What Size Wire For Low Voltage Landscape Lights

All the effort that y'all've put in to make your house, the patio, the lawn, the pathways in it, the bloom beds, the backyard, the fence and more stand apart from the rest, remains hidden one time the lord's day sets. A well-designed landscape lighting system can change that completely. Non merely will it add a new dimension to the firm through the evening and night, only you will too exist able to utilize the space productively once information technology's well lit. You will be able to host get togethers outside, instead of fitting everyone in the business firm. The architectural features of your house, the trees and flowering plants in the garden volition as well get a chance to shine bright.

Once you've fabricated up your heed that investing a flake on an artful landscape lighting design is the way to go, there are a few things that you need to become enlightened of. Firstly, the size of the infinite that needs to be covered will assist you make up one's mind whether a do it yourself (DIY) is feasible or if you require professional assistance. If y'all make up one's mind to become downward the DIY path, and then low-voltage lighting is the recommended option for you. To put it only, depression voltage lighting is relatively easy to install, it's safe and isn't expensive.

The alternative is to use line voltage. It'south typically used in outdoor lighting of commercial or public usage spaces. You tin can employ it for residential landscape lighting equally well, however, information technology volition cost you significantly more than low-voltage landscape lighting. In addition, you will demand to hire a professional electrician to take care of the installation. The reason line voltage simply doesn't brand sense for residential outdoor lighting any longer is considering low voltage modern LED lighting fixtures, in combination with multi-tier step-downwardly transformers, are capable of matching the power of a line voltage based setup.

Advantages of Low Voltage Landscape Lighting

Rubber

This is probably the most important reason why low-voltage mural lighting is recommended for residential backdrop. Y'all will obviously exist spending some fourth dimension in the outdoor space. Information technology's likely that you lot have kids at habitation, who will be playing in this space. Then there are your guests. A low-voltage lighting system with 12 volt power ensures that they volition be protected from shocks, in case they mistakenly bear upon something. On the other hand, if you opt for line voltage, which has 120 volt power, the consequences of an accident will be severe.

Ease of Installation

Setting up a line voltage landscape lighting system requires several prophylactic measures such every bit burying the wires at least eighteen feet deep and ensuring that the wire connections tin can exist accessed via junction boxes. So, it's advisable that y'all hire a professional to oversee the unabridged process. In case of low voltage landscape lighting, you tin ready it up on your ain. It's essentially a transformer-cable-light fixtures setup, which is relatively easy to learn. Plus, working in a low voltage setup is rubber, so y'all can afford to do it yourself.

Cost Effective

You will have to buy a transformer for a low-voltage setup, which isn't required for the line voltage arrangement. While the cables you would demand for line voltage lighting are more expensive than those needed for low-voltage lighting. In addition, you lot should be using LED light fixtures in the low voltage organization, which cost more than incandescent lights merely last significantly longer. LED light fixtures as well consume much less power, so your electricity pecker will be lower every bit well.

Even if you don't use LED fixtures, in a line voltage organisation you would require bulbs and fixtures that are 50 watts or more. Whereas in a low voltage organisation, you can employ bulbs and fixtures as low as 2-10 watts.

Aesthetics

Since, low-voltage landscape lighting has become the de facto choice for residential properties, manufacturers have developed a significantly wider variety of light fixtures for depression-voltage systems. In terms of color and the lenses, in that location are many more than options in a low-voltage system every bit compared to a line voltage organisation. This allows you to be more creative in designing the effect of the lights. You can move away from the garish element of group vii flood lights and create a more intricate lighting system.

The Key Components of a Low-Voltage Mural Lighting Setup

Transformer

The transformer is the near important element in the low-voltage lighting arrangement. It steps downward the standard 120 volt current is household to 12 volt for the landscape lighting organisation. Ideally, you should buy a transformer that has a 24-hr timer, assuasive yous to prepare a specific time for the lights to exist automatically switched on and off.

The other thing you lot demand to go along in mind is to buy a transformer with a power output slightly higher than what y'all demand at the fourth dimension of setting up the mural lighting system. For example, if the full wattage of the light fixtures you lot plan to install comes up to 500 watt, then buy a 700 watt transformer. This will enable you to add to your lighting organization later on, without having to invest in a new transformer.

Light Fixture

There'southward a plethora of light fixtures available in diverse price ranges. Selecting the right collection of light fixtures is important, because they volition ultimately be responsible for the aesthetics. Hence, you demand to first chalk out a clear plan and make a list of the types of light fixtures you require. One manner of doing this is asking yourself a few uncomplicated questions.

Is at that place a pond or sprinklers in the garden? If yes, and so the light fixtures to exist placed near the pond and in the arc of the sprinklers need to be waterproof.
Do I want to lite only the pathways or the features around them as well? If you lot want the field of the light to be broader than but the pathway, so you lot would require higher lite poles and perchance cone lights. If you want the light to focus only on the pathway, and so you could opt for beginning path lights.
Does every part of the outdoor space need to exist lit or should the lights only accentuate the space? If you adopt the latter option, then you won't have to buy powerful halogen lights.

