Low Voltage Landscape Lighting- The Installation Process
- 1. Arrange the lights in your landscaping. ...
- 2. Attach the wire to the landscape lighting transformers. ...
- 3. Hang the transformers on the house. ...
- 4. Run wire from the transformer to all lights in the row. ...
- 5. Attach the lights to the long wire using connectors. ...
- 6. Push the light stakes into the ground. ...
- 7. Turn on the transformers and test the lights. ...
How far apart should low voltage landscape lights be?
Eight to six feet apartEight to six feet apart. There are no hard and fast rules about landscape lighting, but in any situation you want to avoid putting lights closer together than six or eight feet.
How deep do you bury landscape lighting low voltage?
6 in. deepBury these wires at least 6 in. deep so they won't be damaged if the lawn is aerated. In protected planting beds, the low-voltage wire can simply be covered by mulch or soil.
Is it hard to install low voltage landscape lighting?
Installing low voltage landscape lighting is an easy do-it-yourself project that most homeowners can complete. DIY landscape lighting with low voltage (12V) is a safe and easy project. These landscape lights carry little risk of electrical shock, and you can bury the wires in shallow trenches.
How do you place landscape lighting?
For best results, place the lighting fixture a few feet away from the feature, and give it a sideways angle. It maintains an even and somewhat subtle ambient lighting for the nearby area by shining it alongside the wall. Wide-angle outdoor flood light with low wattage is recommended for this as opposed to a spotlight.
Should you conduit landscape lighting?
Do landscape lighting cables need to be in conduit, or can they be buried directly? Landscape lighting cables can be buried directly if specifically rated for direct burial. The cables can be buried in conduit if this is not the case as long as they have appropriate weather and temperature resistance.
Do you need conduit for low voltage wire?
Low-voltage wiring shall not be strapped to conduit.
How many lights should be on a landscape transformer?
A 150 watt transformer can only support up to 150 watts of lamps. This means the most you could add onto this transformer would be 140 watts, or 7 halogen lamps. However, putting 140 watts of power onto a 150 watt transformer is really pushing it to its limits.
How do you bury low voltage landscape wire?
0:524:36How to Bury Landscape Lighting Wire Tips - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut just making your life a little easier by creating a trench you can get a tool something likeMoreBut just making your life a little easier by creating a trench you can get a tool something like this works really help really well to help push that wire. Down nice and deep into the ground.
Can I run low voltage wire through wall?
You Can Safely Run Low Voltage and Other Cables in Bundles You can bundle low-voltage cables together when running them. This makes it much easier when running them through walls. As long as the cables are well insulated, there should be no interference between any of the signals.
Where should a landscape transformer be placed?
2:386:17How to Install Landscape Lighting Transformer Tips - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo you can have wires running out to one direction and wires. Running out to the other direction.MoreSo you can have wires running out to one direction and wires. Running out to the other direction. And as long as the wattage. Still meets up to fit your transformer.
Where should flood lights be placed?
Make sure that you place lights around pools, gardens, and any other unlit areas of the front and backyard so that the light chases away any shadowy areas. Floodlights are great for fully lighting your yard – especially when equipped with motion sensors.
How do I keep my landscape lights from tilting?
Spray foam works great for keeping landscape lights from tilting. I had some high density spray foam left over from raising a concrete slab and used the leftover by digging ~5" wide x 8" deep holes and placing my landscape lights plumb in the holes, then filled the holes with the foam.
How deep should landscape lighting wire be buried?
How Deep You Can Bury Landscape Lighting? While you can connect all your cables and lay them as it is on the ground, it is, of course, neither practical nor a pretty sight. So the best option is to properly bury the wiring. A good rule of thumb is to dig about 6 inches deep into the mulch or soft soil and grassy areas.
How deep should a low voltage cable be buried?
6 inches deepLow-voltage (no more than 30 volts) wiring must be buried at least 6 inches deep. Buried wiring runs that transition from underground to above ground must be protected in conduit from the required cover depth or 18 inches to its termination point above ground, or at least 8 feet above grade.
How do you dig a trench for landscape lighting?
1:053:15HOW TO TRENCH IN GRASS - Low Voltage Landscape LightingYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou're gonna pull back and as you're pulling back and move and then moving forward you're gonna pushMoreYou're gonna pull back and as you're pulling back and move and then moving forward you're gonna push down again. And then you're gonna push forward open up the gap. Okay. So one more time stomp.
Can you bury low voltage wire in a wall?
