All about Outdoor lighting and Planning of the system
The first step is to plan the exact location of the lights and the containers, using the lighting techniques that best fits your landscaping. Safety and area lighting considering first, and then any accents or special effects you want to include. Then determine whether your system will ensure a sufficient lighting for safety, and adjustments for any shortcomings.
Switch locations in your schedule. They have indoors, with auxilliary outside switches in areas of high use.
Then determine how many circuits the lighting system. Containers are usually held on a separate circuit of lights. They must be GFCI receptacles, unless the entire circuit a GFCI breaker or the outside portion of the circuit is protected by a covered GFCI receptacles wired for “downstream” protection.
If the garden is small and there are only a few lights, they can probably in extensions of existing switched circuits. For a larger system, you’ll have a separate circuit for each 6 to 12 fixtures, depending on the total power of lamps per circuit.
Plan circuits so that you can certain fixtures on the same switch, grouping with dimmers for greater flexibility. You can also install some lights on special switches for better security, such as timers, photocells, or sensing devices that lights up when they detect movement.
Once you have determined that the location of all the fixtures, switches and receptacles, you must create a sketch that you can obtain the necessary permits. Note all sales points, the size and type of wire and the location of the main service Panel. You will probably not need a permit for a low-voltage lighting system from an existing outlet.
It is a good idea to have a licensed electrician go over your plan first, even if you get all of the wiring will have to do yourself.
All wiring points should be buried or sealed in conduit, except for low-voltage wiring. In most areas of the code, you can bury type UF thread directly; in others you buried wiring by conduit run. You may have a choice between rigid metal or PVC plastic tube. Metal resists rodent damage and usually does not need to be buried as deep as PVC, but it will also corrosion in time.
PVC is much easier to work, but should be buried 18 inches and is subject to chewing by rodents. For wiring above the ground, metal tube with weathertight connectors.
If you are running low voltage wiring, everything you need to do is connect the transformer with a 120-volt outlet, and then enter the correct low-voltage cable that is specified for the fixtures. You can link the wiring to trees, fences or sheds; Lay it on the ground, or buried. The outlet for the transformer must be controlled by a switch.
