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I just had my landscape cleaned up and some trees replaced but the lighting system I had is defunct and the irrigation system is 20+ years old and in need of replacing. I need drip lines and lighting around my pool that follow a near-identical path and figured it'd ease the workload and maintenance to dig a single trench for both the polyethylene tubing and 12v power line.

Is there any danger in this? With such a low voltage I figured not, and wiring lighting systems often goes through ground that can get really wet, but thought it prudent to ask. I'm relatively new to DIY work for both irrigation and lighting.

Thanks

Rikaelus
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  • This question is in the wrong section, but as long as you have the proper insulation on the wires and don't run water when you run the electricity it should be just fine. On maritime vessels we actually used electrical sensors inside of the pipes at times, and never ran into the problem of electrical shock inside of the ship. – black thumb May 13 '17 at 19:32
  • Thanks. I'll make it a point to ensure the lights aren't on during irrigation times. How is this the wrong section, though? Lawn lighting and irrigation seems to undeniably fall under landscaping, and even apply to gardens, too... – Rikaelus May 14 '17 at 00:19
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    there's a DIY site on SE – black thumb May 14 '17 at 04:06
  • Yeah.. almost every site on SE is for people who are trying to do things, themselves. Nevertheless I looked and the closest I found was for Home Improvement. My question isn't predicated on there being a home or even a structure. The question is relevant if someone's landscaping a public park. It's about landscaping. This site is about landscaping. Stop being a troll. – Rikaelus May 14 '17 at 16:33
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    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it should be on https://diy.stackexchange.com/ – J. Chomel May 15 '17 at 06:18
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    And I vote for some common sense. diy.stackexchange.com is specifically for home improvement. My question is about outdoor wiring and piping in a landscape that has nothing to do with a home or structure. And by the logic being demonstrated here, every question from every person who's working on their own garden or landscape should be similarly moved, yet I see many such questions with nobody complaining. There's literally a topic called "Drip irrigation system" about someone wanting to build one... and no complaints. – Rikaelus May 15 '17 at 16:17
  • Hi Rikaelus, this question may be on topic at a few different sites. That's a common thing on SE. I found some similar ones here but way more at diy, under the tags of landscaping, irrigation, sprinkler system and wiring. Wherever the question ends up, I ask you to refrain from name-calling. You've been around the network long enough to know that calling someone a troll is rude. There are no trolls in this discussion. An apology for that would be appreciated. – Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL May 15 '17 at 18:55

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So in answer to this question - I have 27V wiring for the irrigation system, which runs along the irrigation pipes. This is common practice. So lighting at 12V, should be fine.

As a recommendation though - run your wiring through conduit - This conduit can simply be irrigation pipe! I would paint it or mark it if possible though, just so you know what it is. Then you can simply lay wiring conduit (irrigation pipe) and water-irrigation pipe into the same trench. I also have this in part of my backyard also.

nr_aus
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