Low voltage lighting how does it work




















Topics: Retail Lighting , Energy savings. Find the location nearest you. Start typing and press Enter to search. What is low voltage 12v or 24v lighting? What is line voltage lighting? Line voltage lighting vs. Where to use line voltage lighting Line voltage lighting can be used just about anywhere low voltage lighting could be used, although the inverse is not true. Where to use low voltage lighting Low voltage lighting is often used in display lighting or in any application where it is challenging to run full standard-voltage electrical conduit and wire.

Low voltage lighting pros Safety The voltage that runs from the transformer to the fixtures is significantly less powerful than line voltage. This feature makes low voltage lighting particularly common in landscape applications where you might be burying wire underground. Movability Low voltage lighting is less permanent than standard line voltage lighting, which is quite difficult to re-arrange. Energy saving potential While low voltage lighting is often falsely assumed to automatically provide energy savings, finding energy savings from a low voltage lighting system is certainly possible.

If you can maximize the voltage being reduced from the transformer, you could end up getting multiple fixtures powered and lit from the same voltage that would conventionally power one. Low voltage lighting cons Potential of voltage drop Connecting lighting fixtures to line voltage is similar to connecting a garden hose nozzle directly to the spout — not to the end of the hose.

The power is reliably there and immediately so. The great thing about being able to boost power is that if the last light in a run doesn't have enough power, we can simply boost the line until it does.

But how do we know if gets enough power? Contrary to popular belief we don't discover the voltage a fixture is getting by reading shadows or listening to crickets. We find out the voltage by using a voltage meter. By checking the voltage of each light in the wire run, we can dial in the voltage to be exactly where we need it.

Our experience is they don't even carry a voltage meter in their tool box. It's always a good idea to go with a professional. In recent years, LED lamps have become a standard in the lighting industry: as well they should be. They are incredibly energy efficient with awesome life spans of up to 50, hours that's around 15 - 20 years of lamp life While LED is more expensive, they are well worth the price.

In the world of low voltage landscape lighting, LED lamps have also become prevalent. In fact, they have allowed us to create larger lighting systems, often, without the need for larger transformers. In addition, LED lamps will turn on at both higher and lower voltages without having their brightness affected like old school halogen lamps would. LED lights also give lighting designers greater controllability over the effects they are looking to create.

This myth couldn't be further from the truth. Everything learned in the days of halogen still need to be applied today. The voltage requirements for a system can be all over the place.

We've learned in our, own experience, that this doesn't go well for LED lamps when they aren't calculated to be as close to 12V or Inside an LED lamp is a driver that, depending on specific lamp and manufacturer, will all the LED to operate and function within a wide range of different voltage loads. But that doesn't mean the system should be run at peak output simply because it can.

Running a lighting system at it's highest voltage is what tends to happen when a system needs to send enough power to the last fixture in a long run of daisy chained LED lights. In our experience, LED lamps that are powered too high or too low tend to have a shortened life. For the price LED lamps cost, wouldn't you want to get the full lifespan out of them? The internal pieces that make the LED work are forced to work harder when more or less power than 12V is being fed to them.

If the voltage loads weren't done properly, who knows what other aspects of the system could have been passed over or skipped for a short-cut. If you come to an obstacle, such as a boulder, tree, or fence, string the cable under or around it. Now use a square-blade shovel to cut a 2- to 3-inch-deep trench along the line where you want the light fixtures. The trench doesn't have to be perfectly straight, so if you hit a rock or root, just go around it.

You don't even need to remove any dirt from the trench. Simply stomp the shovel into the ground and pull the handle back and forth to open a deep V-shaped trench. Don't use the shovel or other tool; you might accidentally slice into the cable. Installing the Transformer: Low-voltage cable consists of two insulated stranded-copper wires stuck together. Peel them apart so you have about 4 inches free for each wire.

Slide the wires through the retaining strap on the back of the transformer and then insert one wire under the A screw terminal, and the other wire under the B screw terminal. Tighten the screws to secure the wires. Next, drive a pressure-treated 2 x 6 stake into the ground next to an outdoor electrical outlet. Attach the transformer to the stake with galvanized or stainless-steel screws. Secure the cable to the stake with insulated cable staples. Connect the Lights Attach a plastic "while-in-use" cover to the outdoor electrical outlet.

This type of cover protects the outlet from rain and snow but allows easy access. Plug the transformer's power cord into the outlet. Next, connect each light fixture to the cable. Most landscape lighting fixtures come prewired with easy-to-use snap-on connectors. Simply pinch the connector onto the cable. Sharp prongs inside the connectors pierce the cable and make contact with the wires.



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