Concrete Fixtures in Place?

[JC Lighting]

I have been on two jobs recently where the previous installer used concrete around the fixture stakes. I have tried to be open minded about this but I cannot understand the logic? The path lights have pencil thin risers which break off extremely easy upon contact by gardeners etc. since the base has little to no give. Also, I when I need to relocate a fixture due to plant growth I have to pull up a 10 + pound bowling ball and dig a hole.

Can anyone share experience / knowledge regarding any benefits?

Jim C.

[sitelights]

I've never encountered a low voltage luminaire mounted in concrete but we've torn out many 2- and 3-tier 120v "pagoda lights" surrounded by concrete. These were usually mounted on a J-box that was both the 1/2" NPT connection point and contained the splice. Except for lamp changes there is no way to service this type of installation. I would speculate that mounting a low voltage luminaire as you describe came about through "force of habit".

Similarly, in your post on soldered connections the reason may be the same. Using 120v installation techniques for low voltage lighting seems to be somewhat overkill; this is normal if one never reads the instructions that come with the luminaire. It may be that learning something new is too much trouble. Use of soldered connections wrapped in electrician's tape is a dead giveaway that the installer is not a low voltage person. There are better methods that are alternatives to wire nuts and soldering is only one of them. [search "Buchanan"] That 50', 100', 150' or 200' of extension cord for the soldering iron must be tedious to drag around and wrap up each day.

Last year we did an installation where soldering was was the only way to connect back-to-back miniature sconce lights on solid cedar pillars. There was simply not enough space in the holes to backwire the fixtures using conventional means. The installer had to go to a hardware store and buy the solder, flux and the electric soldering iron specifically for that installation. We may use it again some time.

To each his own but when I was a very young apprentice electrician there was a commonplace saying about working for the next guy. The concept was (and maybe still is) to do your work in a way that would allow the next person to repair, add, change or modify without too much hassle. A prime example of this was leaving less than the code-mandated 8" of wire at a junction. Imagine trying to replace a receptacle or switch without some slack.

[landscapelight]

It is tough to have fixtures placed in concrete, it allows no flexability in moving the luminaire as the landscape changes or matures. Also I think that a good ground spike is much stronger than the concrete when you take into consideration the abuse some path lights can be put through, a flexible fixture will not snap but a rigid one will, right at the base where the stem meets the threaded nut. Sorry to hear you have to fix others mistakes, I only hope they don't do too much lighting that way.

[sitelights]

The point you make about the advantage of a flexible stake mount is not obvious to most manufacturers or installers. In the Product Review Forum a post "re: two composite spotlights" dated 09.24.2002 (2nd paragraph) provides some additional detail on this topic.