How to sort out electricity for outdoor Christmas lights?

ripplyuk

I love seeing houses and gardens covered in Christmas lights at this time of year and I've always wanted to have some of my own but I have no idea what's involved. Currently, I just have a small tree with battery powered lights.

I'm wondering how most people manage it. Do they have outdoor sockets and wires running throughout the garden? Is that expensive to get installed?

TheCyclingProgrammer

Mine are battery powered.

Franz_Ferdinand

I just plug then into a timer in the garage.

manda1205

We have an outdoor socket, but because we get more lights every year, I now put an extension lead inside a chocolate tub with little holes cut for the wires. You can buy these types of tubs but ours works just as well.

SplanK

At the moment, an outdoor socket next to the front door (was already installed when we moved in).... This feeds into a weather proof box where an 4x way extension cable is located (and importantly, kept dry!) to plug in the lights.


however as above, next year I will have to re-arrange this to take the feed from the garage, again into a larger, or multiple weather proof boxes.


Electrics and water don't mix, so please be carful in what you do.


Most who only put a handful outside may just run the leads through a window. Most lights have a thin enough cable where they can be safely routed through most upvc windows and safely pass unharmed around the window seal!

marc81

I run mine through the front window to the garden... long thin wires so the window shuts and seals fine. I just tend to bury the wires a bit under the gravel between the house and the bushes, never had any issues.

[EDIT]

SplanK beat me to it! ^^^

shaun_from_Africa

However you decide to do it, just make sure that you have a suitable RCD in the circuit to help protect anyone who may damage or come into contact with the wiring.

Mr.Generous

fitting an outdoor socket isn't too difficult either, normally you could drill directly out the back of an existing socket (provided it is on a ring which they normally are) and add an extra one as a spur.

Outdoor sockets have an IP rating, it means Ingress Protection, the first number is for intrusion - something getting into the fixture, the second for moisture. The ratings go from 1-7 on the first number and 1-9 on the second, anything with an IP of 5/6 will be fine unless you live in a lighthouse or something. So a socket with a rating of say 66 would be totally suitable and safe. With sockets they can be for occasional use, where the IP rating is for when the cover is closed and nothing plugged in, you would need one that is protected with a plug in like this ...



I would check your mains board has RCD protection to just straight fit one though, if not you could add one of these next to your socket and then drill through to the outside, this would give the added advantage of being able to isolate the outdoor socket should you need to.



or you could buy a kit like this ..



whatever you do make sure its safe!

ripplyuk

Thanks for all the replies, and for the great pictures Mr. Generous.

Does anyone know, roughly, what an electrician would charge to put in the outdoor socket? Also, is it ok to plug everything into the one double socket using extension leads if necessary, or is there some limit?

I wouldn't want it to end up overloaded, though I doubt Christmas lights would use a lot of electricity (hopefully!)

Mr.Generous

the total load in amps is what you need to know, unless you're doing a Griswald special ...



Its very unlikely you will get near the limit of 13a per plug.
Every extension plug / socket needs to be weather protected in some kind of Tupperware type box with grommets for the cables too.

I'd guess £100 would get the job done - I'd ask son in law electrician but he's working away and that's why I'm home minding the dog browsing this great forum!!

Risteard

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

However you decide to do it, just make sure that you have a suitable RCD in the circuit to help protect anyone who may damage or come into contact with the wiring.

Given that the lights will be SELV an RCD will not provide any protection as there is no earth reference. (They will also be 12V.)