External floor lights, WHY?

GBDamo · Aug 30, 2021

Has anyone seen any of these last more that five years?

Even then the work involved in resolving issues becomes crazy expensive.

I think these are mostly specified by architects and no sane Spark would suggest them.

Here's some I had the misfortune to be asked to "get working", yeah right.

The circuit was supplied direct from a DB at source via a timeclock. From there was anyones guess, leaves in 2.5SWA arrives in 1.5 flexing flexi-con.

[ElectriciansForums.net] External floor lights, WHY?

There were five of them surrounding this glass atrium with no obvious wiring route or source, they were all individually wired, not looped, so somewhere there was a buried JB where the SWA came in and the flex split off.

After much deliberation I found a solution that fit the clients budget.

The yellow cement does fade as it dries. I quite enjoyed this very therapeutic.

westward10 · Aug 30, 2021

I agree they are pointless and are rarely constructed to repel the forces of nature. Had some a couple of weeks ago around a sports hall ten in total the first five working the last five nothing and randomly tripped the rcbo. These were of remarkable quality after seven years and had no ingress or deterioration the problem a lost neutral midway and like yours jointed somewhere underground to a single flex.

Dustydazzler · Aug 30, 2021

I ALWAYS Strongle recommend against any form of buried path lights , no matter how much you try they always seem to fail and allow water in sooner or later...

GBDamo · Aug 30, 2021

Dustydazzler said:
I ALWAYS Strongle recommend against any form of buried path lights , no matter how much you try they always seem to fail and allow water in sooner or later...

At least with bollards/pillars you stand a fighting chance of repair, these abominations exemplify the modern way of thinking.

telectrix · Aug 30, 2021

GBDamo said:
Has anyone seen any of these last more that five years?

Even then the work involved in resolving issues becomes crazy expensive.

I think these are mostly specified by architects and no sane Spark would suggest them.

Here's some I had the misfortune to be asked to "get working", yeah right.

The circuit was supplied direct from a DB at source via a timeclock. From there was anyones guess, leaves in 2.5SWA arrives in 1.5 flexing flexi-con.

View attachment 89366 View attachment 89367

There were five of them surrounding this glass atrium with no obvious wiring route or source, they were all individually wired, not looped, so somewhere there was a buried JB where the SWA came in and the flex split off.

View attachment 89368 View attachment 89369

After much deliberation I found a solution that fit the clients budget.

View attachment 89370 View attachment 89371 View attachment 89372

The yellow cement does fade as it dries. I quite enjoyed this very therapeutic.

well done, but would not a few paving brickes be better? i have a few spare., same colour, going cheap.

GBDamo · Aug 30, 2021

telectrix said:
well done, but would not a few paving brickes be better? i have a few spare., same colour, going cheap.

Thought about it but 1, couldn't get a colour match quickly and 2, was a bit concerned with them settling uneven and introducing a trip hazard over time.

mattg4321 · Aug 30, 2021

Collingwood.

Takes a lot of work to make them look decent and replaceable though.

littlespark · Aug 30, 2021

With any sense, the swa was run under the gravel, through a duct under the doors and jointed to the flex just under the surface.
Would CAT not have given a clue to the run?

Of course…. Customer budget?

GBDamo · Aug 30, 2021

littlespark said:
With any sense, the swa was run under the gravel, through a duct under the doors and jointed to the flex just under the surface.
Would CAT not have given a clue to the run?

Of course…. Customer budget?

You'd think so wouldn't you.

We did a scrape of the gravel at every light position and a few other likely candidates and no sign of the SWA.

And, bizarrely, the flexi-con all seemed to enter from the other direction.

It didn't take much to convince the client to bin the whole lot to be honest.