Installing Low-Voltage LED Lighting
LED post lights are simple to wire and connect.
Evening on the deck. Time to light the Citronella candles. They create a mellow atmosphere until—whammo!—someone turns on the floodlight and you suddenly feel as if you are in the middle of a prison break.
It doesn’t have to be that way. LED lighting systems put lighting where it belongs—a splash of illumination on every other stair tread, a puddle of light at each post. With bulbs that virtually sip electricity, LEDs give your deck enough light to help you get around without spoiling the evening blue.
A further advantage is that LED deck lighting is low voltage. That means wiring LED lights requires only running lamp-cord-like cables and making simple connections. (You’ll also need an LED driver box located near an outdoor outlet.) None of the complications of 120-volt wiring are required—no underground cable, junction boxes, conduit, etc. Here’s how to install LED post lights.
Wiring a Wood PostWith the aluminum posts shown in the photo series that follows, it’s easy to fish the wires through the hollow posts. With wood posts, you can bore a hole down into the top of the post and drill a hole in the side of the post for running wires from an LED down light. Rip or rout a channel in the top rail for running cable to the post. Push the wire nut connections into the post before fastening the cap rail in place.
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 1. Gather the hardware. The components for this system include an LED fixture with cable attached, the LED, and a slide-on cap. If not included with the fixtures, gather suitable cable, wire nuts, transformer, dimmer control, and cable staples for the installation. |
 2. Choose a post light location. Plan out the location of the fixture so you like the look of the installed light with its cover in place. In this instance, it makes sense to bore a hole for the cable 2 in. from the upper balustrade rail so the top of the cover will line up with the top of the balustrade. |
 3. Bore access holes in the posts. The step bit shown makes quick work of drilling into aluminum. It also lets you drill holes of a variety of sizes without having to change the bit. Bore at least a 1/2-in. hole for ease of fishing the cable into the post. Bore a 1-in. hole in the bottom of the base of the post for pulling the cable through. |
 4. Fish the cable. Push the cable into the fixture hole and down toward the bottom of the post. You’ll likely need long-nosed pliers to grab the cable and pull it out. |
 5. Add the LED fixture. Drill holes and fasten the LED fixture in place using the screws provided. |
 6. Prep the posts. Once you’ve confirmed the positioning of the LED fixture, for efficiency’s sake prep all your posts at one time so it’s easy to keep your measurements consistent. |
 7. Paint the fixture caps. Should you find that the fixture caps don’t match your chosen railing color, spray-paint the caps with an exterior-grade enamel. |
 8. Run the cable for each post. Bore a 1/2-in. hole at each post location. Push the cable from your prepped post into the hole. |
 9. Install the post. Being careful not to pinch the cable, square up and fasten the post base to the deck. |
 10. Install the cap. The newly painted cap easily slips onto the LED fixture. The cap requires no fasteners. |
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 11. Run cable. In preparation for connecting the lights into a series, drill holes and feed the cable through the deck framing. Attach cable staples every 2 ft. where the cable runs along joists. |
 12. Strip wire for connections. Using a wire stripper set to the gauge of wire you are using, strip off about 3/4 in. of insulation in preparation for making the connections. |
 13. Make weatherproof connections. Twist the cable wires together and trim them so the exposed wire connection is about 1/2 in. long. Using a weatherproof wire nut, twist it on until all bare wire is covered and the nut is completely on. Give the nut a firm pull to confirm the connection is solid. |
 14. Secure the connection. Loop the connections as shown and apply cable staples so there is no pressure on the wire nuts. |
15. Make connections at the LED transformer and dimmer. Complete the wiring connections at the LED transformer and the dimmer control, the brains of the system controlled with a handy remote. Plug the driver into a nearby GFCI receptacle or hire an electrician to hardwire it.
TIPLow-voltage wiring is safe for amateurs to install, but if you feel uncomfortable with electrical work or are baffled by how to organize the series of connections, don’t hesitate to call in a pro. Have your railing planned out in advance of asking for bids. Discuss the possibility of saving money by preboring access holes for the electrician. |
Wire AheadRun your LED wiring before installing your posts and railings so you can feed the wiring up through the posts. Low-voltage lights typically don’t fall under the code requirements for 120-volt wiring, though you should have a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) receptacle for the driver box as required by code for outdoor service. |
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