if you have done everything correctly, you should see the fixtures light up. Once all the lights are working properly, tuck the grass around the fixtures, pressing it down firmly all along the trench.
And that’s all there is to it. You can finally enjoy all your hard work and flip the lights on. Just remember that you still have to change the bulbs if the burn out or you can risk damage to the whole setup.
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