Basic Light Fixtures

Overflowing low-cal
Path lite
Spot light
Wall wash light
Well low-cal
Submersible swimming low-cal

Y'all can get path lights in a diverseness of styles and in packs of 2, 4, vi, 8 and ten. You can besides become complete kits, including inundation lights, path lights, spot lights and a transformer. All light fixtures are available with LEDs, which is the ideal option for residential landscape lighting.

Now that you have a better thought well-nigh the types of low-cal fixtures suited for the outdoor infinite around your business firm, you also demand to take into consideration their longevity. A light fixture in a plastic casing won't last as long as one with a metal casing. Apparently, the the metal fixtures will cost more, just volition somewhen residual itself because of its longevity.

Finally, remember that information technology's your infinite and you should let your imagination guide you.

Low-Voltage Electrical Cablevision

The cablevision connects the calorie-free fixtures to the transformers. Generally, the 12-gauge, 14-gauge and 16-gauge cables are used for residential landscape lighting. Annotation that the 12-guess cable is thicker than the xiv-gauge cablevision and has greater electric current delivery capacity. Similarly, the 14-gauge cableis thicker than the sixteen-guess cable and equipped to handle more current.

For example, if your transformer is 300 watts, and so in case of the 16-guess cable, it tin can ability only 100 feet, for the xiv-gauge cable it can power 150 feet and for 12-gauge cable information technology can power 200 feet. So, you demand to summate the total length of cable required to connect all the light fixtures and then select the correct estimate of cable you need to buy, keeping in mind the transformer wattage.

One more affair. Since, y'all will have to bury the cablevision, you should get in touch with the utilities company and ask them to mark out the locations of the cables and pipelines under your property. This will ensure that y'all accidentally don't harm 1 of them.

How to Install Low Voltage Landscape Lighting?

The installation process substantially comprises iii steps — one for each of the three fundamental components of the arrangement.

Get-go You Accept to Lay the Cable

Begin by placing the light fixtures in the positions where y'all have decided to install them.
Take the spool of cable and lay it beside the low-cal fixtures, all the way till where the transformer will be installed.
If you come up across an obstacle while laying the cable, similar a tree or part of the fence, and then only either slip the cable under the obstacle or around it.
Later laying the cable till the transformer'south location, utilize a shovel to dig a shallow trench (near iii inches deep) forth the line of the cable that's been laid out. Just similar in instance of the cable, if you meet an obstruction then dig the trench around it.
Now place the cable in the trench and press it down into the basis. Don't utilize the shovel to printing the cable, as that might damage the cable.
You lot will have to comprehend upwardly the trench with the soil that you lot've dug upward and then tap on it with your kicking to pack in it tightly. However, you do this at the very end, when the transformer has been installed and the light fixtures take been continued. This will save you some fourth dimension in example you need to brand any final minute changes.

Next You Install the Transformer

Depression-voltage cables are typically double stranded.
You need to peel apart nearly v-6 inches of the two strands.
Adjacent, you have to use a wire cutter to remove an inch of the insulated comprehend off the superlative of each strand in lodge to expose the copper wire underneath.
Sideslip both strands into the transformer via the slot at the back.
Inside the transformer, you volition notice ii screw terminals marked 'A' and 'B'. You have to slide one exposed end of the copper wire into each of the terminals and tighten the screw to secure its position.
Y'all can fix the transformer on a wooden stake that's been pressure treated (the ones usually used in fences). Alternatively, you tin can set on an exterior wall, ideally a little distance away from the main house.
Yet, make sure the electrical outlet you utilize to power the transformer is a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet, as information technology will protect you from electrical shocks.
Once the light fixtures have been connected and tested (which has been elaborated in the next section), you volition accept to cover the transformer with a weatherproof cover.

Finally, You Connect the Calorie-free Fixtures

Generally, landscaping light fixtures are equipped with what's known as snap-on connectors.
These connectors enable you lot to but snap the prewired prongs onto the cable. The prongs bite into the cable and come in contact with the copper wire underneath.
Even so, even though the connectors are super convenient, they aren't platonic. The reason being that the wire remains partly exposed and could be affected by water or other elements.
You need to cut off the connectors, expose nearly half an inch of the wire from nether the insulated cover and install weatherproof wire connectors, which have a sealant and base shield.
One time this is done, switch on the transformer and examination each and every light fixture.
When you're satisfied that all the light fixtures are working fine, you have to install them equally required. And then, if it's a well lite yous must take hole dug deep plenty for it to sit comfortably. For path lights you will have to stick them into the ground deep enough to ensure they are stable.
Next, you cover upwards the cablevision as mentioned before.
Finally, you need to set the transformer timer and select the switch on and switch off times for the lights.

We hope these tips come in handy when y'all're all set to lite upward your landscape surface area. Proceed these tips in mind and yous'll a wonderfully lit outdoor space!

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