Low voltage outdoor lighting is a secure, affordable and easy way to implement an outdoor lighting option. Most homeowners can light up their yard with a low voltage outdoor lighting doing it themselves, without even having to pay for an electrician.

Low voltage outdoor lighting runs on a 12-volt current, which is achieved with the aid of a transformer, rendering the dangerous 110/120-volt current to a relatively safe 12-volt current. The electricity is transmitted through a special weather-resistant low voltage cable, which begins and ends at the transformer (creating a looped run).

There are several important advantages of the low voltage outdoor lighting setups, when compared to regular lighting:

1. It is very easy to set up your own low voltage outdoor lighting. The system usually comes in kits, which include everything needed to assemble the lighting (the transformer, cables and fixtures). You would just have to buy the bulbs with a preferred wattage.

2. Low voltage outdoor lighting helps you to save money on the electric. The bulbs used for the lighting may be 4 W light bulbs. There are also available fluorescent lamps and fluorescent lamps, the latter being currently the most cost-efficient.

3. Timers are another very useful feature, allowing you to set the time for the lighting to go on/off for 4, 6, or 8-hours. Some low voltage outdoor lighting systems also include a photocell, which can turn the lights on at night and turn it off in the daytime.

4. Low voltage outdoor lighting is very important for security. Many systems come with heat motion sensors, which would notify you about any intruders after dark.

5. It is extremely easy to relocate your low voltage outdoor lighting system since its wires have to be just slightly immersed under the ground, instead of being buried deeply and permanently.

6. There are different transformers available for the low voltage outdoor lighting systems. Transformers can range anywhere between 150-900 W. Specialists usually advise to purchase a more powerful transformer than what you currently need, in order to provide you with the possibility to expand your outdoor lighting system in the future.

7. When picking the low voltage outdoor lighting cable, keep in mind the wattage required for the system to operate. Most popular sizes of the cables for the low voltage outdoor lighting include 12, 14 and 16 ga. cables. These cables, respectively, carry 300 W, 200 W and 150 W. The most common size of the cable is 12 ga.

8. Another benefit of the low voltage outdoor lighting system is that it can be built to fit any required lighting design. The lights for the system may include a tree hung moonlighting fixtures, in-ground fixtures, spotlights, and deck lighting in order to easily find your way around your garden after the sun goes down.

9. The most affordable low voltage outdoor lighting systems may cost as little as $15. However, better quality systems may cost up to $300.

10. Simple mathematical calculations will help you estimate how many light bulbs you can use in your system, as well as what will be the average wattage of each bulb. Simply multiply the number of the bulbs in your system by their wattage, and you will find out what the wattage of the transformer is that you need for your lighting system.

Several things to consider when implementing a low voltage outdoor lighting system:

1. Always plug the transformer of your lighting system directly into the power outlet, without using an extension cord between the electrical outlet and the transformer.

2. If the wires of your low voltage outdoor lighting system are not buried deeply, they will be more prone to getting damaged.

3. The extra wattage of the transformer should not exceed one-third of the total needs of the system.

Low voltage outdoor lighting is a very cost-efficient and easy to assemble lighting system. A low voltage outdoor lighting system will make your landscape come to life also after dark, letting you enjoy your gorgeous landscaping even twice more.

John Monsholi is passionate about low voltage landscape lighting and low voltage lights.

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