Anyone who needs a power connection in the garden cannot avoid laying an underground cable. Our step-by-step instructions tell you how to proceed.
If you love your garden, you don't just cherish and care for it. Because in order to be able to illuminate the garden in the dark or to supply various electrical garden installations and devices, electricity is required. Since the garden is placed on the same level as a wet room in terms of electricity, all components used must first of all be suitable for this application, i.e. a protection class of IP44 or higher is required. For outdoor installations, it must be protection class IP65 or IP67.
If garden lights, pond pumps or other devices are to be supplied with electricity over several seasons, it is worth laying underground cables.
Correct installation - step by step
If you want to supply atmospheric lighting, a pump or just outdoor sockets with electricity, you first have to lay underground cables. These special cables are particularly well insulated and can therefore withstand moisture, frost and weather. Should it need to be shortened, use only wire strippers to avoid damaging the wire. A plan is required before installation can begin. This means that you think in advance where you need a power connection. For safety reasons, overvoltage protection should be fitted to many sockets.
A little tip: Laying empty pipes saves you having to dig up again later.
- A ditch about 60 cm deep is dug where the cable is to run later. A previously pulled cord makes this step easier.
- The bottom of the shaft is then filled with a 10 cm layer of sand. The underground cable is then laid directly on the sand. This becomes more valuable through the use of empty tubes. However, a retractable spiral is required for retraction.
- Once the underground cable has been laid, another 10 cm thick layer of sand is applied.
- To provide additional protection for the wiring harness, covers are used. You can get these in hardware stores or electronics stores.
- A so-called warning tape should not be dispensed with under any circumstances. This is slightly above the cover hood. With renewed earthworks it is immediately recognizable that there is an underground cable.
- In the last step, fill in a layer of sand again and your underground cable is laid.
Also consider whether a junction box or junction box is required. An outdoor floor box can serve as a distributor housing to enable several simultaneous connections. Depending on whichIf devices are to be operated with this, an additional floor box may be necessary for a transformer. Another possible use of the floor box would be to use it as a valve box. The outdoor floor box should be level with the lawn so that it remains easily accessible via the removable cover.
Alternatives to the wired variant
If this approach is too much work for you, you can look out for battery-powered devices. For example, many garden lights or garden tools are already operated with solar and batteries. The disadvantage here is the frequent changing of the batteries or the recharging of the accumulators. Many lights therefore already have their own solar cell, which ensures that the built-in battery is automatically charged.