Low voltage lighting and mystery wire

[vette-kid]

Ok, maybe some one here can help me out. We would like to install some low voltage landscape lighting. I know most controllers are made to use anoi outdoor outlet, but my closest one would be about 80 feet from the first light. The electrical panel, however, is only about 25 feet. It seems that there may have been lighting as some point, but i can't find where it goes or what type of system it was. It appears it was line voltage with a photo sensor at the panel? Is that normal?


There is also an outlet at the mailbox that appears to have a circuit...but the Outlet does not work?

And then....there is this mystery wire coming out ofthe ground that does not appear too be connected...although i can't find the other end.

And this mystery wire that seems to be cut



Lots of mystery for me...but, can i somehow wire the new controller too this circuit and get rid of this photo cell? Should the mystery and cut wires worry me? I'd like to get rid of the one coming out of the ground as it is by the sidewalk but worried that cutting out may not be wise if it is connected somewhere.

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[Junkman]

Time to become an archaeologist and start digging to find where the other end of the wire goes. I never cut any wire, until I know where it comes from, and where it is going. I can't see where the photo cell would be of any value, since it is located under the panel, inside of the home. One never knows what was transpiring in the mind of the previous owner, and what he had in mind when wiring something.
I was a retail store property manager, and every time that a unit changed, the electricians would come in, and replace the panel, and completely tear out all the old work, and replace it with new. The only thing that they didn't mess with was ceiling lights, unless the ceiling itself was going to be replaced. It was faster to tear everything out, and start over, then it was to figure out what someone else had done 10 years previously.

 

[Beemer533]

And this mystery wire that seems to be cut





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That mystery wire is just a ground wire.. Looks like it was for the telephone box? Not sure why it would be cut, but it shouldn't have anything to do with the lighting..

 

[vette-kid]

Time to become an archaeologist and start digging to find where the other end of the wire goes. I never cut any wire, until I know where it comes from, and where it is going. I can't see where the photo cell would be of any value, since it is located under the panel, inside of the home. One never knows what was transpiring in the mind of the previous owner, and what he had in mind when wiring something.
I was a retail store property manager, and every time that a unit changed, the electricians would come in, and replace the panel, and completely tear out all the old work, and replace it with new. The only thing that they didn't mess with was ceiling lights, unless the ceiling itself was going to be replaced. It was faster to tear everything out, and start over, then it was to figure out what someone else had done 10 years previously.

Isnt that kind of wire usually just extension cord? I imagine the other end of this to be a three prong. Why in the world would you run that under ground!?

The pic is of the outside box, so the sensor is outside. That circuit has what looks like a pretty standard 3 conductor wire ran to it. It disappears into the conduit running into the ground. If I cant find the end of that wire anywhere (I imagine it just got cut and is hiding just below surface somewhere) then I think I could just wire into that circuit and start over.

 

[vette-kid]

That mystery wire is just a ground wire.. Looks like it was for the telephone box? Not sure why it would be cut, but it shouldn't have anything to do with the lighting..

Yes, it was for the phone box. Im sure it has nothing to do with the lighting, just another mystery I found while looking into this. My phone works though, so I guess I should worry about that one. How deep to those run into the ground?

 

[LumpyMusic]

Unended mystery wires may be locator wires. At least 2 jurisdictions I've lived in required code compliant plastic pipes to be accompanied by a wire so that the bluestake underground locator people could find the pipes.


Sgt Lumpy

 

[justsam]

Pull the panel cover off and see where the breaker marked "lawn lights" is wired to.

If there was low voltage lighting there before, there should be a pretty large transformer someplace close. Perhaps it was mounted where the stucco anchors are now? If so, there should be some HEAVY two conductor wire coming out of the ground nearby.

You really do not want vintage yard lighting, the game has changed with LED's. I would put a GFCI outlet from the box and breaker now there. Use it to power a new LED light system.

Check if hot before removing any existing, and make notes of what you put in place for the next owner.

 

[vette-kid]

Pull the panel cover off and see where the breaker marked "lawn lights" is wired to.

If there was low voltage lighting there before, there should be a pretty large transformer someplace close. Perhaps it was mounted where the stucco anchors are now? If so, there should be some HEAVY two conductor wire coming out of the ground nearby.

You really do not want vintage yard lighting, the game has changed with LED's. I would put a GFCI outlet from the box and breaker now there. Use it to power a new LED light system.

Check if hot before removing any existing, and make notes of what you put in place for the next owner.

I do not see a transformer anywhere. I may look around a bit in areas where I would put it and see if there are some wires below the surface somewhere. I did open the box and the yard light circuit IS wired to the photo sensor. So perhaps they had some sort of 120v lighting? It is a 3 conductor wire though.

I am leaning toward what you suggest, using that circuit to run a GFCI and plug a transformer into that. The systems I am seeing (LED or incandescent) use a plug in transformer. With LED 200W should be good for me, I plan on 12 path lights, 2 accent and 2 floods (for the flag). Might add a decorative light post later on too, but they all have a pretty low draw with LED.

 

[justsam]

That photo cell is basically a switch, in this case capable of a 2000 Watt load. Any wires coming out of the photocell switch and going someplace other than to the breaker?

I suspect there was a bit of a hack job where the circuit breaker fed the photocell switch, and from there the photocell switch fed the low voltage transformer. The OP may have removed most of the hack since it would not meet inspection.

 

[vette-kid]

That photo cell is basically a switch, in this case capable of a 2000 Watt load. Any wires coming out of the photocell switch and going someplace other than to the breaker?

I suspect there was a bit of a hack job where the circuit breaker fed the photocell switch, and from there the photocell switch fed the low voltage transformer. The OP may have removed most of the hack since it would not meet inspection.

Yes, it is wired to the breaker and then goes into conduit underground. I have no idea where it goes.

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