Installing pathway lights
Even with a heavy duty stake, pathway lights seem to have a tendancy to fall over a lot. With kids and pets running around, they don't stand a chance. They only look good with they are properly spaced and aligned. I want these to be permanent, so I used 30" sections of 3/4" EMT, driven 2' into the ground.
To get the wires in, I drilled a small hole about halfway down and added a grommet. Feeding the wires in was trickey, I had to use a pull string.
For the first installation, I used 4 core sprinkler wire. After that failed, I pulled it all out and used burial rated cat5e. After that failed, I pulled it all out again and used premade extensions with factory attached pigtails. With this modular approach, there is no soldering necessary outside of the garage, and I can pull and replace a section instead of the whole thing, if needed. In addition to the premade extensions, I'm using 3-4-3 T's from Ray Wu. This way I get power, D IN and D OUT on a single cable.
To get the wires in, I drilled a small hole about halfway down and added a grommet. Feeding the wires in was trickey, I had to use a pull string.
For the first installation, I used 4 core sprinkler wire. After that failed, I pulled it all out and used burial rated cat5e. After that failed, I pulled it all out again and used premade extensions with factory attached pigtails. With this modular approach, there is no soldering necessary outside of the garage, and I can pull and replace a section instead of the whole thing, if needed. In addition to the premade extensions, I'm using 3-4-3 T's from Ray Wu. This way I get power, D IN and D OUT on a single cable.
The original pole that came with the lamps is still being used and fits over the 6" EMT portruding from the ground. There is a small set screw in the side to keep it from sinking into the ground. Dielectric grease on all connections!
Comments
Post a Comment