Outdoor and Security Lighting for London Homes: Wiring, PIR Sensors and Safety

Good outdoor lighting makes a London home safer and more welcoming, from a motion sensor light over the front door to path lights and garden lighting at the back. Outdoor lights face rain, frost and damp, so they need the right fittings, protection and installation. This guide covers what to think about before you add or replace lights outside.

Security lights and PIR sensors

Most security lights use a PIR sensor, which switches the light on when it detects movement and off after a set time. Point them at the area you want lit, such as the front path or side passage, not at the street or a neighbour's windows. Many have adjustable sensitivity and timers. Warm, lower brightness LED lights are often better than very bright floodlights, which can dazzle and cause complaints.

The right fittings for outdoors

Outdoor fittings carry an IP rating showing how well they resist dust and water. Lights on a wall under shelter need a lower rating than lights in the ground or on an exposed fence. Cable entries must be sealed so water cannot track into the fitting. Cheap fittings with poor seals are one of the most common causes of tripping RCDs after heavy rain. Our guide on why your RCD keeps tripping explains the link.

Cables and protection

• Outdoor circuits need 30 mA RCD protection.
• Cables run along walls should be clipped neatly and protected where they could be damaged.
• Buried cables need to be armoured or protected in a duct, at a suitable depth, away from where you might dig.
• Low voltage garden lighting kits are a safer choice for paths and borders, with the transformer kept dry.

Paperwork

A new outdoor circuit is notifiable under building regulations and should come with an Electrical Installation Certificate. Adding a light to an existing circuit should come with a Minor Works certificate. Our guide to EICR, EIC and Minor Works certificates explains the difference. For sockets outside, see our guide to garden and outdoor sockets.

What an EICR often finds outside

• Indoor light fittings used outside.
• Water inside fittings and junction boxes.
• Cables run loose across gardens or buried with no protection.
• Outdoor lights on circuits with no RCD protection.

Book an electrician

Energy North Ltd covers North, East and West London with City & Guilds certified electricians, and can usually attend within 48 hours. See our EICR service.