To install low-voltage landscape lighting, you will need a transformer to reduce the 120-volt output of your home electrical system to the 12-volt used by low-voltage landscape lights.
Landscape lighting
adds safety and aesthetic appeal. Once your landscape lighting design is complete, you can figure out what size of low-voltage transformer you need. Transformers usually have a capacity of 150 to 900 watts.Matching the size of the transformer to the lighting design is important for efficient operation and operation of the system. The current in the house, 120 volts, is reduced by a transformer from 12 to 20 volts, the current required to operate the low-voltage garden lights. Many transformers come with connections for lights of different wattages for added versatility. Other features of the low-voltage transformer include motion detectors to turn lights on and off, photocells to turn on lights at specific light levels, and programmable timers.
Changing your garden lighting to LED is a must if you keep them on for extended periods at night or when you are away from home. Finally, low-voltage AC sources allowed lighting designers to work with thicker filaments that don't break as easily by mechanical shock or burn out as 120 VAC main connected lights. They are used to illuminate trees, shrubs, walls, flower beds, fences, ponds and other landscape features. So if you're a creative type and you already have a plan in place for what you want your landscape lighting to look like, that's great.
If you use the most powerful magnetic transformers for landscape lighting, it is always better not to exceed 80% of their maximum rated power. Therefore, a low-voltage transformer power supply should be used, which can then be connected to the main power supply so that the landscape lights work properly every night. Garden accessories are also available in LEDs, which will consume much less energy than traditional halogen or incandescent lighting. It is important that a garden lighting system is well designed to ensure the longevity and ongoing enjoyment that homeowners will experience.
If you're ready to show off even after the sun has gone down, then you'll have DIY landscape lighting in your future. Proper transformer wiring and operation of centrally powered wires to fixtures at the correct voltage is one of the most overlooked pieces in low-voltage landscape lighting system construction today. In addition, when considering what gauge of wire to use for the installation of your garden lighting design, it is better to understand that different gauges have their own advantages and disadvantages. Secondly, a 12-volt landscape lighting system is more flexible to move and add fixtures in the future.
