Marie Parry, Group Marketing Director, Scolmore Group, looks at how professional installers cam help householders to bring power to the outdoors to create a safer, brighter and more welcoming recreational space

from ECN Wiring Accessories Supplement 2021

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POWERING UP FOR SUMMER IN THE GARDEN

According to a recent survey, 83% of Brits are planning home and garden improvements as the country leaves lockdowns behind and looks forward to a more sociable summer. Marie Parry, Group Marketing Director, Scolmore Group, looks at how professional installers can help householders to bring power to the outdoors to create a safer, brighter and more welcoming recreational space.

After 12 months of restrictions, we are once more able to welcome people into our homes and gardens and new research carried out by Checkatrade has found that a huge 83% of homeowners are planning a home and garden refresh over the next 12 months. The findings showed that the top renovations UK homeowners are planning to make are redecorating a living room, bedroom or bathroom (30%), followed by a garden revamp (23%).

Many gardens have already been transformed as the UK has adapted to a new way of working and living, or people have found themselves with time on their hands to tackle a variety of outstanding projects. Sheds and summer houses have been repurposed as offices, outdoor bars have been built and decking and gazebos installed and furnished to extend the living space.

Whatever garden project is being planned, the advice is always to make sure a reputable professional is engaged to ensure that any work is carried out safely and meets all the required regulations. This is where professional electricians come into their own, with the necessary skills and knowledge to advise their customers on how best to bring power to the outdoors and to upgrade or improve existing lighting installations.

Across the Scolmore Group there is an array of products that installers can call on to provide power, lighting and security protection to enhance their customers’ outdoor spaces.

You’ve got the power

Power can be brought safely to sheds, office spaces, heating and hot tubs, with the Aquip66 range of IP66 rated, easy-to-install 10A and 20A weatherproof outdoor switches and sockets.

The IP66-rated weatherproof socket and switch enclosures offer users a single fix installation – with the whole of the back box fixing to the wall to accommodate the socket or modules. Multiple knock-outs on each side (20mm) allow for entry from all angles, and a flexible rubber base with rear entry gasket provides extra weatherproof protection, as well as allowing for mounting on most types of uneven surfaces.

The range includes one and two gang waterproof switch enclosures that utilise MiniGrid single width switch modules which are rated at 10A, as well as one

and two gang switches that utilise the GridPro range of modules and offer 20A switching options. The one and two gang 13A switched power socket outlets are available with standard covers and also come supplied with a semi-transparent lid and socket outlet with neon. In a recent addition, a new 13A switched fused connection unit has been introduced to the range in response to feedback from contractors. This is available with a semi-transparent cover with neon power indicator, as well as with a standard cover.

Smart control outdoors

With power brought to the outdoor spaces, Scolmore’s Click Smart+ range will allow remote control of any electrical elements outside – switching on lighting, controlling an outdoor appliance or sprinklers, or the ability to switch off power for security.

The Click Smart+ range has been created to simplify and streamline connected home products – lighting controls, smart sockets, security cameras and sensors. It utilises Zigbee technology – one of the most widely adopted smart home communication protocols. Zigbee certified devices require the Click Smart+ Hub and communicate with each other using a mesh network. This creates multiple pathways for the connection of multiple smart home devices without compromising signal and communication range.

Let there be light

When it comes to lighting solutions for the garden, it is worth considering the main functions that are required. These could include accessibility, highlighting of particular areas of the garden, security and aesthetics.

Ovia’s Pathfinder LED floodlights are an ideal way to provide ambient lighting around the garden – lighting up walkways and driveways, as well as highlighting architectural features when used as an up-lighter. The range offers 40 options from 10W to 300W, with fittings up to 50W available in both black and white finishes, and they come in a choice of warm white or cool white colour temperatures. The standard range can be used with remote sensors PIRs (indoor and outdoor) or Microwave sensors (indoor only) as well as with the Click Smart+ control system.

Not all lighting needs to be strictly functional and Ovia’s Inceptor Intense LED strips allows you to add some striking detail to highlight a particular area in the garden, for example around the counter of the newly installed bar facility. Inceptor Intense is a range of 24V LED strips, available in cool white, warm white and RGBW. They come in four pre-cut lengths – 0.5m, 1m, 2m and 5m – and use a plug and play system, making installation quick and easy.

With a variety of strips, connectors, and drivers available in the range, installers have the flexibility for complete customisation. There is a simple LED Tape Configurator on the Scolmore Group app which allows you to create the perfect LED strip setup with an easy step-by-step guide.

Smart security lighting

For many, the main function for lighting in the garden will be as a security measure and ESP’s GuardCam Deco offers a solution that is both functional and stylish. Available in a silver or black finish, GuardCam Deco is a combined WiFi security camera and LED floodlight system, which has been designed with ease of set up as a key feature.

It has a built-in camera that offers full 1080p HD live viewing and recording, and it has the option for remote monitoring via smartphone or tablet, using ESP’s specially developed GuardCam Deco app. It features an adjustable 16W high-intensity LED security lamp (3000k colour light and 800 lumen) and you can remotely dim or turn on/off the LED lamp via the app. It will record up to 200, 20-second video sessions onto the supplied 8GB storage, and this is expandable up to 64GB.

With power and lighting in the garden all under control, full advantage of its benefits can be taken not just on the longer days and warmer evenings of summer, but all year round.

Scolmore Group, scolmore.com