Summary:There are many types and styles of outdoor lighting. Consider these different types of light fixtures when planning your outdoor home lighting project.
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Home Lighting: Outdoor Garden Lighting for the Home
Functional Lighting is used when you need to illuminate an area for safety or functionality, not to add to your decor.
This type of outdoor lighting includes barn lights, floodlights and lighting for recreational purposes.
Security Lighting includes motion detectors, path lights, tier lights and floodlights.
Security lights are useful for deterring intruders and making it safer to walk on your property.
Wall-Mounted Lights are decorative lights that are perfect for lighting up the areas around doorways, or for providing an accent around windows.
Post-Mounted Lights are available in 120 volt or low-voltage. They either cap or mount to the sides of posts, making them perfect for lighting your stars and pathways or the edges of your deck or patio.
Landscape Lighting is typically placed along walkways, in gardens, and among trees and bushes. Landscape lights enhance appearance, create different effects, and prevent tripping.
Electrical Wiring Video #2
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Ginny asks:
I bought a Lutec floodlight model 6609201118 for my yard. The manual tells me that I can’t plug it in to a dusk to dawn timer or a dimmer switch. It also says to use a standard junction box – what does that mean?
The mfg. people have no answers for me, and I don’t know what kind of the automatic timer this is talking about If this function was to on/off the electricity, then it will be OK. Thanks a lot?
Can you clarify for me? Thanks!
Additional Comments: This is great! I never thought I’d get any headway and would have to send the light back. Should be a simple setup, I thought.
This electrical wiring question came from Ginny in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Electrical Box for a Flood Light in a Front Yard.
Dave’s Reply:
Ginny, from what you have described and looking at the photo, the Lutec floodlight may be plugged into a weather proof outdoor outlet box that has a weather proof cover which will protect the cord plug from water and moisture.
Note: Outdoor lights such as this should be connected to a GFCI protected circuit or GFCI outlet.
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Electrical Project Skill Level:
Beginner to Intermediate.
Electrical Tools Required:
Basic Electricians Pouch of Hand Tools, Non-Metal Step Ladder, and a Voltage Tester.
Estimated Time:
Depends on personal level of experience, ability to work with tools for install lighting fixtures, and the available access to the project area. Electrical Safety:
Identify the lighting circuit, turn it OFF and Tag it with a Note before working with the wiring.
Electrical Wiring Parts and Materials:
Electrical parts and materials for home lighting projects should be approved for the specific project and compliant with local and national electrical codes.
Electrical Codes and Inspections:
Installing additional electrical wiring for lighting should be done according to local and national electrical codes with a permit and be inspected.
This is a testing tool that is a Non-contact tester that I use to easily Detect Voltage in Cables, Cords, Circuit Breakers, Lighting Fixtures, Switches, Outlets and Wires. Simply insert the end of the tester into an outlet, lamp socket, or hold the end of the tester against the wire you wish to test. Very handy and easy to use.
This is great to troubleshoot a problem with outlet circuit wiring, is also used by most inspectors to test for power and check the polarity of circuit wiring.
It detects probable improper wiring conditions in standard 110-125 VAC outlets
Provides 6 probable wiring conditions that are quick and easy to read for ultimate efficiency
Lights indicate if wiring is correct and indicator light chart is included
Tests standard 3-wire outlets UL Listed Light indicates if wiring is incorrect, Very handy and easy to use.
A wire stripping tool used to safely strip electrical wires.
This handy tool has multiple uses:
The wire gauges are shown on the side of the tool so you know which slot to use for stripping insulation.
The end of the tool can be used to grip and bend wire which is handy for attaching wire onto the screw terminals of switches and outlets.
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