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Low Voltage Landscape Lights: Wiring and Spacing Questions?
I am installing low voltage lighting and have a couple of questions: I'm working both with 4 watt and 11 watt tiered path lights. I plan to use the 11 watt fixtures on corners and at steps. How far apart should I space the 4 watt fixtures along the path? Also, can I change out the 4 watt bulbs with 11 watt bulbs if some areas need extra lighting? Is it true that I can pierce the low voltage cable and if I'm not happy with the location, that it is OK to remove the fixture and place it elsewhere (meaning the cable is really self sealing?) I have about 240 watts of lights to be controlled by a 300 watt transformer, on 12 gu cable, and the run is approximately 150 feet. Should I run two, 75 foot cables to the transformer, or have one long 150 foot cable to it?
Using only paths lights and that many path lights along a walkway is going to produce the runway affect. Do you ogle at airport runways every time you drive past at night ? Maybe you should consider a little variety in your walkway lighting design.
If you have 240 watts of lights and a 300 watt transformer, you will not have the ability to change out the 4 watt bulbs for 11 watt bulbs because you are going to overload your transformer. There is something called voltage drop on the wire.Your 12-2 copper wire has resistance just like each light bulb. When you pass a current through the wire, you produce a voltage drop on the wire due to this resistance. You typically deload a transformer to 80% of its maximum to account for voltage drop on the wire. That means that you have 240 watts available for light fixtures (300 watts x 80% = 240 watts), which is what your current total load is with the 11 watt and 4 watt bulbs in those fixtures.
The National Electrical Code only allows 12-2 copper wire to carry a load of 192 watts at 12 volts. 240 watts of lighting on one wire exceeds the capaity of 12-2 copper wire. You need to run at least to runs or use larger wire.
Putting all your lights on one 150' run means there is at least 140' between the first light and the last light (Malibu transformers recommend that lights are not closer to the transformer than 10'). This means you are going to have a significant voltage difference on your lights. The first lights will be real bright with lights getting progressively dimmer until you get to the dimest lights at the end of your run. It is recommended that you have no more than 50' difference from the first light to the last light. To maintain this requirement, you probably will need three wire runs.
Were you planning on using the diasy chain wiring technique? A better wiring technique is to use the "T" wiring technique. With the "T" wiring technique you will get a more consistent voltage to each fixture and more consistant lighting from each fixture. So plan on three wire runs using the "T" wiring technique. Good luck.
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