Contractors have to run wires through conduit and bury them deep in the ground with 120-volt lighting, but the 12-volt systems are made for direct burial. There is no need for a conduit. If you want to hide the wire, you can either bury it underground or put it on top of the ground.
Advantages of Low Voltage Landscape Lighting
One advantage of low voltage landscape lighting is that it is extremely DIY-friendly. It does not need to be deeply dug into the ground, making it easier for beginners and making set-up less time-consuming.
Limitations of Low Voltage Landscape Lighting
Although low voltage landscape lighting has many benefits, there are a few limitations you should be aware of before investing.
Landscape Lighting Design
When planning the placement of each light, be strategic. Going overboard with lights can lead to an undesirable stadium effect. Instead, place lights carefully to enhance the landscape without washing it out.
Choose the Right Kelvin Temperature
Sometimes, lighting looks off, mismatched, or harsh. Getting the kelvin temperature wrong will cause all of these problems with the final design.
A Few Tips to Keep In Mind
If your kit comes with quick connectors, consider upgrading to outdoor-specific gel ones. They’ll last longer.
Prefer to Have Your Lighting Professionally Installed?
Here at Atlanta Turf & Tree, we’ve got the practical knowledge to get things installed right and the artistic eye to craft them beautifully. We’ve got 35 years of combined experience building beautiful, lasting landscapes for our clients. Contact our landscaping services experts to get started on your project.
How to reduce glare in low voltage lights?
I will focus more on fixtures in my next post, but glare can be reduced by adding frosted lenses or smaller size bulbs. Often your home will already have outdoor light fixtures with visible bulbs. To maximize the beauty of your new low voltage lighting you may want to consider changing these fixtures to a light where the bulb is not visible, change the bulb to a frosted bulb or leave these lights turned off while your low voltage system is turned on.
Why is low voltage lighting important?
Low Voltage Lighting will make your yard usable past dark and will completely change the way your yard is being used. If you are not lighting your space you cannot see it, what you cannot see you cannot use. Lighting will change the entire feel of ...
What happens if you don't have lighting in your yard?
Lighting will change the entire feel of a space and visually connect different areas in your yard . Your home’s hard and softscape features are a work of art waiting to be highlighted. With the proper Landscape Lighting Design and lighting placement you can ...
What surfaces reflect light?
Light will reflect off of surfaces differently. Smooth surfaces like glass, chrome, aluminum, marble, granite and high gloss paint have a high reflective nature. Matte surfaces have medium reflect-ability. Matte surfaces like stucco can help spread light for a medium lighting scenario.
What can help spread light?
Matte surfaces like stucco can help spread light for a medium lighting scenario. Textured surfaces like brick or self-stacking walls can also cast shadows that is visually satisfying. Texture and color effect light. With colors, the effect of the perceived brightness is due to reflecting or absorbing light.
How to achieve contrast?
Contrast is usually not achieved by using lower wattage lamps. Contrast is achieved by the distance of the fixture from the object you are lighting. The further the light source is from an object, less light will reach the object. Light will reflect off of surfaces differently.
What color absorbs light?
Light colors reflect light and dark colors absorb it. Medium colors have a medium reflective nature. Different colors and material density will affect light absorption. Light surfaces will absorb very little light and reflect more while dark surfaces will absorb more and reflect less.
How many wires are needed for a light bulb?
The second type can accommodate 10-18 gauge wire with the included and differently sized inserts.
What is a wire connector?
The wire connectors are used to connect the two short wire strands that extend from each light to the long wire that provides power to all of the lights in the strand.
How much voltage loss is there with 14 gauge wire?
But even with 14 gauge wire, there will be no significant voltage loss unless you start getting out to wire lengths over 100 feet. There are also some wattage considerations when choosing your wire.
What is low voltage lighting?
Low voltage lighting uses a transformer to reduce normal 120 volt lines to a lower voltage. For landscape lighting, this is typically 24 or 12 volts. The most common low voltage landscape lighting transformers reduce the voltage to 12 volts, which is what we used.
What does 14/2 mean in electrical?
For example, 12 gauge wire is thicker than 14 gauge wire. The second number is the number of strands of wire in the cable. 14/2 means that it is 14 gauge wire with two strands in the cable.
How did Abby install the lights?
We had already thought through our general lighting layout, but on installation day Abby placed each light in the rough final location. She just lightly stuck each light into the ground with the attached stakes.
How many lights does Abby need?
It was helpful to look at pictures online to get a better feel for how closely spaced or spread out the lights should be. Ultimately, we decided to use seven lights for the size and layout of our house.
What is low voltage lighting?
