I just recently bought flood lights that is located in the garden (ground level) of my front lawn. These flood lights are positioned in a way that when it rains water may enter the open area where the base meets to point where it gets electricity.
I have decided to wrap the base area with plastic (and elastic bands to keep it secure) but can someone tell me ... is that safe to do...it will keep the water out but does the flood lights give off heat at the point of contact and so my wrapping it in plastic would be bad (no heat can escape)?
2007-10-19 10:34:15 · 6 answers · asked by rob m 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
I wouldn't want that to be doing that.
They make sealed beam flood fixtures for that application
Here is the info on one
200W Twin Quartz Halogen Floodlight Bronze
This has 2 heads and 100w bulb for each. A piece of plastic is not safe to be used that way.
2007-10-19 11:13:26 · answer #1 · answered by Irish Sparky 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If I understand your concern, it's about water dripping down the neck of the bulb, onto the threads and into the socket.
Make sure you have weatherproof light fixtures designed for outdoor use. They are die cast boxes with no seams, and the access cover has a foam weatherproof gasket to keep water out. The wire clamps also have rubber seals which compress around the wire to keep water from getting inside the box.
Finally, outdoor bulbs have a rubber gasket fitted around the neck of the bulb, above the threads where the bulb flares out. The gasket (or washer) will keep water out of the socket.
Don't use plastic and a rubber band - a 150 watt floodlight bulb could melt the plastic or even ignite it.
2007-10-19 19:13:25 · answer #2 · answered by Tom-SJ 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
In my experience, plastic and caulk and such keeps moisture in, rather than water out. If your lights are outdoor fixtures, they should not leak water into the electrical connections. And yes, fixtures do need circulation for heat exchange. In the fixture, the waterproof wire should continue to the inside of the fixture. So, there should be no problem at all, assuming these are wet location fixtures made for outdoors.
2007-10-21 12:48:06 · answer #3 · answered by John himself 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I assume these are EXTERIOR floods. if so, they are designed for most weather conditions. Do NOT bolck those holes at the base of the lights. The wiring should be in a water proof shroud, already! Those holes are to let water OUT, and to allow air to circulate so the floods don't overheat.
2007-10-19 10:47:05 · answer #4 · answered by Rawstuff 007 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
NO NO NO! What you propose defies their utility. You must trust the engineering that they came with. What will extend thier life is purpousful attention to the type of wire nuts ,and what they contain, for long lay times underground. If you choose to 'wrap' these connections,as you suggest, then you are choosing to trap water into them. Water trapped is death to these connections.Copper wire will simply dissolve into blue nothingness,within these bounderies.
2007-10-19 13:18:01 · answer #5 · answered by racer123 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Flood lights are very hot, plastic melts and burns.
2007-10-19 11:13:46 · answer #6 · answered by paul 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