New Floodlight Install - power source/wiring advice

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Shobuddy

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I'm looking to have a floodlight installed at my house. I'm going to have an electrician do the work as I'm a novice with electrical DIY but before I call the electrician, I want to get advice on the best way to wire a power source for the floodlight. The first attached image shows where two exterior lights exist on the front of the garage and where I want to install the floodlight (in the middle). The second image is taken from the inside of the garage facing out. There are electrical outlets in the garage on the back wall as well as for the garage opener on the ceiling. All that said, what would be the best power source for the floodlight and is it easy enough to get the wiring through the brick or would the wiring need to be exposed on the outside? Any input would be great, TIA and happy holidays!
 

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WorthFlorida

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Most likely a hole will be drilled through the brick and wired up to the garage door opener outlet. If you want it switch controlled, a switch could be added between the doors on the inside or brought to the back wall by the door to the home. Being a garage location there is a lot of flexibility since essentially there are no finished walls. All you need to tell the electrician where you want the light and a switch and he'll figure the rest.

If the flood light is to be motion sensored, it can be left on or turned on at any time by flipping the power on-off-on to override the sensor.
 

Shobuddy

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Thanks for the response. Would it be "plugged" into the outlet or tapped into the outlet? It would be a motion sensor w/camera so I hadn't planned on having a switch.
 

Jadnashua

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If the unit comes with a plug, then, I'd plug it in. Many will not, and then they'll be designed to mount to an electrical box. Without knowing the unit you're intending to install, can't say. Most of them will have the instructions on their website that you can look over, and if you've already bought it, just take a look at them. If you want the sleekest install, it may require making a bigger hole to embed an electrical box in the brick wall, but if it isn't that big of a deal, a weatherproof one can be mounted externally, with just a hole through the wall to provide power to it.
 

Jadnashua

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That one is designed to be hardwired into a round electrical box. https://d2211byn0pk9fi.cloudfront.n...ht_Camera_Quick_Setup_Guide_US.pdf?1569376506

You'd want to use something like this on the external wall. You would probably use the supplied plugs to cap any unused holes, and wire it from the rear through the wall. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commerc...-in-Round-Weatherproof-Box-WRB550G/300846812?

They supply it with a temporary plug so you can set it up more easily in your home prior to installing it on the exterior.
 

Shobuddy

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That one is designed to be hardwired into a round electrical box. https://d2211byn0pk9fi.cloudfront.n...ht_Camera_Quick_Setup_Guide_US.pdf?1569376506

You'd want to use something like this on the external wall. You would probably use the supplied plugs to cap any unused holes, and wire it from the rear through the wall. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commerc...-in-Round-Weatherproof-Box-WRB550G/300846812?

They supply it with a temporary plug so you can set it up more easily in your home prior to installing it on the exterior.

Thanks again, does that electrical box sit on the wall or does a hole need to be drilled to fit it in the wall? Or does it matter?
 

Jadnashua

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That box is designed to fit on the wall. You could have the electrician cut out some brick and mount one in the wall if you wanted, depending on how much you wanted to pay. You'd use a different, but similarly shaped box to mount it in the wall. It's easier to keep things watertite if you use an external box.

If he had one, a diamond core bit could cut a neat round hole in the wall fairly quickly, but that tool is not inexpensive. It would probably take less than 5-minutes to cut the hole with one, and would be very neat rather than chipping out some brick.
 

WorthFlorida

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Thanks again, does that electrical box sit on the wall or does a hole need to be drilled to fit it in the wall? Or does it matter?
Doesn't matter. I had three motion sensor lights on my last house and I had them on one switch. At times I would get power fluctuations, the lights will turn on as I explained above. If they are on during the day, turn the switch off for about ten seconds and then back on. Now with LED lights, a typical 90 watt equivalent LED flood light uses about 14 watts, so it doesn't hurt much on the electric bill.
 
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