What is the purpose of landscape lighting? What kind of lighting is best for you? How do you choose fixtures, bulbs, wiring and transformers? The following sections will answer these questions and more. Handy installation and maintenance tips are also listed to help with your project. Troubleshooting Checklist is at the bottom of page!
LIGHT UP THE LANDSCAPE. There are 4 primary reasons for using landscape lighting:
Security
Safety
Direction
Accent
COMMON USES: Landscape lighting is most often used for:
Path Lighting: Use random and alternate spacing. Don’t outline your walks and driveways like airport landing strips (the runway effect). Back Lighting: Use against walls, trellises, or for shadowing trees. Highlighting: Use to illuminate trees, plants, or statues. Well Lighting: Use in lawns or rock areas. Conceals your light source. Flood Lighting: Use to highlight trees, rocks, or buildings.
CHOOSING THE BEST TYPE OF LANDSCAPE LIGHTING. There are two basic landscape lighting systems for residential use:
The 12 volt lighting system, better known as low-voltage lighting, requires no permit and needs no formal inspection. Homeowners can install it themselves. It is safer—low voltage has no severe shock—and requires smaller trenches and less power. This system can be more expensive, since it needs special transformers, low-voltage lights and more wire leads. The 110 volt lighting system may require a city or county permit. The finished product could be checked by an inspector for code compliance (codes and requirements vary by location). This system also uses more power. It is cheaper to install and will handle more fixtures without significant voltage drop.
In this class we will only be discussing the 12 volt "low-voltage" type systems.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT. Consider these things when choosing lighting:
Price: How much do you want to spend? Durability: How long do you want it to last? Practicality: Which lights are best for you given the budget and durability required?
The next step is to determine how many lights you want and whether or not to start with a set or buy all the components individually. Sets can be less expensive, but have limited expandability. The type of lights desired can also play a role in this question, because not all light styles are available in sets. Do you buy pre-packaged kits or build the system from individual components? While choosing the correct wiring is relatively simple, the wide range of fixtures and transformers available can cause some anxiety. You must also make a choice between incandescent and halogen bulbs. Let’s explore the possibilities.
Kits can be convenient or cause problems. For a simple, short run of lights, this might be the way to go. It offers a grouping of lights with all accessories at one low price. You have to be happy with the style of lighting offered as well as the size of the transformer. These lights could be difficult to match later if you want to add to the run and you will probably have to upgrade the transformer. The 16-Gauge wire included in the kit is almost always too light. Buy a heavier gauge wire to replace it. Wiring should be multi-strand which is cooler and safer to use. It comes in gauges (sizes) 16, 14, 12 and 10. Remember, the larger the number, the smaller the cable. Use 16 gauge wire for short runs only. The 12 gauge wire is best for most low-voltage runs. The 10 gauge wire is the most expensive, but is most effective for extremely long runs.
FIXTURES They come in a wide variety of styles. There are three basic types:
Plastic is the cheapest fixture, but biodegrades rather quickly in the sun and must be assembled. Metal is the most expensive fixture. It is long-lasting and has a finish that effectively hides spots. Half metal/half plastic is a good compromise. It keeps your costs down and lasts considerable longer than plastic. The metal parts protect most of the plastic parts from the sun.
TRANSFORMERS They vary widely, depending on size. There are three basic types:
Photocell: Automatically turns lights on at dusk; turns them off at daybreak. Timer: Must be manually set. The cheaper transformers have integrated timers which cannot be replaced. Better models have replaceable timers which are not expensive. Photocell with Timer: The most versatile type. Allows you to "automatically fix" your system. It must be located outside.
You need to select your transformer with light additions in mind. If you don’t buy enough wattage now, you can’t add to the system later, or you’ll have to buy another transformer. Smart planning saves money. When selecting a transformer, allocate 20% of the stated wattage output for future additions.
BULBS They are available in two basic classes.
Incandescent: These bulbs come in three types: Bayonet base, Wedge base, and Par-36 (an extra large bulb). They are not as hot as halogen bulbs, cool down quickly, and are cheaper to replace. They also have a shorter life span (600 to 1000 hours) than a halogen bulb. Halogen: These bulbs are much hotter and brighter than incandescent bulbs, and are slower to cool.. They have longer lives (1000-4000 hours) but are more expensive to replace. They operate best at 10.8 to 12 volts. When handling halogen bulbs, don’t touch them with your bare fingers. Oil from the skin causes overheating and rapid blowout. If bulbs are handled accidentally, use a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol to remove oil. Halogens are available in several types: Bi-Pin: (2 prong, no shroud). MR-11: Used for fixtures with built-in reflectors. Expensive, popular bulbs for some malibu lights. MR-16: Bigger bulb with larger shroud; different beam width—narrow for greater illumination at distance—wide for short, broad illumination close-up. Less costly than MR-11 because it is the "industry standard" bulb. Par 36: Larger bulb with sealed beam allows handling without worrying about touching bulb with your fingers.
INSTALLATION TIPS AND MAINTENANCE: Use waterproof connectors instead of the wire clips that come on the fixture. These protect against shorting out fixtures and overloading the transformer. Always replace burned out bulbs quickly.. If not replaced they cause an extra load to be placed on other bulbs which results in bulb failure throughout the entire run. If voltage drops below 10.5v at any fixture, a larger cable or multi-volt transformer should be used.
Calculate voltage drop with this formula: Watts on cable x Length of run in feet / Cable size constant (from the following chart) x 2 = Voltage Drop.
Cable Gauge
Constant
Max/Rated Watts
16
2,200
120/96
14
2,500
180/144
12
7,500
240/192
10
11,920
360/288
Multi-volt units must be used with caution. They will solve most voltage problems when used correctly. Consult your local lighting expert or send us an E-mail before using these transformers or if you still have questions!
TROUBLESHOOTING CHECKLIST Low voltage lights will operate with a minimum of maintenance. However, if you do have any problems, check the following items first.
LIGHTS DIM?
Bad connection: Check all transformer and light fixture connections. Low voltage cable should be fastened tightly to the transformer. Overloaded line: Disconnect one or more of the bulbs to see if the other lights become bright again. If they do, remove one of the fixtures, use a more powerful transformer or split the cable run and add a second transformer.
Lights are dim at the end of the cable: On a long run of cable, the lights farthest away may become too dim due to excessive voltage drop. When this occurs, change to a heavier gauge wire or use a different wiring layout. If the cable run is within specified limits, check for a short circuit.
Circuit breaker trips when transformer is turned on: Disconnect the transformer from the AC outlet, and disconnect the low voltage cable from the transformer. Reset the circuit breaker (or replace a blown fuse), plug in the transformer and turn it on. If the fuse or circuit breaker doesn't blow, the transformer works. If it trips the circuit breaker again, return the transformer for a replacement.
One lamp wont light: Check the cable connection. If the lamp still wont light, test the socket with a lamp that does work. If it doesn't work with a new bulb, you may have a faulty socket.
LIGHTS OUT?
Overloaded transformer: If lights initially turn on but then shut off, this indicates that the transformer is either overloaded or shorted. Check the connections at the transformer and the fixtures. If you are using loop or double-leg wiring layouts, be careful to connect the positive and negative wires to the proper terminals on the transformer.
Transformer power is off: Check the on/off switch and/or the circuit breaker on the transformer to verify that the outlet is activated. Connect a single lighting fixture close to the transformer. If the light does not operate, contact us for help. To test a photo-controlled power pack, place a piece of dark tape over the photoelectric eye to turn the power pack on. If the power pack is defective contact us for a replacement.
Break in cable: Manually inspect the entire cable for any cable breaks that could be causing shorts.
