Low Voltage Outdoor Lighting

Installing Low Voltage Outdoor Lighting for the first time?

Because of its safety and easy installation, low voltage outdoor lighting is anyone’s dream. There are various types of lighting for each corresponding type of application. They include path lighting, led flood night, step lighting, led night light, pool/pond lighting or led night bar.

When looking for the perfect low voltage light design for your home, there are some things to consider. First of all, you should be able to choose suitable light fixtures. For every type of lighting, there is a particular purpose. Then, be sure that you won’t have a problem with power supply. If needed, install extra power outlets. Next, when making a lighting layout, observe how each light fixture will connect to the power supply and lastly, determine the size of the transformer and length of cable that you will need. Very easy!

Choose a Suitable Light Fixture for Your Application

First, determine what part of your property needs illumination and look for a low voltage outdoor lighting fixture that best fits your needs. If you are planning to light your steps or stair, select post-mounted step lights or recessed brick lights. For illuminating your garden, select in-ground well lighting that directs its light upwards or choose flood lights. For lighting your deck, you may choose recessed deck lighting. For all other types of aesthetic lighting, find decorative accents such as statues, rocks and sculptures.

Install Your Power Outlet Before Low Voltage Outdoor Lighting

The location of your power outlet has an overall effect on the arrangement of your light. If you don’t happen to have a power outlet near the location needing illumination, ask a certified electrician to do the job for you. You can also use your power outlet found inside your home but be sure that your transformer is created for both indoor and outdoor use. In addition, be sure that you have at least 3 inches of space around your transformer in order to allow heat to effectively dissipate.

Make a Lighting Layout

Using graphing paper, draw your space to scale and plan your low voltage outdoor lighting design. Experts recommends grouping of lights into clusters of 3 – 6. You can connect your lights by cabling and using a T-connector will let your single cable run back into the transformer. You can also create light clusters by using an unbroken loop from your transformer. Be sure that the total power ratings of the lights for each cluster don’t exceed 40 watts.

Calculate the Voltage Distributed to Every Lighting Fixture

Now that your lighting fixtures are in clusters, you have to determine the voltage rating that is distributed into each fixture. Even if low voltage outdoor lighting operate on 12 volts, not all lighting fixtures will receive that amount of voltage because of the fact that the distance of the light from the power supply, the number of lights in each cluster and the size of the wire used varies.

In order to determine the voltage drop, first get the product of the distance of your lighting fixture from the transformer and the wattage total of the lights on the cable run. Then divide that amount by the cable constant, which varies according to the gauge of wire that you use. For example, for gauge wire of 12, cable constant is 7500.

The voltage distributed to your low voltage outdoor lighting fixture is equivalent to the difference of 12 volts and the voltage drop which you determined earlier. If the voltage drop is too high, light becomes less bright. And if the voltage drop is not enough, your light can burn out rapidly.

In order to manage the voltage drop of your fixtures, be sure that you don’t use more than 100 watts for each 100 feet of cable. This means that for a cable having a length of 100 feet, plan for your light fixtures to have a total wattage of less than or equal to 100 watts; it should never exceed 100 watts.

Find the Cable Length

The ideal wire for low voltage outdoor lighting is a 12 gauge and 2 connector wires. This is also known as 12/2 burial wire. This type of wire is made to withstand years of below and above the ground usage. When you have determined the location of your transformer and the design of the cabling run is also determined, you can then calculate the amount of low voltage wire that is sufficient for your project. In order to visualize wire layout, you can make use of a garden hose or a rope. Measure the length of the rope or hose needed. In order to avoid getting short of low voltage wire, add 10% of the estimated length.

Calculate the Transformer Size

Transformer size will depend largely on the number of lighting fixtures. Calculate the total wattage of your design by simply adding the wattage of each fixture in your low voltage outdoor lighting.