5-Step Buyer's Guide

The paradox of landscape lighting is that "less is more". By strategically locating fixtures around a structure, pools of light contrast with dark areas. It is this inter-play of light and shadow which creates visual impact.

Each installation is custom designed - tailored to the special characteristics of the foliage or building and human activities. With an understanding of the lighting effects in mind, it is time to make decisions.

- What sections and/or objects are to be illuminated?

- What combination of optics/beam spread, lamp source and wattage will give the desired effect?

- How much wattage will these systems consume.

This 5-step Buyer's Guide will help you in the decision-making process. Top of Page

1. Sketch the property.

Create a plan. Drawing up a lighting plan is critical and it will be referred to many times. Important points to include in the layout are: house outline, walks, patios, decks and pools. Mark in all these areas previously identified for lighting. It is also imperative to show the location of line voltage power supplies. Click here to see an interactive example of a property sketch which includes lighting effect suggestions, cable runs, splicing and line voltage power supply locations.

To create your plan, begin by walking around the property with an objective eye. The front sidewalk or driveway is a natural starting point. Sketch the structure (house or office building) in context of the lot, and make note of trees for uplighting, interesting textures, signs or address markers and colorful flower beds. Lighting invites people into a space by making it reassuring and alluring. Both interior and exterior spaces will benefit from the sparkle of lamp sources that have superior color rendering capabilities.

Note areas for lighting. Make a list of all the areas and items that are candidates for lighting, then rank them in order of importance. Again, remember to plan conservatively. Low voltage lamps are, on average, three times brighter per watt than line voltage lamps. Try to visualize driving up to the house or business first from one direction, then from the other. It is usually more attractive to accent areas throughout the setting rather than creating even light distribution. Top of Page

2. Decide on lighting effects. Select fixtures, light bulbs and accessories that will produce the desired effect.

The next step is to pencil in the placement of path and directional fixtures. Path lights are used for walkways, flower beds and ground cover areas. With a narrow sidewalk, stagger the lighting from one side to the other; however, a uniform row of fixtures works very well for a wide walkway or driveway. Well lights are effective for aiming light up a tree or column; they should be located 1'-4' out from the trunk. Step lights illuminate risers so people can move about with confidence. As the name implies, directional lights aim a beam directly at objects or things. They could be hidden under shrubs. 

Achieve the desired effect with the correct light bulb. There are two variables to be decided upon when working on your landscape lighting plan: the distance the light must project; and the diameter and shape of the area the light will illuminate. The distance a lamp must project is a function of the fixture's distance from the tree, wall or sculpture. The diameter and shape of the area the light will illuminate is a function of the bulb's beam spread. Directional fixtures offer a range of lamp wattages and beam spreads from Very Narrow Spotlight to Wide Flood. Top of Page

3. Select a transformer with the desired options for controlling your landscape lighting system.

The transformer is plugged or hard-wired into a 120 volt GFI receptacle, and it steps-down the line voltage to 12V low voltage. Microsun offers two different wattage capacity transformers (300W and 600W), both UL listed for wet locations.

The transformer size decision is a simple calculation - how much total wattage will be on the system?

Having selected the fixtures and lamps, it should be easy to add up the individual lamp wattage. A good rule of thumb is not to exceed 80% of the rated transformer capacity. For example, five path lights at 18W each together with three directional fixtures at 50W each add up to 240 watts total - a 300W transformer is perfect. Or you could choose a 600W transformer to give yourself leeway for adding fixtures in the future.

Yards and landscaped areas are not static; a tree may come down, several new ones planted, a patio enlarged. By planning ahead, it is no problem to add fixtures later. Extra capacity also allows for an increase of lamp wattage, if a brighter lamp is desired in a directional fixture, or the addition of more fixtures.  Top of Page

4. Determine cable length and design options for cable runs.

Cable is the final component to be ordered. The length of the cable is dependent on the number of fixtures which, when added up, give you your total system wattage. There is an inverse relationship between watts and distance: the greater the wattage total, the shorter the cable run.

Patented Pigtail Connector. All low voltage landscape fixtures have a patented 5' long PIGTAIL CONNECTOR that provides for quick and easy connection to the cable. This unique design allows the nickel-plated beryllium copper connector pins to pierce the cable and make electrical contact inside the insulation. No moisture ever intrudes into the contact area. One of the main advantages of the low voltage (12V) system is that you don't cut and splice the main cable, eliminating voltage drop and conductor corrosion.

Installing fixtures with a dual circuit. More efficient power distribution is the major advantage of our DUAL CIRCUIT DESIGN. The three conductors in the heavy-gauge 10/3 wire allow longer cable runs and more uniform light output. Fixtures should be alternated from one circuit to the other along the cable so the load is balanced. With a 300W transformer, the goal is less than 150W per circuit.

Design options for cable runs. Running cable from the transformer to the individual fixtures can be done in several different ways. The location of the GFI receptacle, and hence the transformer, may make your decision for you.  Top of Page

EXAMPLE A - SINGLE FEED. One cable exiting the transformer. This linear arrangement is the most common approach. One 300W transformer with a 220W total load (110W per circuit). Recommended maximum cable length is 215'.

EXAMPLE B - DUAL FEED. Two separate cables exiting the transformer (possibly one to the front yard, one to the back yard). Cables may be unequal in length. One 600W transformer with one of the cables maintaining a 300W total load (150W per circuit), and the second cable maintaining a 200W total load (100W per circuit). Recommended maximum length for the first cable is 150'. Recommended maximum length for the second cable is 225'.

EXAMPLE C - LOOP FEED. One continuous cable coming back around to the transformer. One 300W transformer with 150W total load (75W per circuit). Recommended maximum cable loop is 650'.   Top of Page

Maximum Recommended Cable Lengths (in feet) Voltage drop is a consideration when planning longer cable runs. Once you have determined whether you will use a SINGLE, DUAL or LOOP feed cable run, the following chart will recommend the maximum cable length for your run.

The cable lengths below are conservative. If the recommended lengths are exceeded, the following may occur:

• Fluorescent lights near the end of the cable run may not start (particularly in cold weather).

• Retractable Bollards near the end of the cable run may fail to charge the internal battery (particularly in cold weather).

• Incandescent fixtures may become slightly dimmer the further you get away from the power supply.

5. Guide to Installing Your Low Voltage Landscape Lighting System

Installing the system will be smooth and uncomplicated with preplanning. Once you have the tools and system elements ready, our 6-step installation guide will walk you through the process of installing your new low voltage landscape lighting system.

Tools: It will be very helpful to have the following tools close at hand: hammer, pliers, slotted-head screwdriver, phillips screwdriver, wire cutters, sharp knife, wire stripper, hack saw, drill and shovel.

System Elements: Your landscape products will arrive in individually packed cartons. Protective material surrounds each fixture. Stakes are not attached, but are in the same box. An installation instruction sheet is included in every box, and in the case of path lights, the lamp will be in the socket. The cable, cut to your specified length, is boxed separately. Ordered lamps and accessories such as colored lenses arrive in their own cartons.   Top of Page