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What sort of power supply/transformer do I need to power my low wattage landscaping lighting system?
My timer on my landscaping lighting system in my backyard recently went out. After examining the unit, it looked to be about 18 inches x about 4 inches x about 4 inches. I went out to home depot and bought a new timer which is considerably smaller. I took off the old unit and when I took it off it felt like it weighed about five pounds. I hooked up the new timer and I could see power getting to the timer but the lights wouldn't go on. I'm not electrician so I'm not sure I'm right here but I assume the old unit also had some sort of transformer / power supply in it to step down the electricity to power the low wattage landscaping lights. I have a couple of problems here...Is there a standard wattage for landscaping lights? What exactly do I need to get and where would I get the transformer (or whatever) to go in between the timer and the lights? Hopefully this makes sense...I'm no electrician.
Wonderful...so then what exactly do I need so that I don't fry my lamps?
3 Answers
- GuitarGeorgeLv 61 decade agoFavorite Answer
Yeh - what D M said. Other than that, you can buy a low voltage transformer wherever they sell the lights. They come in different sizes, so you will need to count up the number of lights you are running and their wattages, and get the appropriate size transformer. Most new ones come with a "digital timer", but this just regulates how long it stays on. You will still need your on-off timer. Wire the lights to the output terminals on the transformer, and plug it into the timer.
- 1 decade ago
The size or weight doesn't necessarily identify the wattage. You need to add up the wattage for all of the fixtures. Most landscape fixtures use 50 watts or less at 12 volts. If you have 8 lights at 50 watts then you would need a 400 watt landscape transformer. Any electrician can help with the wiring. It is pretty straight forward 12 volts. Start with the fixture closest to the transformer and disconnect the rest down the line. If that one works then add the next fixture in and confirm there are no short circuits. ( http://www.lumalighting.com/ ) I buy from this company.
Source(s): http://www.buyexteriorlighting.com/ - 1 decade ago
Voltage is the word you're after.
There are low voltage landscape lights that run at 12 volts, and then there are landscape lights that run on 120 volts. If you attempt to run low voltage lights with 120 volts, they will fail immediately.
From what you have described above, it appears you have toasted your low voltage bulbs.
