Outdoor lighting

[HODGE2330ATM]

A customer of mine wishes to have ground lights installed onto his decking in his back garden, my initial thought besides what light fittings to use was what type of cable would be suitable for this particular install. My first thought was SY cable aka Armourflex as it will be much more durable in all weather conditions and would last a lot longer compared with PVC twin&earth which would be the cheaper option. Does anyone have any logical ideas as to which would be best suited ? SWA wouldn't be cost effective practical in this particular project.

 

[MDJ]

SWA wouldn't be cost effective practical in this particular project.

? why is this then, tight --- customer?

 

[telectrix]

hi-tuff?

 

[HODGE2330ATM]

No not at all, SWA would be far to stiff and a pain to terminate at every light fitting in my opinion and being under decking is highly unlikely to be mechanically damaged at all. In terms of corrosion and general life span of the cable I think the obvious best choice would be SY Cable.

 

[MDJ]

spot lights in the decking or bollard lights fixed to it?

 

[HODGE2330ATM]

Ground lights in the decking, I may run a length is SWA underground from the switching arrangement up to decking terminate it using some sort of IP rated junction box and then run the rest in SY cable, what do you think ?

 

[MDJ]

well you could run SWA to a few weatherproof IPX 65 rated JBs linked under the decking and have 2-3 spots wired in flex to the JBs, glanded in with TRS glands of course, if the decking is for example 10 mtrs long and there are 10 lights then have 3 Joints with 3 flexies to each, so an armoured run 3 mtrs to the first then another 3 mtrs to the second and so on, if your concerned about flex although it will be clipped under the decking and out of sight and not lead on the ground and not in the rain etc then use artic flex, or indeed SY rated, practicablilty must be considered under decking surely.