Outdoor LED Lighting

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E3xtc

771 posts

Ultimate Geek

#193515 14-Mar-2016 09:27

Hello,

I am going down the path of extending our deck and this will mean we will need to have some lighting, and was wanting to see if anyone has any recommendations on places to look for good outdoor LED lighting solutions.

Not really sure of scope yet - as that will no doubt be driven by cost etc - but am thinking will need recessed in steps that lead to main decking area, and then lights to light the deck area, plus also considering some (uplights) lights around the tree's etc (maybe).

Any thoughts/recommendations on who you guys would look at/use?

Cheers

richms

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#1512882 14-Mar-2016 11:24

Step and garden ones, I got 12v ones from aliexpress and a locally sourced power supply.

Floodlights for areas I just put in cheap par 38 holders and then some LED lamps. The 20-50w floodlight market has come some way since then for reasonable prices locally from people who will supply a SDOC for them, so would just get those now.

Even with a SDOC, open them up and check the termination of the cable to the power supply in the back, one pair I got locally for my garage had crappy terminals which had the neutral touching the case, so was tripping the RCD.

Richard rich.ms

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rabba

82 posts

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#1512927 14-Mar-2016 12:03

Put 18 of these in my deck last year. No issues to date and a relatively simple install (all screw connect)

pipe60

127 posts

Master Geek

#1513287 14-Mar-2016 20:47

Try Ideal electrical they do the Robus range which includes these which are good for deck lighting.

http://www.rexellighting.co.nz/product/circular-deck-light-kits?i=1709

E3xtc

771 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1514130 16-Mar-2016 08:01

Thanks everyone for the ideas/thoughts.

A few questions:

1) The strip lighting and those flush mount ones are all good for ambient lighting or highlighting features (eg stairs, edges etc), but what is a sensible idea to actually light the area without blinding people with flood lights? :\

2) Is it generally okay to get the lights and have a sparky install the stuff - or is that frowned upon and they like to have their own stuff to install?

3) When buying lighting, how do you really know how bright you are going to need it to be or is it just an educated guess? From my experience the whole colour/warmth and intensity of lighting solutions is just so variable and I really want to avoid getting something that is going to be garish and harsh...not sure how to achieve this :\

4) Has anyone dealt with http://www.nzlightingltd.co.nz/ before? Looking at their waterproof LED strip lighting - thinking of running it along the underside of the wooden balustrade/handrail. Then probably some flush mount step lights - similar to that posted above.

Thanks again.

Cheers

richms

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#1514255 16-Mar-2016 10:29

If you get the lights and pay a sparky to install them, then any faulty lights will have you paying a sparky to remove them, and then a trip to or sent back to the seller, and then another sparky visit to re-install them.

For downlights you can request that they put a socket in on the permanant cable, and get downlights that plug in to that so you can swap yourself easily without doing any fixed wiring, but for other lighting then you probably cannot do that.

LEDs dim well when on a good driver, so over bright isnt really an issue. Not like incandesent lamps where they go all more orange and more ugly and less efficiant when dimmed. But the fittings have to match to get even dimming, and even then it can have them go different at lower brightnesses.

12v ones can be dimmed with a PWM dimmer, but that is usually slightly visible and makes it really ugly

Richard rich.ms

E3xtc

771 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1514279 16-Mar-2016 10:47

re the sparky - so the question becomes whether the cost of getting the lights through the sparky is a bucket load more than direct through whatever place I would otherwise get them.

Good idea on the socket for the downlights - I read that some of the lights have non replaceable LEDs...meaning the whole thing is throw away if the lamp goes :\

Thanks for the mention re the brightness and a dimmer - good to know :)

What is the argument for/against 12v versus 240v?

richms

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#1514284 16-Mar-2016 10:54

12v for anything not attached to the house. 230 has to be buried deep, in conduit and stuff. PITA for a garden, only really used for things like driveway bollards etc where you are not going to want to change them every couple of years as the planting changes.

I have a large 12v PSU on all the time, and several of the inline things from limitless leds stuffed inside waterproof boxes out in the garden. Just use the limitless remote to control at the moment but will work out automating them eventually. Also have some MR16 lamps in some garden lights. They are longer so I had to modify the fittings, but that is fine since its low voltage I am not voiding any approvals by relocating the lamp holders etc.

Richard rich.ms