Garden cabling - trunking or similar?

Mark M · 20 Apr 2015 at 13:52

Ive decided over the next 3 years I am going to get the garden looking spot on. All of the overgrown trees and bushes are coming down and I want to put some low voltage lighting around the place. Its a pretty big garden and I want to have a few different "zones" for the lighting so its not just a case of running a couple of cables along the fence. There will also be speaker cables and possible some of that small sprinkler cable that will exit onto the surface where the plants are.

Would something like drainpipe be suitable? Its probably a little on the large size but would take everything I need and more. Id also like to have a couple of access panels along the way and I can put some pull cords in for anything else in the future.

I dont think I have a requirement for 240v anywhere so it will just be 12v for the lights, speaker cables and probably the sprinler hose.

Any ideas on any of the above would be great thanks.

NickK · 20 Apr 2015 at 14:45

There's regulations

I don't know about 12V lights but definitely with 240V.. including armoured cable and specific requirements if the cable is buried (depth, marking, conduit).

Mark M · 20 Apr 2015 at 15:18

I know, thats why I said I wont need 240 and if I ever do then I'd have to get someone in presumably. I didnt think there were any regs for 12v stuff?

godinman · 20 Apr 2015 at 15:43

Blue water pipe (alcathene I think or something) is ideal, it's cheap, sturdy, flexible and has a 25mm internal diameter.

boxman2000 · 20 Apr 2015 at 15:47

I just used some of that blue MDPE hose you see new home builds using (you can get it in B&Q or probably cheaper from builders merchant). I just buried that and you can put quite a bit through there.

I had some spare so I put my armoured cable in it, particularly in the part of the lawn it was running along that I ariate.

Mark M · 20 Apr 2015 at 16:17

That blue pipe will be perfect! I will swing by a local builders merchant and pick some up thanks.

Any ideas on a sort of access point/panel that is equally budget friendly?

richard smith · 21 Apr 2015 at 08:23

There aren't regs for low voltage lighting.

Coxyis · 21 Apr 2015 at 10:25

godinman said:
Blue water pipe (alcathene I think or something) is ideal, it's cheap, sturdy, flexible and has a 25mm internal diameter.

Usual sizes for the MDPE are 20mm, 25mm and 32mm. Next up would be 50mm or 63mm but that sounds massively overkill.

Couple of options at least anyway. A coil of 50/63mm electric cable ducting wouldn't be much more expensive either, possibly a little thicker than you wanted though

boxman2000 · 21 Apr 2015 at 11:14

If we're talking very thin cables then even garden hose could do the job (if you're not going to be poking it with a fork.

Quartz · 21 Apr 2015 at 11:28

Drainpipe is too thin - it's not strong enough. If you're going to be doing it, it's worth doing it properly. @smogsy is a recent user of armoured cable, so I'm sure he can advise. And go for a decent internal diameter and plenty of pull cords. You want it to be easy to pull a new cable through and too small an internal diameter will make things difficult in future. A larger internal diameter also allows you to use ferrets - you (carefully!) tie a pull-cord to a ferret and it runs through the tube to the treat at the other end.

Stanners · 23 Apr 2015 at 15:54

richard smith said:
There aren't regs for low voltage lighting.

Now that's not strictly true is it, BS7671 Section 559.1 onwards

(ok it is for public lighting)

C.R.A.Z.Y · 24 Apr 2015 at 20:00

EXTRA low voltage = <50Vrms AC / <120V DC
Low Voltage = 50-1000Vrms AC / 120-1500V DC

/pedantic

Skiddley · 24 Apr 2015 at 22:55

Water pipe is just blue mdpe.

Traffic_Warden · 25 Apr 2015 at 14:08

Why do you want 12v anyway? That means just an extra point of failure (transformer).

Mark M · 27 Apr 2015 at 09:39

Traffic_Warden said:
Why do you want 12v anyway? That means just an extra point of failure (transformer).

Mainly because its cheaper and cando it all myself with 12v whereas Id need an electrician for 240v.