Landscape lighting can not only bring a certain aesthetic value to the home, however, but it also provides security and protection. After you’ve completed the layout of your lighting for the landscape then you can move towards determining the size of your low voltage transformer should be. The majority of transformers fall within the 150W-900W capacity range.
Affecting the design of the lighting for the landscape to the dimension of the transformer’s size is vital to ensure the proper operation and function of the whole system. For any electrical project visit infiniteelectrician.com. The housing current, which is typically 120V, is reduced to 12V to 20V through a transformer. This is a necessity to operate low-voltage landscape lighting systems.
Most transformers on the market have connections for lighting that are different wattages, which allows them to have more flexibility. Other attributes that the majority of low-voltage transformers include are photocells that switch on the lights in the event of darkness and motion sensors to switch the lights on and off, as well as timers that are programmed.
What size transformer do I require for lighting my landscape? Let’s review all you need to know about.
Things to Consider Before You Begin
It’s crucial to note that lighting that has low voltage directly to power lines the lights will be destroyed instantly because of the higher voltage of 120V. This is the reason you have to utilize a low voltage transformer to provide power. The transformer could be linked to your primary power source to ensure that the lights on your landscape work properly every night.
If there’s no GFCI outlet in your area then you must engage an electrician to install one for your new lights that are low voltage, before installing the transformer where it is to be placed so that it won’t be visible. If you decide to use magnetic transformers used for landscape lighting that are typically more powerful, you shouldn’t exceed 80 percent of the maximum rating of the wattage.
If you are trying to figure out the number of 12V lighting fixtures that you can run with one low-voltage transformer then you must take a look at your VA as well as the wattage rating of the lighting fixtures you plan to install. Once you’ve completed the calculation based on the number of lights that are in your lighting setup, you will choose a low-voltage transformer that has a greater capacity.
How Many Landscape Lights can be installed on a Low-Voltage Transformer?
You must consider certain aspects about the specs of the power supply for your transformer. If you take into account the voltage amps instead of the watts, you’ll be able to determine the actual power draw of the line. This is among the primary reasons this figure is employed to not purchase an outdoor lighting transformer that doesn’t offer enough power for the lighting system you have.
For instance, if you want to connect ten spotlights for the landscape to a single transformer, using light bulbs that have 2W/4VA/20W Halogen light output power then you would need an electric transformer that has 100W of power. The formula is 10 lights divided by 4VA equals 40 amps of voltage.
The significance of wiring
If you’re trying to decide which gauge of wire you will need for lights, it is important to be aware of the different advantages and drawbacks of different gauges. Wire with smaller diameters tend to be more affordable but they also decrease the distance at which you will receive from the ground. They may require a conduit to safeguard the wire.
Landscape Lighting Tips
It’s crucial to realize that a small amount of light goes far in the realm of lighting your landscape. Your eyes don’t require the same amount of light outdoors as they do inside, so a great method of planning your system out is to take an evening stroll around your backyard in the evening.
Think about how you would like your lighting system to appear and how you would like the light to be interacting with the outdoor space. It’s best if you tailored the design to meet your specific preferences and needs to achieve the most effective outcomes.
There will be many different problems when lighting outdoor as opposed to lighting inside. In the beginning, you shouldn’t encounter any problems with reflections because most outdoor surfaces are dark and aren’t very reflective. But, positioning and shielding is crucial in the outdoors since you’ll need to reduce glare as far as you can.
Glare happens when an object of light can be too intense or large that it reflects onto the eyes of those around it and can cause blindness. Landscape lighting also has to be extremely sensitive to indirect and direct light.
Direct lighting for landscapes, such as the downlights outside of doors such as a downlight, for instance, tends to light up the area it is pointing to, as well as some of the surroundings. The indirect light will light up the area around it, producing a soft wash of illumination.
Avoiding Outdoor Light Pollution
Lighting that is not properly installed or just too much light could cause unwanted light pollution that can reach the interior of your property which temporarily blocks glare, reduces the visibility of stars, and also wastes both energy and cash. Here are some suggestions that you could do to reduce lighting pollution outside:
Lightbulbs should be shieldedTry to select fixtures with shieldings and reflectors. These can direct light on the areas you would like to illuminate, instead of dispersing light across an area.
Lights control: Zones that are lit independently using timers, controls motion sensors, dimmers will turn on lighting only when you need them. You’ll also be able to turn it off when you feel the need.
Make sure that the lights are properly aimed: Try to do the setting part of the landscape light system in the evening so that you can see the direction they are pointing. Make sure you check their positions frequently and adjust them as needed.
Cut down on wattage as low as you can: Higher ratings of wattage can create more harsh, brighter lighting while not affecting the aesthetics and will not improve security. Lights with lower watts are generally sufficient to provide sufficient light without the problems.