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Installing Outdoor Flood Lights
Under The Eaves
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In
This Article:
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Related Articles:
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| Skill Level:
2-3 (Basic to Intermediate) |
Time Taken:
A Couple Of Hours |
By
Bruce W. Maki,
Editor
Start:
Warning:
Electrical work can be dangerous. Be sure to read
Cautions and Warnings at the
end of this article.
| My backyard
was kinda dark at night, so I decided to install
some sort of flood light beneath the eaves at
the back of my house. |
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I figured that I would mount the light fixture
near the end of the unvented soffit. Note that
this house, built in 1963, has soffits made from
particleboard. |
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| I figured out
the best location for the light fixture and
marked the centerline of the hole for the wire. |
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I drilled a 1½ inch hole in the soffit. Why
such a big hole? I need a big hole to fit the
cable clamp that will be screwed into the back
of the junction box. If a big drill bit isn't
available, two or more smaller holes could be
drilled, and then the wood cut out with a
keyhole saw, a file or a rasp. |
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| I fed about 2
feet of 14-2G wire into the hole. Then
I used a spring clamp to hold the wire to the
ladder, so it wouldn't fall out of the hole
while I went upstairs. |
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Upstairs in the attic I found the end of the new
wire. That white wire that goes across the top
of the
picture is for another light fixture on the side
of the house. |
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| I pulled the
wire across the rafters and ran it into the
existing junction box that had been installed a
couple of years ago. The blue arrow indicates
the new wire after it had been secured in the
j-box. Of course, I
TURNED OFF THE POWER to this circuit. |
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Then I worked back towards the other end of the
wire, driving staples into the rafters to secure
the cable to the underside of the rafters. |
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| Then I made
the connections at the j-box. |
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When this junction box was
installed, we ran 14-3G wire from a two-gang switch box near
the back door. The black wire controls two pairs of flood
lights on the side of the house. The red wire was intended
to power this flood light at the back of the house.
So I connected the neutral (white) wire to
the existing group of white wires. The black wire in my new cable
was connected to the existing red wire. The other end of the red
wire will be connected to a new switch.
| These are the components of a basic two-head
flood light: The junction box.
The bulb holders and mounting plate. |
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I applied some thread compound to the plastic
plugs and screwed them into the threaded holes I
wouldn't be using. |
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Some outdoor j-boxes come with a
small tube of thread sealant. This box did not, so I just
used TFE pipe thread compound. Just make sure the compound
is safe for use on PVC.
| This is a
3/8" cable clamp, which is commonly used in
circuit breaker panels and metal junction boxes
to prevent the wire from being pulled out. |
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I installed the cable clamp in the back hole in
the j-box. |
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| I slipped the
end of the cable through the clamp, and
tightened the two screws. |
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While making sure the cable clamp went into the
1½ inch hole, I mounted the junction box to the
soffit. To prevent corrosion, I used #8
stainless steel sheet metal screws. |
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| Note the
amount of wire sticking out of the j-box... it's
about 8 inches. |
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I removed the cable sheath and stripped about
1/2" of insulation from the black and white
conductors. |
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| Note the
ground wire. I just wrapped the bare wire around
the ground screw and tightened it. I left some
excess bare wire, just in case it's needed in
the future. I tucked this extra ground wire into
the junction box. |
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Got Vinyl Or Aluminum
Soffit?
What if the soffit is not
plywood or particle board? Many houses today have vinyl
or aluminum soffit, making it difficult to attach a
junction box. Vinyl or aluminum soffit usually just
hangs between a channel on the wall and the fascia. One
mounting ear on the box can easily be attached to the
tail end of a rafter or truss, but the other ear will
probably not have any wood structure behind it.
Maybe both ears could be screwed to the truss tail, but
that limits the ways the box can be oriented. Besides,
the soffit could get crushed when the screws are driven
tight. It might be possible to support the box from
aluminum soffit, but certainly not from vinyl soffit,
which would probably sag under the weight of the light
fixture.
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One Solution:
It's possible to mount the box on the wall just below soffit...
IF there is wood sheathing behind the
siding. (Some houses use rigid foam over the
studs with no wood sheathing. Argh!)
This method would require a
short piece of 1/2" PVC conduit and a male threaded
adapter to protect the cable
between the box and the hole in the soffit.
