Electrical wring advice (Home Depot, install, lighting, circuit)

[MikeHeckish]

Any electricians out there?

I want to install lo-voltage 12V landscape lighting for the front yard.

We currently have a 120V lamp post in the middle of the front yard, hardwired underground, with a dawn/dusk photocell attached to the post... and a dedicated light switch for all of that in the garage. Between the switch & the post, there is an intermediate exterior-mounted J-box that has this service wiring about 25' away from the post (mounted to a exterior wall on the home) . The light post has a small service access at the base.

I was wondering if it's legit (to code) to install a new 12V in-line transformer downstream of the photocell, tuck it into the lamp post cavity, route two new solid (black & white) copper 12 ga wires from that transformer in the lamp post base through the underground conduit back to the J-box... and then connect traditional landscape wire to those two new 12 ga wires & then coming out the j-box & plant my 12v landscape fixtures from that?

So when I'm done, the landscape path-lights & up-lights will be on the same switch as the post light but will be drawn down to 12V.

IDK if the photocell cares that it's now controlling the 120V post and the 12V landscape lights, or whether it's OK to power landscape with regular 12ga solid copper wire before I switch to the direct-bury landscape wire.

Thank you.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by MikeHeckish

I want to install low voltage 24V-AC landscape lighting for the front yard.

Go to Home Depot and buy a kit. Follow the directions.

... there is an intermediate exterior-mounted J-box
that has this service wiring about 25' away from the post...

It all depends on what is inside ... Ask your handiest neighbor/friend to come by and look.
Make him a sandwich.

[K'ledgeBldr]

Wow! That’s a mouthful-

Why not just put a GFCI receptacle in the exterior j-box, and plug the transformer in? Transformers can be “time set” or add photocell for dusk-to-dawn.

The only thing I would consider going that route- what is on that circuit besides the lantern?

[JonahWicky]

Why not just power the landscape controller from the J-box? Add a receptacle and let the controller manage the landscape lighting. Plus it's much closer to where you want to add lights.

[Northrick]

Ditto the above. Put the transformer next to the box on the wall of the house. Get one with it's own photo cell.


There are two potential problems with trying to stick it inside the lamppost: 1) space; 2) heat.

[MikeHeckish]

Thanks, everyone--- yes, I thought I could save a few bucks with the supplies I had on hand by doing it the way I originally suggested. Turns out, I could buy a dedicated unit for about $100 & plug it in the outside & be done... Alternatively, I could replace the replace the single-gang j-box next to the structure with a 2-gang, add a dedicated photocell & transformer to that box & skip the lamp-post...and still tie it in to the interior light switch... but that's still a bit more work than the plug & play controller. However now I'm not sure if my small inline transformer is suitable for LED's. I need to fins all that stuff in the garage, see if it fits & give it a bench test.

Thanks again!