Outdoor Extension Leads & Sockets

IP ratings aren't as confusing as they look: the first digit covers dust and solid objects; the second covers water. Keplin's IP66 outdoor double switched socket is dust-tight and shrugs off powerful water jets, so it copes with most garden spots easily.

Only if it’s up to the job. Any outdoor extension cable needs to be rated for it, like Keplin’s own weatherproof outdoor extension cable, which is IP54 and shrugs off splashes and rain but isn’t built for standing water or a long soaking. An IP66 fitting, like the outdoor socket, copes with heavier exposure. If you're unsure what's right for your setup, it's worth checking with an electrician.

A simple swap on an existing outdoor circuit is usually fine to do yourself. For anything beyond that, or if you're at all unsure, a qualified or registered electrician is the right person to ask.

An outdoor socket, like Keplin's IP66 double switched socket, is a fixed power point built straight into a weatherproof housing. A weatherproof electric box does a different job, sheltering plugs and connections already in use from rain and splashes, while staying portable enough to move around the garden as needed.

Not on its own. Keplin's plug-in timer switches aren't rated for outdoor exposure, so the timer needs to stay somewhere dry, like a shed or utility space. To automate outdoor lights safely, plug the timer in first and then run a weatherproof extension lead or electric box out to the fixture itself.

It's simpler than it sounds. A mechanical timer switch plugs into any standard socket and uses 48 half-hour segments, pushed in or pulled out, to set on and off times across a 24 hour cycle. Once it's programmed, it repeats the same schedule every day, making light work of lamps, heaters or seasonal lighting.