Walkover paving lights - more hassle than it's worth?

[Brahman Naren]

Hi All

My first post here, and looking for advice on a full home renovation that is about to start. They are kicking off with some garden work whilst the builders knock down half the house, so I suspect this will be question 1 of many questions over the next year.

They are about to start the foundation for the paving and then lay down the paving slabs. So I am looking to install walkover lights in my garden paving to outline the paving edge.

The electrician said he can do it, however, he recommended that I do not go ahead with this and instead install small lighting posts on the various corners of the paving.

He said the walkover lights will break after a few years and are then difficult to replace. He said that water will eventually get in from beneath or above and break down the seal or find away into the fixture/cabling resulting in the fixture ultimately failing. Even with the gel and various protection methods he claimed it will ultimately fail faster than expected. Whilst the posts do not have the same risks and can also be easily replaced.

The walkover lights are more convenient, less intrusive and look better. However if they fail frequently, I won't be able to afford to replace them.

Is this true? I am not experienced with this, what should I do?

 

[mattg4321]

 

[Toneyz]

I was hoping for some feedback of my post 26.

 

[mattg4321]

I'm not sure what you want feedback on, it seems like you were mostly offering advice?

If you mean you're thinking of fitting ground lights with GU10 lamps, don't! Anything with replaceable lamps WILL get moisture in, if they are recessed into the ground IMO. I only fit IP68 fittings. Usually ELV. Use gel joints. The Collingwood ones are good, if expensive.

 

[Toneyz]

I was hoping for some feedback of my post 26.

I'm not sure what you want feedback on, it seems like you were mostly offering advice?

If you mean you're thinking of fitting ground lights with GU10 lamps, don't! Anything with replaceable lamps WILL get moisture in, if they are recessed into the ground IMO. I only fit IP68 fittings. Usually ELV. Use gel joints. The Collingwood ones are good, if expensive.

Just interested in how others wire to fittings do you go from fitting to fitting or each to one point what was used to make off what cable/flex was best to use others experiences good or bad is useful advice to the rest of us.

 

[mattg4321]

I try to use Collingwood ELV ground lights.

Site driver in box somewhere out of the way and easily changed if necessary and accessible.
Run 2 core nyyj cable daisy chain round all lights in ducting if necessary
Connect using Collingwood gel filled connectors

Result: bulletproof installation.

Actually not totally true. I've had one driver fail. Easily changed in 5 mins work.

Probably done 25 installations like this now over 6 or 7 years. When we were using 230v IP66/7 fittings before that we had no end of problems with water ingress. Not fit for purpose IMO

 

[Brahman Naren]

HI @Brahman Naren I am the electrician that told you pavement lights weren't good. So you don't trust me? Why don't you get one of the trusted members on here to do the work for you then? As to recommendations I have already given you some, not good enough then?

 

[chris gray]

How funny is this!

 

[The Ghost]

@Brahman Naren I was just kidding, but if I was the electrician...and I am not! - just joshing you. But still if I was I might be a bit hurt at your not trusting me. But fair enough you have the right to check and should anyway.

 

[Brahman Naren]

Ha, yeh I know. I went and clicked through your profile and realised you were joking. But I won't lie to you, my heart stopped beating for a few seconds!

And I agree that if my electrician saw it, he would be hurt. However, after hearing so many differing opinions about ground lights from electricians and electrical suppliers I wasn't sure what to believe. I really wanted to get the walkover lights as it looks nice and was a practical solution. However, only if doesn't need frequent fixing or replacement at a high cost.

I figured everyone involved has some invested interest in what they say, so I think he would understand that I may go to the lovely folks of the internet who have nothing to gain (except the knowledge that they gave someone a mini heart attack).

What I found was that the majority of you seem to agree with him!

 

[MFS Electrical]

I was hoping for some feedback of my post 26.

Just interested in how others wire to fittings do you go from fitting to fitting or each to one point what was used to make off what cable/flex was best to use others experiences good or bad is useful advice to the rest of us.

Mine have two entry points 1 in 1 out I suppose you could bury a flex between them but I didn’t like that idea so I used submarine joints in the SWA out from my house under each light with a flex tail coming up to them. As I said the gravel around them is the key to not getting them full of water.

 

[Dranok]

@Brahman Naren I was just kidding, but if I was the electrician...and I am not! - just joshing you. But still if I was I might be a bit hurt at your not trusting me. But fair enough you have the right to check and should anyway.

...And I agree that if my electrician saw it, he would be hurt....

No idea why I was pointed to this ancient thread, but since I'm here...
Personally I wouldn't be offended because the OP was politely phrased as wanting a simple second opinion on a project that is personally important. If I knew my client were as savvy as to be lurking on the forums like this, I'd probably suggest he come here or one of the others specifically to confirm my recommendation or find other suggestions that I'm unaware of. There were two specific contrary recommendations for robust accessories to be installed, and I would have been happy to go with one of the two IP68 suggestions made if client insisted having read this most informative chat, assuming he had an appropriate space for me to install a driver box. (In this example I wouldn't go for the Collingwood as the OP sounded like he would have baulked at their price, but I generally trust TLC.)