Exterior Lighting Q and A

Light Wiring 1 - Light Wiring 2 - Fluorescent Lights 1 - Fluorescent Lights 2 - Recessed Lights - Other Lighting - Exterior Lighting

Q. I am installing two new porch lights and a flood light for the back porch. The interior walls are open and we are preparing to install the exterior siding. We just selected the type of light fixtures to be installed and are trying to coordinate it with the siding courses. Can I use a regular round box or do I need to install an exterior rated box? The box will be inside the wall. Will a rubber gasket, available at a home center, be enough to protect the wires inside from the elements if I use a regular round box?

A. A regular box is fine for this location. Any outdoor receptacle outlets must be covered with an in-use cover. This in-use cover will incorporate a cover for the box that is weather tight. For the lights, the lights themselves incorporate what is needed to cover the box. After installing the boxes you probably want to seal around the boxes around, not in.

Q. We're thinking about using exterior solar accent lights around a circular driveway. We live in a mountainous area in California. We get lots of sun in the spring and summer, but have lots of big pine trees all around too. What are the pros/cons? Good/bad brands/features?

A. There is no manufacturer that doubts their reliability, so you won't find these lights from mid-grade manufactures and high-end manufactures. Now, let's look at what you want to accomplish. If you want them as "land marks" so you know where to drive and the limits of the pavement, they are good. They will not illuminate the space, meaning you want them to light a path, they won't. They are very dim. They are low voltage lamps, using very low wattage so as not to drain the battery until morning, thus barely illuminating the ground around them. You will also have a very hard time finding the replacement lamps should they burn out. It would be nice if they didn't, but they will. The pros to this type of lighting is that it's very cost effective, and you don't have to hire an electrician to dig, wire and install a hard-wired system. It's all up to you what you want to accomplish. Click here for more information on solar accent lighting.

Q. I want to replace an exterior light fitting with a coach-type light fitting with a built-in motion detector. I'm advised that I cannot install a sensor light fitting into a circuit that has an existing fluorescent-ballast light fitting. My house has one circuit for lighting (one lighting circuit breaker) and I have a fluorescent-ballast fitting in the bathroom. Have I been advised correctly?

A. I would check the instructions that are with the sensor or just try. Sometimes fluorescent ballasts introduce noise that falsely triggers the sensor.

Q. I have a barn with no electricity. Last year I dug the trench, laid the cable, and started buying all the fixtures to install this coming summer for hook up. However, I did not know at the time that florescent lights came in models for different temperatures. I bought six double tube light fixtures that I can't take back. They are rated for replacement in warm areas and not freezing area, which the barn would be at times. Is this a simple thing to correct electronically or should I just "bite" the bullet and buy new fixtures?

A. I'd just try it. Install the fixtures you have. If they don't work well enough for you, then you can always try to remedy it later. But you might find that they work perfectly.

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