Landscape Lighting 101

By Dave Donovan

If you're like most people, you have tremendous pride in your home and you want it to look the best that it can. You probably spend a lot of time weeding, planting, and cleaning up the yard so when people look at your house, they see a beautiful home with a welcome atmosphere. To get the most curb appeal out of your home, try some easy-to-install landscape lights.

If the thought of wiring something yourself is daunting, don't worry. Landscape lights are one of the easiest electrical jobs to do and besides, we're here to walk you through it.

For this job you will need these tools and materials:

• Screwdriver
• Wire Strippers
• Electrical tape
• Wire Nuts
• Lights
• Bulbs
• Transformer
• Wire rated for external landscape lighting

Home improvement super stores offer a huge variety of landscape lighting. There are pre-packaged kits that come with all the parts, or you may want to design your lightscape yourself with different types of lights for different areas. If you decide to design your own, let’s look at what you'll need.

Since landscape lights use low voltage, you will need a transformer. How big a transformer you need will be based on how many lights you are planning to use. It's important to know that the farther away lights are from the transformer, the higher the chance of a voltage drop occurring. Voltage drop will cause the lights farther away to be a little less bright than the ones closest to the transformer. How do you prevent the noticeable signs of voltage drop? By using math, of course! Here’s a formula for figuring out voltage drop:

0.0011 x Total Watts on Cable x Length of Cable = Voltage Drop in %

For example: 8 fixtures x 8 Watts = 64 Watts
0.0011 x 64 watts x 50 feet of cable = 3.52% Voltage Drop

As long as the voltage drop is lower than 8 percent per fixture, you won't notice any dimming. Next, determine what size transformer you will need to power the lights. For instruction purposes, lets say you want to power eight 8-watt path lights, three 50-watt spot lights, and two 12-watt wall lights. First, calculate the total wattage.

8 x 8 = 64 watts
3 x 50 = 150 watts
2 x 12 = 24 watts

64 + 150 + 24 = 238 total watts

You will want to get a 300 watt transformer for this project. Always get a transformer that can handle the addition of any lights down the line. Do not exceed double the load wattage, however.

Now let’s put it all together. Place the lights where you want them to illuminate. Run the wire from the transformer to the last light in the line. Do not hook anything up at this point.

At the last light in the line, separate the wire, wire nut and tape each wire separately. Working backwards, connect the wire to each fixture. Many landscape lights have pressure clamps that snap right over the wire. Landscape wire does not need to be buried. You can lightly cover it with mulch or dirt.

Once you make it back to the transformer, separate and strip the wire with the wire strippers. Connect the wires to the two terminals on the bottom of the transformer by tightening the screws with the screwdriver. Make sure the transformer is in a dry location. If it is powered by an outlet on the side of your house, you may want to install a plank in the ground and connect the transformer to the plank to keep it off the ground.

Many newer landscape transformers come with pre-installed timers. Set the current time on the timer. Then place the plastic tags on the time you choose to have the lights turn on and off. Plug the transformer in. Test the lights by turning the “manual” knob on the timer. If everything lights up properly, you’re good to go. Turn the timer back to automatic.

Not only will your home be more beautiful at night, but the landscape lights offer safety benefits as well. For optimizing your exterior lighting and safety needs, check out these articles on installing photoelectric switches or motion sensors.

Click here to purchase landscape lighting.

Dave Donovan is a freelance copywriter living in Atco, N.J. An electrician for 15 years, an injury forced him to pursue his true passion - writing.

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