Taylor-Brown Real Estate Talks

Posted By admin on February 3, 2010

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For the lighting to have the most impact to the safety of your home, it is recommended to install the lighting along the walkway, steps, and driveways. It is also effective if it is pointing at trees, walls, and fences. The typical lighting used for these applications is low voltage lighting. Low voltage lighting consists of:
• A transformer
• Low voltage cable
• Light fixtures
Even though landscape lighting may be considered a simple improvement, it is important to use safety precautions when installing it.

The transformer used in this application steps down the 120 volts that your home supplies to 12 volts to operate the light fixtures. It is recommended to plug the transformer into a GFCI protected outdoor electrical outlet. GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter. This type of circuit protector is recommended to keep you from getting electrocuted by the current that the circuit may emit if there is an overload. In addition, the average 12 fixture landscape lighting system emits 228 watts; therefore, you will need at least a 300 watt transformer. The 300 watt transformer cost about $90. You will need approximately 100 feet of low voltage cable. The cable will be around $30.

The steps for installing landscape lighting are as follows:
• It is important to lay out the locations of both the light fixtures and cable before beginning work on installation of the new landscaping system. It is recommended to lay the light fixtures eight to ten feet apart. In addition, it is recommended to use 14-gauge cable for lighting system that are 200 watts and less, and 12-gauge cable for lighting system that are 200 watts and more. When installing the first fixture make sure it is 10 feet from the transformer.
• Dig a three inch deep trench for the cable make sure that both the light fixture and cable are at least twelve inches from the walkway.
• Bury the cable in the trench

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