A well-planned outdoor lighting scheme does more than just bring your garden to life. It can enhance the safety of your garden, create that extended living space feel, and even increase the value, as well as kerb appeal of your home.
But set aside the many benefits that garden lighting brings, safety should be your number one priority.
Although there are some dangers that come with electrical installations, just a few simple steps will protect you, your family, and property with nothing to worry about.
With that said, here are five garden lighting safety tips for your installation.
1. Use water-proof rated outdoor transformers
When enhancing your outdoor space with light, you’ll want to go for low voltage 12v fixtures. This means you can do all the work yourself, without the need for an electrician. But more importantly, without the potential cause of shock or electrocution. Safety should be your number one priority.
But in order to power your low voltage fixtures correctly, you’ll need a transformer – more precisely, a waterproof transformer. Transformers convert the 120v mains electricity supplied from your house, down to the 12v needed for each low voltage landscape lighting fixture in your garden.
2. Don’t overload the circuit
It’s important to be aware of everything you’re powering outside, and this may go beyond lighting. Sound systems, outdoor kitchen appliances, exterior fans, and anything else that needs power cannot draw more power than the circuit is rated for. Doing so may trip the circuit breaker, resulting in underlying damage.
For maximum safety, be sure to distribute the electrical load for your lights with a separate circuit, or several if required.
3. Choose the right lightbulbs
This safety tip is very straightforward, but certainly worth noting. When it comes to choosing the lights for your garden, there are two basic rules to follow that will help guarantee your safety.
The first – always double check the lights you are purchasing are suitable for outdoors. This can be done by reading the IP rating. For outdoor use, a rating of at least IP 4 is recommended to ensure protection against water.
The second rule is to never attempt to insert a lightbulb that exceed your fixtures maximum wattage. Doing so can cause the products to overheat your wiring and this may damage the insulation.
4. Inspect lights and power cables before use
Perhaps your outdoor lighting supplies have been in storage all winter. If so, be sure to check them over for any sings of wear and tear before plugging in. You don’t want to see any loose connections, cracked fixtures, fraying cables, and certainly not any burn marks.
In short, if you’re in doubt about the condition of your outdoor lighting, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
5. Take general precautions
Like any electrical installation, there are a number of precautions you need to take. So, before any installation work is done, make sure to follow this important list of safety tips:
- Switch off the mains power at the consumer unit
- Run all cables underground, at least 750mm deep for lawns and flowerbeds, and 450mm under patios/pathways
- Use a socket tester to confirm circuits are safe to work on
- Double check all finished work before powering on
Safe & easy-to-use garden lighting by Ellumiere
Whether you’re a beginner, keen DIY-er, or a professional landscape contractor, 12v garden lighting from our Ellumiere range is both safe and easy to use. With no electrician required, low voltage and fully waterproof products, as well as a 2-year warranty, you’ll receive maximum safety with Ellumiere lighting.
Interested in using Ellumiere to transform our outside space with light? Explore our product range or contact our team today – we’re more than happy to help with your garden lighting.