Ideally the screws securing the box would not
crush the vinyl siding. Putting a stack of
washers (stainless steel is best) under the
mounting ears can create a "standoff" that holds
the box away from the sheathing, yet keeps the
j-box from rocking too much. Plastic shims would
work too. |
Of course, I'm just showing a
mock-up on the back of my garden shed. An actual
installation would require a hole in the soffit, and the
conduit would need to extend above the soffit for an inch
or two.
Half-inch PVC conduit requires a
7/8" to 1" diameter hole. Drilling that size of hole in
vinyl soffit could be done (carefully) with a
spade bit.
Drilling in aluminum soffit
might not be so easy. That might require a small starter
hole with a regular twist-drill, and then making the
hole bigger by cutting with tin snips or diagonal
cutters (wire cutters).
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I applied some thread sealant to the threads of
each bulb holder. |
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| Then I
screwed the bulb holders into the base plate. I
did not tighten the locking ring because
I'll need to adjust the angle of the bulbs
later. |
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I connected all the white wires together with a
"wire nut", and then all the black wires. Note
that I placed the black foam gasket over the
base plate. (I forgot this at first and had to
back-track.) |
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| I tucked all
the wires carefully inside the junction box and
pushed the base plate up towards the j-box. |
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I attached the base plate with the two mounting
screws provided. |
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| Then I
installed two fluorescent exterior-rated flood
lights. These were 26 watt fluorescent bulbs
that are supposed to be as bright as 90 watt
conventional incandescent bulbs. |
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I also connected a switch in the j-box that I
had installed a couple of years ago. |
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| I used a
short screwdriver to loosen the screw at the
elbow. Then I could bend the elbow to the
desired position. |
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To rotate the bulb holder, I loosened the
locking ring with a pair of Channel-Lock pliers. |
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| Then I
restored the power. The final
result: Lights in the back yard. Now I don't
have to stumble around in the dark. |
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Don't Point That Thing At Me:
I have seen dozens of houses
with flood lights that are aimed almost straight
outwards, like a pair of car headlights. This may
seem logical to some homeowners, but I think this
practice is stupid and rude.
Think about it... you're walking along a dark road and a
car approaches with their high-beams on. You can't see a
darned thing... indeed you can be momentarily blinded.
The driver can see you just fine, but all you can see is
a bright light. Police use this technique at night...
they shine a bright flashlight into the eyes of a
suspect or motorist. That person can't see a thing, and
they are put at a disadvantage.
Are you going to treat your guests that way? Your wife
and children? Do you want to look into a
bright light when you walk towards your house? Maybe
some people aim their lights sideways to illuminate the
farthest parts of their yard, in which case they are
just plain cheap. The proper way to aim a flood light is
down, with a slight angle sideways so you aren't
wasting energy illuminating the side of your house. If
you want to light up every corner of your yard then
install more lights, aimed downward of course.
If you live in a neighborhood where the houses are close
together (like I do) you might run afoul of local laws
if you point your floodlights at your neighbors property
or the public street. Whatever the rules are, it's just
inconsiderate to aim flood lights sideways, and it
certainly makes a home feel less comfortable. |
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Turn off the power before
working on electrical systems.
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If you are uncertain about
the techniques shown here, then the best approach is
to hire an electrician.
-
A permit may be required for
electrical changes. Contact your local Building
Department.
-
The methods shown in this
article may not meet electrical codes in your
area. Contact you local Building Department to find
out which methods are legal for your area.
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We strive to show methods
that are accurate and comply with applicable
electrical codes. However, we cannot guarantee that
methods shown on this site will always be correct,
or correct for your local building codes.
-
Do not rely on this article,
or this web site, for ALL of your electrical
information. We recommend reading one of the many
books available at bookstores, home stores, or your
local library. Research this topic fully before
attempting any electrical project.
-
If you follow the procedures
shown here, you do so at your own risk.
-
This article (and any other
pages on HammerZone.com) should not be considered as
"instructions". HammerZone.com and it's publisher
will not be held liable for any harm or damage
caused by following the information shown here. This
article is for entertainment purposes only.
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More Info:
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- Cordless
Drill/Driver
- Cordless Impact Driver (Optional)
- Wire Cutters
- Wire Stripping Tool
- Screwdrivers
- Channel-Lock™
Pliers
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Materials Used:
- Round Outdoor Junction Box
- 3/8"
Cable Clamp
- Two-Head
Floodlight
- Compact Fluorescent Flood Lights
- 14-2G Cable
- Cable Staples
- Pipe Thread Compound
- Sheet Metal Screws, #8 x 1",
Stainless Steel
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