This project was a ‘rescue mission’ as the client had numerous problems with his existing installation which was less than a year old. This property is rented out and apart from creating an aesthetically pleasing design, it is vital that people visiting can navigate safely through the property. Moonlight Design’s aim was to provide the client with a new improved and long-lasting lighting design and installation.
Abersoch is a coastal seaside resort therefore very exposed to wind and consequently to saltwater, which is very corrosive.
The existing stainless steel lights were not made from 316 Marine Grade stainless steel. Every light had started to rust and when this happens, the fittings are then prone to water ingress. On top of this, the original design used a huge number of lights which was excessive and ended up undermining the garden instead of complementing it.
After an inspection of the lights and the wiring infrastructure, it was a case of explaining to the client that the system had to be completely ripped out and replaced. There is no way we could have used any of the cabling and of course the lights themselves.
The client had ducting installed, upon our instructions, under the paving and decking. Having a duct installed for the cabling is a great way of future-proofing the system and making it much easier to maintain.
Once we pulled-in all of the cables we installed the control system, in this case, Light Symphony. Light Symphony is a remote-control system that uses an FM signal to switch the lights therefore, there are no issues of getting a signal out to the receivers. We also installed a device called a Light Symphony iPort (now replaced by an iTimer+) which allows the client to switch the lights by using a free app on a smartphone/tablet.
When installing the lights all connections must be absolutely watertight. We are very confident in our installations but this project is a long way from our headquarters in London so it had to be perfect.
We were also asked by the client to install a mains supply and an isolator switch for his hot tub. Unlike our lighting, these units require a large electrical supply and when we tested the loading capabilities on the existing supply, we found that the property did not have enough power for this unit, as well as everything else in the house. This is important to note as many people just assume you can add large electrical items to your existing supply however, this is often not the case. The client had to get an electrical upgrade to his property from 100amps to 200amps. This delayed the project but it was absolutely necessary, otherwise overloading your electrics can result in nuisance tripping and potentially a fire.
In 2020 we were called in for some maintenance as one section of his lights were not working. When we arrived, we found that a cable had been damaged by a gardener. Whilst we were there, we checked the whole system. All of the lights were working, no water ingress or rust and the remote-control system was also working perfectly.
In total, the project took 2 guys just over 2 weeks to install. There are four circuits switching the lights on the terrace, steps, top garden wall lights and decked areas in the top garden.
All the fittings we used are made from 316 stainless steel with replaceable LED chips. The LEDs are Cree chips producing a warm white light with a maximum wattage of 6 watts. The total electrical loading for the 47 lights is 90watts and are all low voltage.
We would love to design your lighting project and if you would like to discuss this further please contact us via the website, or email design@moonlightdesign.co.uk or 020 8925 8639.
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