# Forum Home Renovation Lighting  Control for garden lighting

## chunky59

Hi 
I am currenlty landscaping my back garden and want to put some garden lighting in and have thought of a way to control them but i am unsure if this is the corect way. 
This is what i want 
I want to run my lights on a photocell timer that will come on at dusk for a set time, of say 3 hours each time, (i believe there is a photocell unit form HPM, approx $120.00, that has a push button on it to select the run time. it turns the light on at dusk and turns off after the prest time. Has anyybody used one of these before and are they any good or is there something better? 
I also want to be able to turn the light system off from my house if i happen to go away on holidays etc, to save money. 
My Theory is  
I have already run a wire a 2.5 mm three core wire from house, which will be connected to a light switch at my back door. The other end will be connected a GPO in a shed in my back yard to provide power to the GPO.  I want this to be able to be used to turn the whole system off when on holidays.   
I then want to connect low voltage garden light wire into the GPO ( Somehow) then run this garden lighting wire outside and through a photocell (Is this possible) and on to 5 off low voltage garden lights. So the photocell/timer should control the on/off of the lights at dusk   
Will this work or do i go about it in a totaly differnt way? 
Much appreciate any advise on this
Chunky59

----------


## BRADFORD

What you are suggesting should work ok, however I think the HPM PEcell is a 240v device, not that it's a problem you may just have to rethink the way you do it.
Also there may be a problem having a GPO on a lighting circuit.
Another issue is the cable you have installed to the shed, if underground is it installed correctly, have you considered voltage drop etc.
All of these things will depend on your particular installation and I cannot offer further advice without a lot more details.

----------


## cherub65

Had situations were the cell was  before the gpo thus controlling the transformer or anything plunged into the gpo

----------


## mattski2008

Why not just use a piggyback timer on the GPO in the shed. Then plug your tranny in the GPO. I think these timers only cost about $20  RPG - SXKK1045 - ELECTRICAL TIMERS

----------


## iconnect

For a situation like that I usually install an auto/off/manual switch at the house to control the PE cell. That way you can override it and switch the lights on and off at your leisure (good for testing) or leave in auto and set to come on for around 3 hours at sunset.
Another cost effective method I have used successfully is to add remote controlled switch units if you want to split the garden up into sections and light specific areas, eg a feature tree, or fountain individually. Insert the remote switch units between the GPO and the transformers for each section and then control from wherever you like. This is essentially plug and play and requires no hard wiring so is DiY friendly. Origin eco store : Remote Standby Eliminator : 4 Sockets : 1 Remote : Efergy : Efergy

----------

