Exterior Low Voltage Lighting

[MikeK]

Hi,

Any advice on this would be appreciated. We recently had a problem with our outside (pathway) lighting and have 2 choices:
- get the system re-wired (it's a 240v system); or
- replace it with a low voltage system.

I am tending towards the latter because the estimate for the re-wiring is athat it will take 2 sparkies "at least" 1.5 days. Also, the existing system does not comply with the depth requirements, so the garden beds will need to be dug up (and we're mainly on rock!). All up, too complex and not enough certainty on the estimate for my liking.

So, my questions on low voltage exterior lighting are:

1. Has anyone got any experience to share in regards to low voltage lighting?

2. Has anyone installed it DIY (there are a number of wib-sites (all USA) that say this is feasible)?

Thanks,
Mike.

[kiwigeo]

I installed a low voltage lighting system in my Japanese garden. Laid in the wiring myself and got a sparkie to hook up the transformer to power it all. Bulbs are all halogen and underground wiring is heavy gauge to minimise voltage drop. All seems to work ok. Most important thing is to choose a transformer to match the load it will be powering.

[seriph1]

not too sure about the ELV lighting but can state unequivocally that the current offering of outdoor solar lamps is total crap - I say this just in case you were enticed by their ease of installation

have fun

[dai sensei]

I used low voltage lighting throughout my garden around the pool. Peace of cake to install. I ran the wire inside my pool shed where I could mount the transformer and plug directly into power, hence no need for sparky.

My lights are blue and point up into the trees. I used 20W lights, but regret not going even higher. The usual story, the better the W the higher the costs. I ran out of money and went for the one I could afford rather than saving up more mony.

Think carefully about what you want to light up, and how brightly. As for solar lights, don't go for the 10W lights either, use at least 20W but 50W are even better. Buy a transformer bigger than you need, that way you can also add another light if need be. Adding another light to the wire to the transformer is easy, but if your transformer is already on the limit, your stuffed.
Cheers

[soundman]

Out door low voltage lighting is a great thing.
240 volt outdoor lighting is a minefield of cost & maintence problems.
With the changes in the latest as3000 all your conduits need to be deeper :mad: :confused: This probably is a good thing.
There are a nimber of levels you can do this low voltage thing.
Cheap & chinsy chain store stuff
middle of the range stuff
and top shelf commercial product.

Stay away from the cheap cardboard box "kits" unless you have a very short term view. There is some realy nice mid range stuff arround from the likes of hawco & megabay and some cheaper imports. you can still wire this stuff yourself once past the transformer.
Just be sure to use heavy enough cable. at low voltage cable losses add up realy fast.
With the rapid advance in LED technology low volage lighting is getting a hell of a lot more practical.

Have you thaught of converting your existing fixtures & wiring to low voltage. You would have to be carefull to work withing the wire sizes But you might get away with it using high efficiency LED stuff.

cheers

[doug1]

Are you aware that you can get 12 v compact flouresent lamps of various sizes from places like Bunnings or Jaycar, some are AC some are DC some dont care . It can then look similar to a 240 v install as these lamps go into standard fittings, sometimes with smaller lampholders (SBC) usually . the beauty of this is smaller cables than incandesant lamps along with higher light levels

Doug

[soundman]

Yep yep yep.
the low voltage fluros are a good go too. But the leds will overtake them soon.