Low-voltage landscape lighting is good DIY project
I just finished redoing the landscaping, and I need to install some lighting, both to enhance the landscaping and for security. Is low-voltage lighting my best do-it-yourself choice? What type of fixtures are best?
If you are not a licensed electrician, installing solar or low-voltage lighting are your two do-it-yourself options. Solar-powered lights are the simplest to install and they operate for free, but the light output likely will
“A combination of pathway, ood and deck low-voltage lighting should work well. Try to avoid uplighting as much as possible to avoid light pollution, which creates problems for animals.
not be bright enough for entertaining or general security.
Low-voltage lighting is safe for do-it-yourself installation because it operates on only 12-volts. The transformer, which plugs into any standard electrical outlet, converts the 120-volt alternating current to safe 12-volt direct current. All of the light fixtures run on this lower voltage.
Because a transformer is needed and there is a greater electricity loss due to the higher current needed at the lower voltage, low-voltage lighting is not as efficient as standard 120-volt lighting. However, when you take into account that you are saving the expense of hiring an electrician, low-voltage lights makes sense. Also, you can change or rearrange the lighting yourself anytime instead of having to have an electrician do it.
It is important to select the proper-size transformer for the number and type of low-voltage fixtures you install. A transformer is sized by the maximum wattage output it can supply to the circuit at 12 volts.
If you purchase a complete kit, it will include the proper transformer. If you plan your own lighting system, add up the individual wattages of all the bulbs on the line; this number must be less than the maximum for the transformer. For many lights, you may need to run two circuits, each with its own transformer.
Transformers are designed to be weather-resistant and mounted outdoors. They can also be mounted indoors with the 12-volt wire run outside through a small hole in the wall. This makes it easier to switch the lights on and off. For a light mounted outdoors, select a transformer with a built-in timer to avoid overuse.
Most low-voltage lighting uses small conventional light bulbs, which are reasonably efficient. The newest light fixtures use LED
(light emitting diode) bulbs, which produce a nice white light. These bulbs are more expensive, but they use much less electricity and last many times longer.
A combination of pathway, flood and deck low-voltage lighting should work well. Any of the fixtures are easy to clip onto the 12volt copper wire. Try to avoid uplighting as much as possible to reduce light pollution, which creates problems for animals. Select fixtures that use “dark sky” designs.
The inexpensive plastic fixtures are durable and work fine. For more open areas, some of the decorative metal ones are more attractive. Snap-together simulated brick lights are ideal for marking an edge along a pathway or garden.
The following companies offer low-voltage lights: Argee Corp., 800-449-3030, argeecorp. Idaho Wood, 800-635-1100, idahowood.com; Kichler Lighting, 866
558-5706, kichlerlighting.com; Malibu Lighting, 888-295-7348, malibulights.com; Nightscaping, 800-544-4840; nightscaping.
com; and Timbertech, 800-307-7780, timbertech.
I recently bought an older house, and the windows have a slight bluish tint outdoors on sunny days. The Realtor told me the windows had high-efficiency glass in them. Should they be blue?
The Realtor was probably being honest about the window glass. A bluish tint is not uncommon with older technology low-e (low-emissivity) glass. The 20-year-old low-e windows in my own house look this way.
The low-e coating, on one of the inside surfaces of double-pane windows, allows visible light through but slows heat loss. Newer low-e windows also often have dense inert gas in the gap between the glass panes.