How to Install Landscape Lighting

Having a landscaped garden will enhance the appearance of a home or an office space, but the addition of landscape lighting will even more glamorize the landscape appearance, and with various designs available at garden stores, a lot of landscape lighting gadgets, tools and kits may be bought to help you install landscape lighting without the need to hire an expert.

Determine the kind of lighting effects that you prefer on the landscaped area, including how much of the area would be covered with it.  This will determine what materials need to be purchased.

To install the lighting for the landscaping, there are basic landscape lighting rules. It is essential to determine the amount of lights to be used and the wattage so that the gauge and UF cable will also be determined. An example is the use of 16 gauge UF cable for a 100-foot run lights at 150 watts. The gauge UF cable needed gets smaller in number when the number of lights and wattage increases.

Find the nearest outdoor receptacle to where the landscape lights will be installed. If there is no outdoor ready GFCI receptacle, a replacement need to be made. It is advisable to ask a garden expert on this matter. 

The landscape lights should then be posted to the preferred location. The ground spikes should be connected to the rear of the lights, then drive them down the ground. The wire leads should be kept above the ground surface.

When the landscaping lights are readily positioned, dig a canal with a hand shovel with the length of the run. The UF cable should be laid, and attach each light fixture wire to the UF cable. The last light of the chain should be covered with electrical wire to the end of the UF cable securely. Cover the cable with dirt taken out when digging the canal.

Locate in the transformer two screw terminals, which may be found at its backside. Divide the UF cable into two separate wires. With wire strippers, peel off about ¾ inches of the wire insulation on both. Secure with a screwdriver one wire to each of the transformer terminal.

Step 7-Secure the Transformer

It is advisable to hang the transformer near the receptacle that will be used for the power source. The cover of the transformer should be opened, and set the clock. The colored tabs will be used to indicate when the lights are turned on and off.

Plug in the transformer, and the lights will turn on at the time set for it. To test if the lighting works, test using the ?omanual test button , normally a feature of a transformer.