I have a 100 foot sidewalk going to the left of the side of my house. To the right ( joining the side walk are steps going up). I understand it is best way to put alternating lights on path is run a separate cable down each side to avoid making many undersidewalk tunnels. So ONE able WILL have to go under the walkway. My question is how to I direct cable both left to the path AND right up the steps? Should splice or T the main cable on the other side. I suspect 6 path lights on opposite side and 3 or 4 steps. I plan to use 300 multi tap transformer ( as I have 2 walls to light on separate lines. Thanks
Hi, Jpops. Please see the diagram for my path lights attached. I drove a single 4 ft section of steel conduit (grey line) under my front walkway, ran my home run wire, (green line) from the transformer on one side of my yard and threaded it through the conduit to the other side and connected it to a hub. I then connected my path light lead wires to a hub on either side of my walkway. Depending on the fixture model you choose and the distance to your hub or transformer, you may need to add length to your lead wires. That's at least one way you can avoid having to dig multiple trenches. Btw, if you have any existing cracks spanning the width of your walkway or if you're lucky enough to have very deep expansion joints, you can avoid tunneling at all. If I'm not understanding your scenario, please attach a photo of your yard so I and others can offer you more meaningful suggestions. Hope this helps.
Thanks Mesodude2. Unfortunately I can’t load a pic as I took it with iPhone and too big ( unless you know how I can shrink it). But similar layout as yours . My path is 100 feet long and not sure the proper distance to spread lights ( thoughts??). Did you have hubs on either side? When you say “ lead lines” what are those( from the fixtures? Won’t work from 100 feet away). I’m considering multi tap transformer and running one line on one side, another line to other side . Maybe that will help with voltage drop given the long distance? Thanks.
Think about what you want to accomplish and then choose your fixture type(s) based on whether safety or curb appeal is a greater priority. Certain fixtures allow you to better constrain your lighting to a specific area than others. You might want to choose those fixtures for lighting the path only. Other fixtures are best when you want to light both the path and some features of your lawn or garden. That’s essentially what I’ve done with my path light layout. Your 100’ walkway gives you lots of options for creativity. If the distance from your transformer to your furthest light isn’t over 300’ and if you use the appropriate gauge wiring for longer wire runs, you should have no problem lighting your walkway. Lead wires are the wires on your fixtures. There are several different ways to wire your lights. Some are more labor intensive than others, some use more wiring than others, and some compensate for voltage drop issues better than others. Since I’m not an expert and I haven’t seen your property layout, I recommend that you contact a customer service rep for more detailed advice about your transformer choices and wiring options. But I do recommend you do a cost benefit analysis of all your options. For instance, rather than tunneling in multiple locations, would it make more sense to simply install a transformer on each side of the yard? And if you don’t have a second outlet, would it be worth the cost of getting one? Those are questions Only you can answer. FYI, below is a link to a transformer pdf which includes examples of three major wiring approaches. Hope this helps. Finally, if you email your photos to yourself, you should be presented multiple image file size options. Hope this helps. https://cdn-tp2.mozu.com/17007-26268/cms/26268/files/is-cc-transformers.pdf
Here are some pics. Steps that lead to path. The back of house I am considering 3-4 Wall Wash lights on the upper and lower wall. If I get a multitap transformer I can run separate lines to each of the walls. And then lines to steps and path.
I see no reason why your plan shouldn’t work. For your walls, I would consider hardscape lights as well—especially if your stones are loosely laid and not mortared or glued down. That is, unless you have your heart set on wall wash or flood lights. Similarly, I encourage you to look online for moonlighting examples. It looks like one or more of those trees along that path might be ideal for positioning some down lighting. It’s a great wait to gently bathe a large area with light and shadows and I think it would make your overall lighting plan more interesting (by demonstrating multiple lighting effects). Btw, I believe all VOLT transformers are multi-tap. There are a few models that are ideal for especially long lighting runs. I encourage you to compare some of the more powerful models. Check out the lighting project gallery too, when you have time.
Thanks Unfortunately the flagstone wall is already set and I do not want to chisel top row of stone off and replace. I’m no stonemason. Great idea though. Wonder if I have enough room to screw brackets. How would I tuck wire against the wall? Thoughts.
Just so you know, these are suggestions only. I don’t believe in perfect lighting plans and I also don’t know your property as well as you do. That was only a suggestion if your wall wasn’t fully mortared. There may be a way you could hide a wire under the lip of the wall but I can only see what you’ve shown in the photos. I initially thought tunneling under my sidewalk would be a headache but I was able to do it in about 20 minutes. If you really like that hardscape light idea, it might be worth talking to a masonry pro to find out what the least destructive approaches are. I also strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with the products available on the site. You may find some product or learn some approach that works there even better than any I’ve suggested.
