Choosing
12V or solar?
12V if the lighting has a job to do or you want it working in February. Solar if it's decorative, you use the garden in summer, and there's no power nearby. Most gardens want both — 12V where it matters, solar where it doesn't. The full answer is here.
Will solar work in winter?
Not really, and we'd rather say so. Expect a fraction of summer output from November to January — often under an hour of something dim. Every solar product page says this. If you want midwinter light, buy 12V.
My spot doesn't get sun but I want a light there.
Buy a solar model with a separate panel on a lead — there are several in the range. It solves more solar failures than any other feature.
How many lights do I need?
Fewer than you think. Almost every garden we're asked to fix is over-lit. Light the things worth looking at — a tree, a wall, the steps — and leave the rest dark. That's what makes it read as atmosphere rather than a car park.
What colour temperature?
2700K warm white for most things. 2200K amber near water, near a boundary, or anywhere wildlife matters. Nothing cooler than 2700K in a garden.
Getting it to work
What size transformer?
Total wattage plus 20%. Ten 6W spotlights = 60W, so a 150W transformer. The arithmetic is here, and we'll do it for you free if you send the distances.
The lights at the far end are dim.
Voltage drop — the cable is too small or the run too long for the load. Ten 6W lights on 30m of 1.5mm² cable lose 4.35V, so the last fitting gets 7.65V instead of 12. Split the run, move the transformer, or go up a cable size. Not a fault in the fitting.
A section has stopped working.
Almost always a buried joint. Unrated connectors corrode in wet soil and go high-resistance. Dig up the nearest joint before you condemn anything, and replace it with an IP68 gel-filled connector.
Can I do it myself?
The 12V side, yes — that's the point of extra-low voltage. The 230V supply feeding the transformer needs a qualified electrician, and in England and Wales a new outdoor circuit is notifiable under Part P.
How deep should the cable go?
300mm in a border or lawn, 450mm under anything you might dig or drive over, with warning tape above it and a marker post where the run turns.
Do I need drainage under an in-ground light?
Yes. IP67 means it survives immersion, not that it should live in a puddle. Drainage sleeve plus 100–150mm of pea shingle. Every in-ground set we sell includes the sleeves, and fittings installed without them aren't covered by the guarantee.
Can I test it before burying it?
Please do — connect the whole run on the lawn and switch it on first. Ten minutes there saves a day with a spade, and you can still return it afterwards.
When to buy
When should I install?
Winter. Bare borders, soft ground, nothing in the way. A run that takes an afternoon in January takes a weekend in May and damages the planting. Here's the case.
I need it for a date.
Say so in your first email. Lead times tighten sharply from March to July, and event and wedding stock tightest of all. We'd rather tell you now that it's not possible than let you find out later.
Neighbours and wildlife
Will this annoy my neighbours?
Only if it's aimed badly. Shield it, point it down, dim it, put it on a timer — then stand in their garden and look back at yours. Light spilling onto someone else's property can be a statutory nuisance, and it's nearly always one floodlight causing it.
Is garden lighting bad for bats?
It can be. The joint ILP and Bat Conservation Trust guidance asks for 2700K or lower, no light above 90°, part-night operation, and leaving hedge lines and boundaries genuinely dark. All of that is easy in a garden and most of it looks better. Full detail here.
Ordering and delivery
What does delivery cost?
£4.95 under £150, free at £150 and over. Schemes, event rigs, post installations and off-grid systems carry a £39 pallet charge, shown at checkout. Mainland UK only. Delivery details.
Is pallet delivery kerbside?
Yes. The driver won't carry it round the back. Tell us about narrow lanes, weight restrictions or gravel drives when you order.
Do you do trade accounts?
Yes — designers, landscapers, electricians, event companies and grounds teams. Trade pricing, 30-day terms on approval, free scheme sizing and batch matching. Trade and Specification.
Will a run of bollards match?
If you tell us before ordering, yes — we'll supply from one batch. LED fittings from different batches can vary slightly in colour, which shows in a line down a path.
Anything else
support@homartuk.com · 07868 375682 · Monday to Friday, 9am–5.30pm. Send a photo and a sketch and we'll size it for you — free, and usually answered within a working day.