Information on adding outdoor lighting

Keeping the voltage consistent throughout the layout is the most important element in installing a low voltage system for your outdoor lighting. The lighting fixtures at the end of the line should be the same brightness as the lighting fixtures closest to the transformer at the front of the line. As the fixtures get further away, they receive less voltage from the transformer, which is called a voltage drop. The voltage drop can be minimized by using shorter cable runs, using a heavier cable (10 gauge), keeping fewer fixtures on the cable run or by utilizing lower wattage lamps.

Keep the 12 gauge cable runs under 100 feet and 10 gauge cable runs under 160 feet. If you remember to do this you won't have to worry about voltage drop in most cases!

Hide the cable by covering it with soil, bark mulch or other landscape dressing materials. It can safely be buried only a few inches under ground since it is 12 volts.

Although each light fixture comes with a plastic quick connector, it is best to use silicone-filled wire nuts. This will ensure that over time, dirt and bugs and all the other elements in the ground will not disturb the wire connection. Quick connectors can be quite finicky, as the teeth must precisely pierce the wire to make the proper connection.

Splicing techniques for outdoor lighting

Without a waterproof splice connection, any system will develop voltage loss and low-grade shorts making your lighting installation not fun! Below is our proven method of insuring you will have years of trouble free high performance.

We do not recommend the use of Quick Clip style connectors that come with most fixtures because they are not waterproof and will rot out creating resistance and shorts. By using silicon filled wired nuts, thus spending a little more time on your installation, you will save yourself lots of time and headache over the years.

Begin with a 12,10 or 8 gauge direct burial low voltage cable mainline. Using single strand THHN or Romex (120v style) wire for low voltage circuits can present problems as it does not have the same current carrying capacity at 12v as the multi-strand cable does; therefore it will lose slightly more voltage.

Cut the mainline cable in half and strip back 3/4" of the insulation from each side to expose the multi-strand copper conductor.

Join one of the fixture's conductors to each side of the mainline as shown in the diagram. Since there is no polarity in low voltage it doesn't matter which side is which when joining the conductors together. Install a wire nut on each side. If installed properly, each wire nut will have 3 wires in it. Splicinig information courtesy of FX Luminarie.

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