Guide To Installing Outdoor Post Lighting

The addition of outdoor post lighting adds great value to a home. Post lighting not only adds value to your home, but also adds more security during night time hours. With outdoor post lighting installed in your driveway, or your backyard, you can see what it there before venturing out into the night air.

Materials Needed
•Conduit
•Electrical Box
•Screwdriver
•Lighting Wire
•Wire Cutter
•Wire Nuts
•Drill
•Drywall Cutter
•Light Switch
•Post
•Cement

Step One - Turn Off Power And Lay Wire
Before you do anything turn the main power off. By doing this first you ensure that you actually do it and do not have to worry about it remembering it later. Also, by turning the main power off there is no risk of shutting off the wrong breaker.

Dig a trench from the home to the place you are going to put up the post light. Dig the trench to below the frost level if your area is subject to frost. If not, then 6 to 8 inches is good for your trench. Thread the wire through the conduit, with enough on both ends to use, and lay the conduit into the trench.

Step Two - Install Post For Lamp
Most outdoor post lighting does not come with the post so you will have to purchase this separately. You can have a wooden post or a metal one. The choice will depend on how high you want the lamp post. A metal post is the better choice for taller lamp posts. Dig an 18" to 24" deep hole and set the post in it. Fill with ready made cement and level the pole using braces to keep straight.

Step Three - Connect Wires
Attach an electrical box to the end of the conduit that is sticking out of the ground. This should be against the home at a point where you will drill for access to the basement or home interior. Drill the hole and push the wire through the hole and into the home. Attach the electrical box to the home and seal with caulking to keep from leaking.

Run the wire up the wall to where your switch is going to be. Run another wire to your power source. This can be an outlet close by or to the breaker box for its own circuit.

Cut a hole into the drywall where you want to install the light switch and fish the wire up out of the wall. Install the electrical box and push wire through from both the light and the power source. Attach the black wire from the light to the upper screw on the switch and the black wire from the power source to the bottom screw. The copper wire goes to the green ground wire. Slide switch into the box and secure with screws.

Step Four - Attach Light To Pole
With a ladder tall enough, attach the remaining conduit pipe up the post until you reach the height for the outdoor posts lighting. Attach the wires to the light and install light housing to the electrical box. After you have attached the light, turn the power back on and check that it works.