Garden Power and Outdoor Lighting
Lights along a path or over the patio, a socket outside instead of an extension lead through the window, or power run out to a shed, summer house or garden room? Say what you want outside and roughly where, and Alex can plan the route, fit it and test it. Outdoor electrical work is available across Redhill, Nutfield, Reigate and surrounding areas of Surrey.
Do you know what you want, or just that it is dark out there?
Either is fine. Some people have a plan from a landscaper and a list of fittings. Others know the steps are dangerous in the dark and the barbecue runs off a lead out of the kitchen. Say which it is when you get in touch.
Outside is a different job from inside. Where the cable runs, how far it goes, what has to be weatherproof and whether the fuse box has room for another circuit decide what is involved. That is looked at first, then the work is quoted, then it is fitted and tested.
Outdoor jobs AJS is asked for
Most of these are small jobs, but the route and the distance decide it, so each one is looked at and quoted first.
Garden and patio lighting. Lights along paths and steps, up-lighters by planting, wall lights by the back door, laid out so the garden is usable after dark rather than lit in one spot.
Outside sockets. A weatherproof double socket on the patio, by the front door or on the garage wall, so the mower, the pressure washer or the fairy lights stop needing a lead through a window.
Lights on the house. Down-lights under the soffits, lights either side of the front door, pier and driveway lights.
Security and sensor lights. A light that comes on when someone approaches the front or back of the house.
Power to a shed, summer house or garden office. A proper supply run out to the building, with sockets and lights inside it.
A supply for a hot tub. A suitable electrical supply planned around the equipment and the existing installation.
Replacing old outside lights. Like for like, or swapping to LED fittings.
Not sure what the fitting is called? Send a photo of the spot. That is usually enough.
What decides how big the job is
Two gardens that want the same lights can be very different jobs. A light on the back wall next to an existing socket is a short run. Lights at the end of a long garden, or a supply to a building at the bottom of it, mean cable all the way there, usually armoured and either buried or clipped along a fence or wall. The fuse box matters too: a new outdoor circuit needs a spare way and the right protection, and some older boards do not have either.
That is why the route and the fuse box are looked at before anything is quoted. You get a plain answer about where the cable will go, whether anything needs digging, and whether the board can take it, before any work starts.
How outdoor work is done
You say what you want outside and roughly where. A photo of the spot, and one of the fuse box, helps.
The route for the cable, the distance and the fuse box are checked, and the positions are agreed with you before anything is dug or drilled.
The cable is run as neatly as the garden allows, and the fittings, sockets and any isolator are fixed and connected.
Outside sockets and circuits are given RCD protection, and the fittings used are rated for outdoors.
Everything is tested before it is handed over, and the area is tidied.
Where the work needs it, you get a certificate recording what was done and that it was tested.
Outside work AJS carries out
Garden, path and patio lighting
Wall lights, soffit down-lights and driveway lights
Weatherproof outside sockets
Supplies to sheds, summer houses, garden offices and cabins
Hot tub supplies and outdoor isolators
Security and sensor lights
Low-voltage and mains garden lighting
Replacing failed or dated outside fittings
Inside the house, and problems outside
Lighting inside the house, from downlights to pendants and dimmers, is covered on the lighting installation page. It is the same electrician and it is quoted the same way.
Security lights, power to a garden office or summer house, and hot tub supplies are described in more detail under outside the house on the services page. If the fuse box needs a new way or a new board before an outdoor circuit can go in, that is covered on the consumer unit upgrades page, and it is only suggested when the checks show it is needed.
If an outside socket trips when it rains, or a garden light has stopped working, that is a fault rather than a fitting. Electrical fault finding and repairs explains how the cause is found.
What customers have said
“Ajs (Alex) did a Great job from start to finish installing our outdoor sockets both front + back we also wanted a light supplied and fitted. He explained exactly what needed to be done in order to carry out the jobs how long it would take , materials ect. couldn’t be happier with the workmanship Nice and tidy , friendly. Punctual. happy to help went the extra mile no job was to big or too small. Even put my plaque above my light top bloke. happy customer 😃 would highly recommend”
Checkatrade review, outdoor sockets front and back with a light, CR5
“Alex from AJS Electrical Services recently installed garden lights for me and did an excellent job. He was professional, efficient, and completed the work to a very high standard. The lights look fantastic, and I’m really pleased with the result. I’d happily recommend him to others.”
Checkatrade review, garden lighting installation, RH2
“AJS Electrical did a fantastic job fitting down-lights under our soffits all the way around our house. Very tidy and considerate workers, did a timely job exactly as per their quote. Alex suggested using Hive bulbs which can be dimmed and have colour temperature adjusted to match the existing lighting on our driveway. Advised that they would work very well with our Hive Home and, a special bonus I hadn't thought of, the lights would work with our security camera motion sensors and come on and off at night if persons detected. Genius ! Thanks Alex and Sam - we are delighted with the end result”
Checkatrade review, down-lights under the soffits around the house, CR3
Common questions
Will you have to dig up the garden?
Sometimes, for a run across a lawn or bed to a building at the far end. Often the cable can go along a wall or fence instead. The route is agreed with you before anything is dug, and you are told which it is when the job is quoted.
Are outside sockets safe in the rain?
Outside sockets are weatherproof, with a cover, and are put on RCD protection so that a fault cuts the power rather than leaving it live. If an existing outside socket trips when it rains, that is a fault to be found, not a reason to stop using sockets outside.
Do garden lights need mains power?
Not always. Some garden lighting runs at low voltage from a transformer; wall lights, soffit lights and most fixed fittings are mains. The right one depends on what you want and where, and both are fitted and tested the same way.
Should the electrics go in before the paving?
Usually, yes. Where a cable route will sit beneath paving, decking or landscaping, it is normally easier to plan that route before the finished surface goes down. If a landscaper or builder is involved, say so when you get in touch so the order of work can be agreed.
Will I get a certificate?
Where the work needs one, yes. It records what was done and that it was tested.
Tell us what you want outside
What you would like, roughly where, and what is out there now. A photo of the spot or of the fuse box on WhatsApp is enough to start. Garden power and outdoor lighting is one of the electrical services available.