Outdoor decorative lighting, connections and weatherproofing.

[T i m]

Hi all,

Just an observational type question ATM .. but when watering my mates plants whilst he was away recently I noticed an 'end' to a cable on what I think could be 240V - outdoor lights just dangling in the air (they are sorta strung along the end of his garden in the trees / bushes, Xmas tree stylee).

Fishing around I found what could have been the partner end of another plain cut cable, exposing some insulated (blue / brown) copper stranded cable in a flat-oval black outer sheath.

The lampholders look like std size (ES / BS) hampholders but with rubber collars where the lamps go into the holders (suggesting they were 'supposed' to be 'outdoor' lights). The lamps themselves look like they could be LED (I have no idea if there are such things as 'outdoor LED' lamps).

Now, after some more fishing I found what I thought was a third loose 'end' but that seemed to have a small rubber cap on it, suggesting that was supposed to be 'an end' (of a spur).

Now, that's all I've got for now and I've not even seen them on to see if there is a dead 'section' but I will have another and closer look when there next ... but could someone more familiar with such lights confirm that a simple rubber cap is sufficient to protect a live end on such things (particularly if they are 'mains') and assuming the other ends are in fact where the cable has been cut (gardener / hedge trimmer?) is there is an approved way of re-joining them please?

Cheers, T i m

[tabbypurr]

I assume there's sealant inside the rubber cap.

NT

[Brian Gaff]

Well, most of mine run on 12 volt ac from a transformer inside. If they are mains then each led must have some form of power supply to drop the voltage I'd have thought. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

On 12 volt ones the manufacture quality is normally rubbish, either insulation displacement or some kind of connection block in a not very waterproof box.

Mine are out at the moment but I need sighted help to track the fault in day time. Brian

[spuorgelgoog]

festoon lamps

You can buy the festoon cable and the lampholders separately; the lampholders fit over the cable with insulation piercing connectors

A rubber cap if adhesive-lined and heatshrink should be reasonably safe in domestic circumstances for the end.

Owain

[T i m]

I think I'd like to assume there was too but I didn't (try to) pull it off to find out.

*If* it is a 240V system then I'm not sure I'd consider that end cap to be sufficient protection, both against water ingress and accidental damage / removal?

I mean the actual conductors within the cable itself are double insulated but wouldn't be if there was just one skin of rubber / plastic at the end.

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

Sorry, yes, that would make sense if they were what looked like just some LED lamp but these looked like ordinary (mains) LED ES / BC lamps Brian.

Now they may not be ... they may well be low voltage lamps that just happen to look the same as a std mains one but I won't be able to tell till I get closer.

Thinking about it ... the copper (stranded) conductors looked quite big ... bigger that they would need to be for the current expected on a 240V system but could they simply be reasonably thick for durability?

I was just wondering if this rang a bell with anyone?

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

Ah! Yes, that looks like them. ;-)

So when they advertise them as 'rewirable' (where one might normally consider a screw terminal of some sort), these simply differentiate between those and 'pre wired / moulded' alternatives?

Ok ... whilst I guess it would, I'm surprised there isn't a more 'mechanical' end, considering that it's out in the elements?

So, if the lampholders are IDC (into a continuous run) and / or then sealed ... I'm guessing I couldn't then use one to join an accidentally cut cable for one and would have to seal it from the elements for another?

"The lampholder is not waterproof, so the joint to the cable is not waterproof, if you use the rubber sleeve water can get trapped between the lampholder and the lamp. For outside use we do not recommend these loose lampholders, use the traditional moulded festoon see here unless the joint is made using a sealant. If used in damp environment do not use the rubber sleeve so the lampholder can vent and keep dry."

So ... if what I saw was an accidentally cut cable (and by looking at the discolouration of the copper ant the ends, may have been done a while ago) he / I really would need to re-join the wires mechanically first and then ensure they were fully waterproofed after that? A two core, 2.5 mm^2 waterproof junction box? I guess that might be the sort of thing that would also be used for joining a cut electric lawnmower cable.

Cheers, T i m