| Low-Voltage Lighting |
Low voltage lighting systems have become popular in recent years, especially for outdoor and landscaping applications (although there are indoor low-voltage systems as well, especially in monorail lighting fixtures). Low voltage lighting systems typically run on 12 volts of electricity supplied by a transformer.
What makes low-voltage systems great for outdoor use is the fact that they’re very safe (a concern with small children and pets), they’re energy efficient, and they’re very flexible. Suddenly your entire front and back yards can be playgrounds of light - you can highlight gardens, bushes, trees, architectural features, pools, holiday displays, and just about anything else you can imagine.
What are some of the advantages of low voltage lighting? For one, LV lighting uses at least 70-80% less current than regular line voltage lighting fixtures. Also, with traditional lighting, the power cable typically needs to be buried at least 12" below ground. In contrast, the cable for low voltage lighting can be installed above ground in an out of site location. Which means you won't have to pull up your lawn and dig trenches to install a new lighting system.
Traditional outdoor lighting also requires a series of junction boxes that are eliminated with low voltage units, which use transformers instead. . And instillation is a snap even for for do-it-yourselvers. LV electrical lines can be buried in shallow trenches or snaked through PVD conduit. And you can easily re-configure your lighting layout as you add features or make changes to your landscaping.
And most importantly, low voltage lighting is safe. You won't have to worry about a child or pet accidentally getting shocked by one of these units. These fixtures normally use a series of 12-volt lamps, with wattages of 75 or less, so there's little risk of being shocked, even in the rain.
There are several common types of LV installations. In a “straight run” installation, the LV fixtures are wired directly from the transformer in sequence, like a string of Christmas lights. In a “split load” installation, wire is run in two or more directions from the transformer, up to the recommended wire length.
The transformer is the heart of a low-voltage lighting system. Transfomers reduce standard 120 line voltage down to the 12 volts used by LV fixtures. The size of the transformer required will be determined by first adding up the combined wattages of all the lamps you plan to use in your system. For example, if you’re planning on having 15 LV fixtures all rated at 24 watts, you’ll need at least a 360 watt transformer (15 x 24 = 360 watts). A good rule of thumb is that the total lamp wattage should be no less than a third of the transformer's wattage rating, and should never exceed its maximum rating.
In sort, a quality low-voltage lighting system will add value and comfort to your home, and open up the great outdoors to summer parties, BBQs, and relaxing evenings enjoying your home’s landscaping.
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