Learn How Easy It Is To Install Your Own Low Voltage Path Lights

Article Written By: Cheryl Marland

The greatest factor in the marketability and value of your home's curb appeal is the first impression that it gives when people come over. Whether you are looking to sell your home or just improve it for your own benefit, low voltage outdoor lighting is a great way to boost your home's curb appeal. The installation of low voltage lighting is easy. With a little research and some careful planning, you can install a set of low voltage path lights yourself. The results of your work will astound you. Not only with the the deterrent from burglary, your lighting will make your yard and home look great.

Path lights that utilize solar energy are generally the most simple-to-implement option for path lighting. Then, there are no switches to hookup or wires to run, just install the lighting where it is needed. There is only one downside to solar powered lighting. That is; the fixtures are too dark compared to similar hardwired devices and they rely on direct sunlight to operate.

If you are looking for a brighter light than solar fixtures can provide, don't worry, you can get the effect with a low voltage system that plugs right in to your homes electrical system. The most ideal outlet for you to use is a waterproof GFCI outlet in front of your house.

If you do not have an out door outlet, then you should hire an electrician to install one for you before you start your project. Beginning from the wall outlet,you should plan out how you wish your lighting to appear. All of the fixtures will be attached in series so you can plan how to run the wire through the yard. Once you figure out how many lights you will need and how much wire it will take to attach them, then you are ready to start shopping.

You'll need to pick some light fixtures, a coil of twelve-gauge cable, and a new transformer. With the transformer your photo senor will automatically turns on the lights when the sun goes down. Purchase an adequate length of cable to connect each of the fixtures and leave an allowance. Depending on your specific needs, it is usually available in 100 or 250 foot coils. You will also need two grounding rods to ensure that the system is properly grounded and safe.

Now you are ready to dig a trench in which to bury the cable. Make it several inches wide and about a foot deep. If you are concerned that your digging may impact public utility lines, then you should call your phone, electric, and cable companies to mark their lines before you start digging. Attach an end of this cable to your transformer and lay it inside the trench all the way up to fixture number one.

Connect one end of the cable to the transformer and then lay it into the trench all the way to the first fixture. Then you can connect the first fixture, remembering to allow for an excess loop of cable to prevent having to unearth the whole cable in the event you need to access it or replace it at a later date. From the first fixture, continue on with the cable connecting at the other fixtures in series.

About the Author

Understanding all there is to know about low voltage path lights is not always easy. Luckily you can get everything you need right here at Low Voltage Outdoor Path Lighting

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