It’s not uncommon in a large transformer to see a couple of 12V taps, as well as a 13V, 14V, and 15V tap. Pro-quality multi-tap landscape lighting transformers often have different output voltages on different taps. You can also play it safe, by limiting the number of fixtures on a long run or by using heavier gauge wire. The best way is to use a voltage drop calculator (there are a gazillion online) and math it out. There are ways to deal with voltage drop. It’s like water in a pipe – the farther from the source, the more the water pressure drops. Where does the voltage go? On any circuit, impedance is going to cause a reduction in voltage as you go down the line. Put as simply as possible, voltage drop means that you’re not going to have the same voltage at the end of a run that you do at the start (at the landscape lighting transformer). Why would the length of the run matter? Voltage drop. This is especially useful if you have a lot of fixtures, or if you have some long, long runs. Multi-tap transformers allow you to run multiple lines from one transformer. That’s fine if you have a short run of only a few lights, but that single tap greatly limits your flexibility. That means that there’s only room for one wire to come into the transformer and connect to power. The cheap transformers you can buy at the big-box hardware chains are most often single-tap transformers. Landscape lighting wire is connected to taps inside the box, and that’s what powers your lighting system. Your transformer plugs into a standard outlet (GFCI if outside or in an area that may get wet). What is a landscape lighting transformer?Ī landscape lighting transformer typically consists of a weatherproof enclosure that contains electrical elements that take regular household current and decrease the voltage, typically to 12 volts. A rough knowledge of landscape lighting transformer basics will help you plan your system, if you’re a DIY-er, or it can help you understand what you’re getting if you’re hiring someone for professional outdoor lighting design. You’re taking regular household line voltage and stepping it down to something that’s much safer and easier to work with. Hands will work fine but if a tool is desired make sure it is blunt enough to not pierce or damage the wire.12 volt lighting is like magic. Bury the cable to the bottom of the 6″ mark.This way it will be much easier to find if it ever needs to be dug up and keeping it on the edge should protect it from getting cut while gardening. Use a flat shovel to dig a 6″ trench along the pathway for the cable.If you don’t want the lights on all night you can add a timer to the system. That way the lights come on at dusk and off at dawn. Heath picked out a system that has a photocell that plugs into it.The transformer converts the power to low voltage and can control when the lights power on and off. Take the low voltage cable and put one wire in the hot terminal and one wire in the common terminal of the transformer.Because it will remain outdoors, he chose a covering made of stainless steel. Heath shows off the transformer that will power the landscape lights he’s installed. Step 4: Install the transformer at the receptacle Before securing the second side slip the shrink sleeves over the barrels, Make the connection with the brass barrel connectors with an allen key.Heath recommends a higher quality brass connector because the plastic ones that come free with the landscape wire are more susceptible to damage and corrosion. A low voltage cable is used as it is only 12v and if it accidentally gets cut, nobody will get hurt. Run a low voltage cable in the trench but do not bury. Steps for Installing Landscape Lighting: Step 1: Find your nearest power source He also installs a transformer so the homeowner can control when the lights power on and off. Heath uses a low voltage wire and decides to replace the plastic connectors with brass connectors to make the connections last longer.
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