TierramadreLandscape.com

i installed outdoor lighting and im not sure if my wiring is right because i get a huge voltage drop. someone keeps telling me to loop the wiring and im not too sure what they are talking about. if someone can h thank you

Looping the wiring means connect both ends of the wiring together....ex: you have a 20ft wire....you connect one end to the transformer and tape up the other end,or bury it etc. so instead of tape it or burying it run the end back to the transformer so you have a "loop" or closed circuit. However if the lights keep cycling on and off it means that the transformer is overloaded. a quick fix is basically just add 1 or 2 more lights to lower the voltage going back into the transformer.

2007-09-02 15:51:16 by kitjhanna@sbcglobal.net

How to light your garden or outside area effectively

I have a low voltage ooutdoor lighting system and need to switch one set to the other how do I get the old lights off to connect to the other wire and what are the steps to connecting.I am a woman so patience is a virtual..thanks for your help..

I'm not exactly sure what your asking?

I have low voltage lights too. In my case I have a single "controller" and a single buried wire that runs around my landscaping. The actual lights have a little pigtail that comes off of them and plugs onto the buried wire.

If you have one or more controllers is a function of how much power/current your controller can put out. I believe they measure it in watts. Take the watts of each light and add them together. Then compare that to the controller boxes max output.

Not sure how to help you, cause I'm not clear what your asking.

2007-07-29 18:26:04 by bankerpat52

Price: $4.99

It has been left to me to put up the outdoor xmas lights this year as my dad is away. The lights are 24V and 7.2W. They are outdoor lights but they have an indoor transformer so need to be plugged inside. Because of this, he has cut the wire near the plug with a pair of scissors so that they can be joined after the wire is fed through a small hole in the window frame. Because the wire has been cut, I need to strip back the wire and somehow connect the blue wire with the other blue wire and the brown wire with the other brown wire. On yahoo answers it was suggested to me that I use splicer crimp fittings: (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index; _ylt=AnJTVHaYCVfg5VS.7eu1Qkbsy6IX;_ylv=3 ?qid=20081210092559AA8Yzde)

I have been to my hardware store and I am not sure where to begin. There are different sizes, male terminals and female connectors. I am confused. Can someone give me step by step instructions for this? Because the wire contains a live and neutral wire, does that mean I need 2 female connectors and 2 male terminals?
Sorry, the link to my previous question is broke. This is the one:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index; _ylt=Ap42HnqoiPZ6IpuICpSW3Prsy6IX;_ylv=3 ?qid=20081210092559AA8Yzde
jff_m_31
You fail to see the problem? You're really suggesting to put a plug outside with an extension cord even though I said it is an indoor transformer.. even though plugs are not water or weather proof? You are really suggesting that?
My problem is I need to connect the wire back together again and I am trying to do it the best way possible. If that involves splicers then I need help.

Connecting wires is pretty simple once you know which ones to join.

Since your dad has already cut the wires, you know which ends to join.
The "wire nuts" answer is good - for low voltage wiring you'll probably need either yellow ones or orange ones. Buy two of each just to be sure you've got it covered.

1 - feed the wire through the hole from the outside.
2 - using a sharp knife, separate the two wires on either cut end.
3 - using a sharp knife, remove about 3/8" of the plastic insulation from each wire. Don't nick the copper wires.
4 - match up the wires (by insulation color or feel for 'ribs' on the sides of the wires) and twist each pair of wire together
5 - twist on "wire nuts" that you bought at the harware store; twist until you can't pull the wire nut off. If the yellow ones are too big, use the orange ones.

2008-12-11 06:23:40 by LouiseyLou

Price: $60.00 $60.00

Solid brass heavy duty back box, features punch outs for use with conduit.
Can be used in concrete pours, rock or masonry projects, retaining walls, long wood or composite deck steps.
Easy to install, pull-out reflective plate and sockets. Adjustable mounting tabs.

