Exterior lights

[DIY GUY]

Hi I have a pir lantern at my front door I’m going to replace this with new lantern with dusk till dawn bulb. Down the line I plan on fitting another side light at my bins and also 2 up/down lights at the back patio door one at each side and possibly 4 decorative spike lights within the garden. Ideally I’d like every light to come on at the same time and all to go off at the same time, (dusk till dawn). All lights bulbs will be LED & below 10w. Is this possible to do and what would be the best way to do it, if not what else would yous recommend.

Thanks 

 

[Geoff1946]

To achieve your aim to switch them all together I would go for a separate photo-switch wired back to a central point, maybe by your consumer unit, then radial distribution circuits to the various light locations.

It can't be done with a dawn-to-dusk bulb.

The "spike" lights I would recommend as low voltage with their transformer indoors.

 

[binky]

i've always regarded lighting the whole exterior at the same time as a bad idea. 

 

[DIY GUY]

Why Binky? Do you have any other ideas how it would work best and what I’m best to do. 
 

Cheers

 

[DIY GUY]

To achieve your aim to switch them all together I would go for a separate photo-switch wired back to a central point, maybe by your consumer unit, then radial distribution circuits to the various light locations.

It can't be done with a dawn-to-dusk bulb.

The "spike" lights I would recommend as low voltage with their transformer indoors.

Hi if you don’t mind could you explain a little bit more how I would achieve this please? 
Thanks 

 

[binky]

Why Binky? Do you have any other ideas how it would work best and what I’m best to do. 
 

Cheers

Simples, if you are sat out on the patio, do you really want the lights on by the bins or the front of house. It's also more relaible to have independent lighting systems, and you have the problem of linking all the external lighting on 1 circuit. That means you either have to run a lot of cables through the house, or run something like conduit around the outside, which can be rather unsightly. 

 

[DIY GUY]

Tbh I wouldn’t mind my front light or side light on as I’m sat at the back of my house. My choice would be not to link and run cables on the outside walls. Atm I do have access to under the bottom landing floor boards and top landing floor boards and the attic. Do you have any suggestions/advice for linking from my lighting circuit and the best route to take. 
 

Thanks 

 

[Murdoch]

Thing with garden lights is that they WILL start tripping your RCD sooner or later.

unless a design considers this fault finding is tedious and expensive

 

[kerching]

Last garden lighting job I did I ran 6 radials all isolated at garage ( source end) with 20A DP switches. Each radio can be isolated independently 

just saying

 

[Phoenix]

 Each radio can be isolated independently 

Just incase (C)rap music comes on?

 

[DIY GUY]

So if I do away with the garden lights for now.  Could I easily run 4 low watt LED lamps from a photocell linking from a live at my lighting circuit?
 

Tanks 

 

[Geoff1946]

No  reason why not. I do endorse the recommendation to have an isolation switch in case of future faults.

A large proportion of household lighting faults are caused by moisture ingress into outside light fittings.

Being able to isolate the outside wiring means the rest of the house lights can still be used and also eases fault finding.

 

[DIY GUY]

So would that be from my live in light switch onto the isolation switch for exterior lights then to photocell then link out to 4 new lights? 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/british-general-cprsd432-4-pole-rotary-rotary-isolator-switch-no/8227R?tc=OB9&ds_kid=92700055281954493&ds_rl=1249401&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIg7T8q56X8gIVEYKDBx1Vfg6nEAQYASABEgLOpPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#product_additional_details_container

 

[DIY GUY]

Or from my live in light switch onto a normal switch for exterior lights then onto photocell then link out to 4 new lights? Thanks 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/schneider-electric-lisse-10ax-1-gang-2-way-10ax-light-switch-white/3015j

 

[Geoff1946]

Between the two. The big 4 pole rotary is overkill, the single pole light switch inadequate because it doesn't break the neutral. (Isolate means breaking live and neutral)

You can buy a normal sized switch which is double pole.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/mk-logic-plus-20a-1-gang-dp-control-switch-white/44956

 

[kerching]

Just incase (C)rap music comes on?

Mr Merlot assisted with the spelling

 

[DIY GUY]

Between the two. The big 4 pole rotary is overkill, the single pole light switch inadequate because it doesn't break the neutral. (Isolate means breaking live and neutral)

You can buy a normal sized switch which is double pole.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/mk-logic-plus-20a-1-gang-dp-control-switch-white/44956

Would you recommend installing the isolation switch near consumer unit?
Would I link from a near by switch live onto this isolation switch with 1.5m t&e

Then from isolation switch onto photocell with 1.5m 3core&E 

Then from photocell daisy chain my 4 lights out? 
 

Thanks 

 

[Fleeting]

The sensor will also require a neutral. If this is a dwelling additional 30ma rcd protection is also required. 

 

[DIY GUY]

My sensor has a N and I’ll be running 3core&E to sensor. My whole consumer unit is rcd protected 

 

[BorisJ]

Down the line I plan on fitting another side light at my bins and also 2 up/down lights at the back patio door one at each side

No point in trying to light up the sky. Use downlighters.