Low voltage outdoor lighting

is an excellent way to add curb appeal to a home and is easy to install. Path lighting adds charm to walkways, accent lighting highlights landscaping or architectural details, and deck lighting creates ambiance for exceptional entertaining. Other advantages to low voltage outdoor lighting (12-volts) include:

No permit is required nor do you need to be licensed to install the lighting system

No special equipment needs to be purchased or deep trenches dug

Since it is only 12-volts, the chance of injury from touching a bare wire is eliminated

Under normal circumstances, no extra electrical circuits are needed

The result is that creating your low voltage landscaping plan is remarkably easy and installation can be done in a weekend. Step 1 : Choose a fixture with the appropriate lamp Lamping dictates how much, and how focused, the light will be from the fixture. If you are looking for path lighting this probably is not a crucial factor, but if you are looking to provide up-lighting for trees or a structure it will be more important. Consult Outdoor Light Bulbs and Photometrics for more information. Step 2 : Select a Transformer You will need a transformer with enough power to handle the total wattage of the fixtures you wish to incorporate, with some left over. Add the total lamping your system requires, for example you have four 12 watt fixtures and two 36 watt fixtures for a total need of 120 watts. The total wattage you need should not exceed 90% of the of the rated transformer capacity, so in the example a 150 watt transformer would work but the 300 watt would allow for added fixtures in the future. Step 3 : Select a Cable Typically a 12 gauge cable is used; however, if the cable will need to run over 100 feet a 10 or 8 gauge cable is recommended. To determine the necessary length, measure from the last fixture on the run to the transformer (or the splice in a ‘?T‘î run). Add an extra 1 to 2 feet of cable per fixture to allow for flexibility and repositioning. If you have further questions about low voltage outdoor lighting, please feel free to contact our customer service at 1-800-574-8377.