Low voltage lighting systems are immensely popular for decorative outdoor applications. They are ideal for installing small lanterns along a garden path, task lighting around a patio, or accent lighting around a favorite landscaping feature. Low voltage setups are energy-efficient, flexible, safe, and very easy to install yourself. If you are considering adding lighting to your outdoor area, you need to learn how to install low voltage lighting.
What type of cable is used for landscape lighting?
Cables used in installing landscape lighting is typically buried underground. The cable runs from the transformer to each light fixture to give them power. Low Voltage electrical cable comes in several gauges (12, 14, 16 are the most common). The lower the gauge number is, the thicker the wire will be.
What to consider when selecting a transformer?
A transformer will be rated at a certain wattage; make sure that the wattage of your transformer exceeds the sum of the wattages of all your lights.
Why do you need to keep lights closer to transformer?
Keeping the lights closer to the transformer will help eliminate the voltage drop that occurs when lights are further away.
How many volts does a transformer convert to?
A transformer is a small device that converts the high voltage power (120 V or 230 V, depending on your location) from your electric main to a lower voltage (usually 12 volts). There are many different varieties, so it is important to do your research.
What is accent lighting?
Accent fixtures are the smaller, less obvious types of lights that include floodlights, spotlights, etc. Usually, this type of lighting is used to illuminate trees, plants, flowerbeds, ponds, and other features in your landscape. Pathway lighting (as the name implies) is designed to illuminate pathways.
What is a pathway light?
Pathway lighting (as the name implies) is designed to illuminate pathways. They are often more decorative than accent fixtures as they are designed to be seen. You can use them to line your driveway, to light up the walkway to your front door, or to shine some light on a pathway in your backyard.
How far below the surface should water lighting be installed?
To properly illuminate underwater stairs in a spa or pool, fixtures in that area should be no more than 12 inches below the surface.
Where is in grade lighting installed?
In-grade lighting is often installed at the base of a stone wall or other hardscape feature.
How does moonlighting work?
True to its name, moonlighting creates a glow similar to moonlight. Moonlighting is created by placing light fixtures high inside the foliage of a tree, angled down. The lighting within a tree’s branches and foliage make interesting shadows on the ground, as well as a soft glow from within.
What is the effect of washing a feature with soft light?
Washing a feature with soft light, and illuminating the background surface casts an often magical set of shadows to appear on walls or the facade of a building. Low lighting angled up creates a grand shadow bigger than the original.
What is the best flood light?
For best results, a wide-angle flood light with low wattage is preferred over a spotlight. Experimenting with height and angle is also recommended to find the perfect light.
What is the number to call Northern Michigan landscape lighting?
Give the northern Michigan landscape lighting company with all the design, installation and maintenance experience a call today! (231) 348-2624.
Can you use multiple fixtures to silhouette landscape?
The object will be silhouetted against a soft light background. Multiple fixtures may be necessary, depending on the amount of lighted surface area needed to effectively silhouette the landscape feature.
How far apart should landscape lights be?
Generally speaking, you have to plan where should outdoor landscape lights be placed. It is preferable to put your lights six to eight feet apart to ensure your pathway remains bright and well-lit. However, spacing them even closer is an option, particularly if you want an especially vivid effect.
How to make a bright burst of light?
After placing lights on the ground, angle them upward to form a bright burst of light.
How many lumens does a 100 watt bulb have?
Typically, a 100-watt incandescent bulb produces approximately 1,700 lumens; therefore, the bulb will be brighter with an increase in the number. For a safe installation, it is wise to hire professionals. They are experts in doing the job so you can be sure that the task will be done right.
Do solar lights need to be wired?
And because solar lights don’t need to be wired, they certainly give you the chance to be creative and try out a few innovative effects that may be challenging to obtain with electrical lights. Particularly, try your hand at any of the following different lighting techniques:
Can solar lights be placed in a different direction?
Typically, they don’t shine as brightly, which means they have to be spaced more closely compared to other lights. You can also place solar lights in a wide range of directions and orientations to obtain different lighting goals. Primarily, it relies on what you want and needs in your yard.
Can you put solar lights in your yard?
You can also place solar lights in a wide range of directions and orientations to obtain different lighting goals. Primarily, it relies on what you want and needs in your yard.
Do you need a solar light for outdoor lighting?
There are tons of perks with solar landscape lighting. With no need for outlets or wiring, they certainly make outdoor lighting much simpler. Furthermore, since they’re entirely powered by the sun, they allow small electricity savings as opposed to electrical lights. By adding pathway lights, it can be useful in preventing accidental falls as well as enhancing your home’s curbside appeal, which is a lot of pros for a little light!