We've recently purchased our first home. It's a fairly new, clean-line modern home. The predominant exterior wall colur is a very light grey, with black tones around the eaves & window exteriors etc.

We have a large, open double front door entry - which looks really nice. The double front door is painted black.

Given we are situated in the tropics, mosquitoes and other random insects like to hover at our front door. You can enter/exit with lightning speed, but always guaranteed a mozzie will slip in behind us anyway.

A painter contact thru a friend of ours commented that the black front doors would be attractive to mozzies.

I've Googled 'what colours deter insects' but have found conflicting advice.

To add to this, the alcove area above this front door (which has a 'lip' to it - therefore offering protection from the wet season rains when they are all breeding), has two halogen downlights.

These two downlights are on the same electrical switch as all of the remaining outdoor feature lighting, which does look nice.
Alas - the bright lighting at the front door step only attracts even MORE mozzies during the evening when in use.

Removing these two bulbs and simply not using these two downlights is not an option. We have a video camera doorbell for security purposes, and need to be able to see the person standing at the front door.

I want to remove the two (white) halogen bulbs, and replace with a lower wattage, soft colour bulb. But what colour should I choose???

Please no-one suggest red (since this is a family home and not a brothel) :-D

Current colour options available thru our local lighting retailers are 'rainbow' - which I'm told have a pinky/purple tone to them.
Yellow, blue or green.

Which of these colours would best deter insects?????????

Many thanks (in advance) for any responses. It really is greatly appreciated. Cheers!

Well the first thing you have to understand is that mosquitos-particularly the malaria carrying Anopheles are actually REPELLED by bright lights. They are so frail that to avoid being eaten by insectivorous birds like swallows that they hide in dark places during the daylight hours under leaves and places like that. They drink sap from the trees but need the extra protein from blood if they are to mate and breed-this is why the female bites you. So bright lights at night tends to drive them off. Moths however ARE attracted to bright lights-well actually they are not attracted to them but the light rays mess up their navigation systems because by evolution they are programmed to steer by the light of the stars or the moon so a light which is closer makes them fly in circles which is why they cannot get away from a light source. If your lights come on only on occasions they will be lurking round any dark shape (your doorway) hoping for a bite and the light will expose them. They are programmed to fly towards dark shapes. It is thought that stripes on the zebra break up the outline and help save them from being bitten by stinging flies. Your black doorways must seem irrisistable Midges and other biting insects are similar to this which is why they appear at dusk. Midges often form a cloud in a particular place. This is because they orient onto a prominent feature nearby and circle there so that they form a cloud. There is one thing you can try. Ultra violet light is particularly attractive to insects-in fact there are several bug zappers on the market which employ an ultra violet bulb and an electric element which heats up to fry the insects attracted to the light source. Put one of these in another place from your front door and the insects will congregate there instead (hopefully). I live in the tropics for part of the year. I have a powerful bulb over my front door which attracts small insects. It is on for several hours every evening and the ghekkos have learnt to lurk nearby-they make very good organic bug zappers

2009-05-22 02:51:56 by P

I have tapped into a wire within a circuit and behind a GFCI to provide the power. I have 110 at the box I am mounting the light to. I'm sure. It worked for a couple of days and then quit lighting up at night. So I checked the power and I still had 110, but while fooling with the connection and taping over the photo cell, the light came on. This lasted for a few days and then it quit working. I checked power again and I still have it, I've checked and tightened all connections. I covered the cell again, took the connection apart at the light while hot, touched it a couple of times and on it came. Again a day or two of working normally and it stopped working. This time I soldered the connections but the same thing happens. Should I run a separate feed to the light and connect where the power comes into the garage in front of the GFCI? I'm thinking this to be my next step.

if your power supply is continuous and you are sure it is, then the photo cell has a factory defect,return it and try again, otherwise, check the next box in line if you can get to it, the problem could be a loose connection there.

2008-06-05 13:51:56 by Dick K