The Hansen Light - Installation

Installation Instructions

Dig trenches for conduit or low-voltage cable. The National Electrical Code spells out how deep the trenches should be, and it varies depending on the situation. What's more, city or county codes can be more stringent, requiring deeper levels. But for most all residential situations, 120v wiring inside PVC conduit is supposed to be buried to a depth of 18", and low-voltage cables buried by themselves are supposed to be buried to 6" (but go deeper--those cables have a way of working their way to the surface, like old tires).
Dig holes, 16"x16"x16" (minimum) where each Hansen Light will be.
Run conduits or low voltage cables from the power source, to the middle of each hole. Elbow-up the conduits to 6" above finished grade. Or, if running low voltage cables, leave about 18" above finished grade.
Fill the bottom of each hole to a depth of 13" below finished grade, with a soil that compacts well but allows for drainage. A mixture of sand & clay (called "silt" or "loam") and maybe some gravel works well. Lowes and Home Depot usually sell bags of such soil, located next to the stepping stones (it's intended as a solid base for stepping stones). Two bags per Hansen Light works well. This provides a good solid base for The Hansen Light, to keep it standing straight for many years to come.
Level the sand-clay mix (using a level) and then tamp it down (a 6"x8"x16" cinder block works well). Check level again, move around the dirt as needed, and then tamp again.
Set the Hansen Lights into place (top pieces removed) bringing the conduits or cables up into the middle of the Hansen Light. Verify level of the column and adjust if necessary.
Backfill everything with your landscaping dirt/soil.
If conduits were run, pull in the wires, leaving at least 6" out the top of the column.
Connect the wires to the Hansen Light light unit (using the little transformer included, if it's 120 volts.).
Set the light unit and support plate onto the column, and then screw-on four 1/4-20 nuts and washers (supplied) until the gasket makes a seal with the top of the column. Set a level on top of the support plate, and tighten the nuts to attain bubble level. Perfection isn't necessary, the goal is merely aesthetic. Being close to "bubble center" is usually good enough, and you don't want to over-tighten the nuts, as it will eventually deform the support plate.
Set a spacer or two on top of the support plate, if desired. The thicker the spacer, the more light is allowed to transmit out of the Hansen light, but also the greater the possibility of glare, depending on the particular installation location.
Set the top cap into place, and secure with four 1/4-20 nylon insert nuts (supplied). Just tighten until contact is made, don't put any muscle into it, otherwise it could break the light unit. The goal is merely to keep the top cap firmly in place, and the nylon insert will prevent the nuts from coming loose.
Make final connections to the power source.
Wait until dark, turn on the lights, and enjoy for the next 20 years or so, probably a lot longer.