Chris Hudson, Managing Director of Hudson Lighting, discusses the importance of keeping joint boxes accessible in garden lighting installations.
When it comes to garden lighting installations, joint boxes play a crucial role in ensuring that the lighting system operates smoothly and remains easy to maintain. However, their placement often becomes an overlooked aspect of the installation process.
Ideally, joint boxes should always be kept accessible and should never be buried. This accessibility is key for several reasons. Firstly, accessibility facilitates easy maintenance and troubleshooting. If a lighting issue arises, readily accessible joint boxes make diagnosing and rectifying the problem much more straightforward. Buried joint boxes, on the other hand, require unnecessary effort and time to locate and unearth, hindering efficient maintenance and potentially resulting in avoidable damage to the garden.
Secondly, keeping joint boxes accessible significantly reduces the risk of water ingress, a common issue with buried boxes. Even if a joint box is rated for direct burial, moisture in the soil can eventually penetrate the box, leading to electrical failures.
Where should they be placed?
Optimal placement for joint boxes often involves mounting them on walls or fences. However, when these options aren’t viable, mounting spikes, such as the WISKA spike designed for WISKA branded boxes, offer an excellent alternative. These spikes secure the joint box above ground level, keeping it visible and easy to access while shielding it from standing water.
Regardless of the mounting method, sealing joint boxes is crucial to prevent moisture ingress. Applying gel inside boxes is essential when they’re mounted at ground level, as this offers robust protection against moisture. However, for wall-mounted boxes, vent glands or even a small hole in the bottom of the box can be sufficient, providing no irrigation systems spray up into the box.
Prioritising the accessibility of joint boxes is a simple step that can save you and your customers a great deal of future hassle and potential maintenance issues.
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