Electric Outdoor Lighting



Where do you want to place your electric outdoor lighting? What style, size and shape will suit your needs? While easy for beginners, if you are not familiar with the rules of electrical installation, you may be well advised to hire an electrician.

Electric outdoor lighting can be used to accentuate your own style and taste or to give a fresh look to any area outside your home. Electric lights add style and security to your property. Many ornate fixtures are true works of art that can easily be used to decorate your home or business.

Electric Outdoor Lighting Wall Lantern

Electric Outdoor Lighting Dome Path Light

Electric Outdoor Lighting Transformer

There are some advantages to selecting electric outdoor lighting. Their lifespan is much longer than solar lights and many can last for decades. Bulbs are usually easy to replace and they are more stylish than some other types of lighting.

It amounts to extending home wiring into your yard, which is similar to adding it to another room. You will place your lights where you want them, run a wire along the trench that you have made and hook up the transformer.

Most of the systems come with easy to read and follow directions. Just remember to turn your power off before connecting anything electrical.

Choose your lighting to enhance the appearance of your home while illuminating your walkway. If you have an older home, take advantage of its age and choose electric outdoor lighting that is antique brass or antique styled to enhance your property. If you choose trendy lighting, it will one day be out of style. The antique styles will stay forever and add a special touch to your home.

You can incorporate your style into tall post lamps as well as shorter outdoor light fixtures. The assortment of complimenting styles and heights adds a special ambiance to your home. The need to be up to date in fashion should be overruled and long lasting styles put in place.

Once you purchase your outdoor electric lighting from your home store, consignment stores or auctions, start your project with pencil and paper. Add up the wattage of each lamp. The information is always listed on the lamps.

By adding up all of the wattage, you can determine the size wire that you will need. If the total wattage is over 200, you will have to buy 12-gauge wire cable. If your total wattage is under 200, you can save a bit of money and use 14-gauge wire.

Do not purchase your cable until you measure your distance from the house to the end of the path you are planning to illuminate. It will make your shopping trip much easier if you have these numbers with you.

You will also want to check local codes to determine any special requirements. There may be different requirements for underground wire and that which will be hung overhead.

Place your electric outdoor lighting in the area you are lighting. Hang your transformer at least 12 inches above the ground. Run your cable from the transformer to each light, leaving a bit of slack wire. Dig your shallow trench for the wire. This will prolong the life of the wire over using rocks or garden mulch to cover the cable.

Once your cable is buried and your wire is connected to the main source, your lighting is installed. Do not connect the wires without first turning off the power to the area you are lighting. It will not be necessary until you are ready to connect, but do not forget this step.

If you are not 100% certain that you can do the wiring, hire an electrician.

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