OUTDOOR LIGHTING INSTALLATION IS NOT DIFFICULT FOR LOW VOLTAGE OR SOLAR POWERED SYSTEMS
Outdoor lighting installation must be done by an electrician if the system is line voltage (120 volts directly from house grid) however, if the system is low voltage outdoor lighting, or solar powered lighting, installation is not complicated.
Outdoor landscape lighting is not hard to install, although the larger the project the more to consider.
The obvious first installation step is to make sure the design plan is thought out. In addition to knowing where and what type of light fixtures will be used, other considerations, such as arrangements for wiring under sidewalks or driveways will need to be considered. If this is part of the installation, a conduit may have to be put in place.
The next step will be checking outdoor lighting system requirements. A transformer that can handle the cumulative wattage of all light fixtures being installed will be needed and the proper guage of electrical wire needs to be chosen. Low voltage systems can be installed with either 12, 10, or 8 gauge wire, depending on length required and the number of fixtures (any store selling outdoor lighting systems should be able to recommend the appropriate size).
Once material has been verified, it’s time to string the wire from the transformer out to the location of all the proposed lighting fixtures. At each fixture, leave approximately 18 inches of spare wire that will allow some flexibility in placing the fixture itself to achieve the desired lighting effect. Once the wire has been laid out, connect all lighting fixtures and test the system.
If everything checks out, the next installation step is to bury the wire. For low voltage installation this only needs to be two to four inches.
Nothing beats the simplicity of installing solar powered lighting systems
Or, consider installing outdoor solar lighting. No wires, no connections, no conduits and total flexibility. Solar landscape lighting is not as bright as some low voltage products, but landscape lighting is mostly accent lighting and solar powered lights are just as beautiful. Today’s technology means they’re brighter and reliable. For this reason, solar powered outdoor landscaping lights are fast becoming a preferred outdoor lighting system solution.
