Low Voltage Outdoor Lighting Manufacturers

Following is a very interesting list of manufacturers. A very good friend of mine, Dave Butler compiled it. He used to write a column about home technology topics and he was kind enough to share this wonderful list with me so that I could share it with you!

Keep in mind to use price as a guideline when comparing fixtures. High quality comes with a price. Good fixtures usually have better components that cost more to make. Also be sure to watch out for inferior light bulbs. There are some import bulbs that are very poor quality and they burn out in a short time. Buy name brand bulbs from a name you recognize!

• Brinkman
  800-527-0717
  low voltage fixtures, solar powered designs, border and accent lighting, power consoles with and without timers
• Hadco
  717-359-7131
  everything you could imagine plus harsh environment fixtures - for those sea coast gardens!
• Hubbell
  864-678-1000
  a full line of products and bulbs
• Hydrel
  800-750-9773
  complete line of products, transformers and consoles
• Intermatic
  815-675-7000
  full line plus some solar powered lights
• Kichler
  866-558-5706
  full line of lights for every need plus their catalogue has a wonderful two page crash course on how to design an outdoor system
• Kim Lighting
  626-968-5666
  full line of lights in different metallic finishes
• Loran/Nightscaping
  800-544-4840
  absolutely one of the leaders in low voltage exterior lighting. The founder of this company is an expert in the field.
• OWI
  310-515-1900
  low voltage fixtures built into fake rocks!
• Pioneer Electronics
  800-421-1404
  once you light up your patio, you will need outdoor speakers from these guys!
• Prescolite / USI
  800-272-9901
  their fixtures are somewhat commercial
• Stereo Stone
  800-350-7866
  rock lights - seriously! seven designs with speakers too!

Other Solar Stuff

Two other companies sell a wide variety of solar lights including an inexpensive line. Call these two companies and see what they have:

• Northern Hydraulics
  800-221-0516
• Real Goods Trading
  800-347-0070

Companion Articles:  Outdoor Lighting, Landscape Lighting,  Low Voltage Landscape Lighting Resources,  Low Voltage Landscape Lighting Problems

07/08

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These are the post cap lights on my Trex Transcend deck. It's magical to be on the deck at dusk. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

I'm So Confused....!

Does planning and installing low voltage landscape lighting sound confusing? If so, you need to get the awesome planning guides that are available.

Perhaps one of the best is produced by Nightscaping. They have a series of booklets, guides, slide cards, etc. that will take you through the planning process.

The Nightscaping Technical Manual is a work of art, available on their website via a PDF download. It is a wonderful collection of photos of fixtures, tables, power center descriptions, etc. If you use this guide in conjunction with others mentioned in this Bulletin, you will really get a good grasp of how to properly install a first class exterior low voltage lighting system!

Low Voltage Planning Guides

It requires some thought to install low voltage lighting. You need to make sure you have enough fixtures and the correct sized power console to supply the required electricity. Not only that, the loads need to be balanced and the correct wire size has to be used. It can be complicating. Certain manufacturers have splendid guides that take you through the planning process step by step. Do whatever it takes to get the following booklets, pamphlets and books. You will not regret it in the least, trust me on this one!

A Simple Pamphlet

Intermatic publishes a very simplistic pamphlet that folds out. You can draw your deck or patio on it and then use the plan to calculate the number of lights, the size of the required power console and then the size of the wire that is used to feed the fixtures. The name of the pamphlet is: A Planning Guide to Building Your Own Professional Grade System. It is a bare bones guide. Keep reading for Intermatic's phone number.

A Must Have Guide!

Intermatic also publishes an awesome 51 page booklet that you must get at any expense. It is a small booklet - about 4.5 inches wide by 6 inches high. It is item # LV-92K and titled Light up Your Life. This booklet takes you through the entire process and has excellent color images, illustrations, etc. You are quickly educated on how to size fixtures, power centers and best of all, choose the right lights for the right purpose! Call Intermatic at 815-675-2321 and do whatever it takes to get this booklet!

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE QUOTES from local companies that can add dramatic outdoor lighting to your deck or patio.

Books

If you are online, visit www.amazon.com and use their powerful search engine. Look under Low Voltage Exterior Lights. When you do this, I'll bet an older Ortho book comes up: How to Design and Install Outdoor Lighting by William Wilson. It is a great book.

Visit your library as well. See if they happen to have any recent titles on Exterior Low Voltage Lighting.

Companion Articles:  Outdoor Lighting, Landscape Lighting,  Low Voltage Landscape Lighting Problems,  Low Voltage Outdoor Lighting Manufacturers

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These are the post cap lights on my Trex Transcend deck. It's magical to be on the deck at dusk. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Landscape lighting is very cool. It can make your deck, patio, backyard, etc. look like a fairyland. It can allow you to enjoy outdoor parts of your home that you might otherwise abandon when the sun goes down. I am sold on the concept and am getting ready to install some at my own home next spring. They can really make your house, plants and landscape features glow with a mystical illumination!

Need To Know

Installing low voltage landscape lighting is simple. Installing it right is the challenge. You need to carefully select the lights, the wire that feeds them and the power center that supplies electricity. If you don't do it right, you can have all sorts of problems. For example, some people think they will just go ahead and buy the largest power center to plan ahead for future lights. This can actually cause problems! You need to typically load the power center to a minimum of 50 percent of its capacity. If you don't do this, it can send too much voltage downstream that will burn out bulbs prematurely.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE QUOTES from local companies that can add dramatic outdoor lighting to your deck or patio.

Light Layout

There are different ways to plan and install a series of lights. You can do a simple straight run installation where fixtures run in a sequence away from the transformer power console.

A loop installation looks like a circle. This helps reduce voltage drop. If you do this method, you need to pay attention so that wires are not crossed.

A split load installation has several feed wires that lead from the transformer that power individual strands of lights.

A T installation consists of a heavy cable that helps to evenly distribute the power. This cable branches and feeds separate sections of your outdoor lighting system.

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There are three levels of light in this kitchen, four if you count the bright lights under the stove hood! Photo credit: Tim Carter

A Simple Lighting Plan

The following kitchen lighting plan shows three different lighting levels and the manner in which they are switched. People often shy away from using 3 way switches because they feel they are hard to connect. A 3 way switching system allows you to control one or more lights from two locations. If you want to get fancy, you can even control these same lights from 3, 4 or 5 different locations. To see how to wire a 3 way or 4 way switch, simply click here.

Recessed lights are still my favorite for task lighting over kitchen countertops. Recently, I have come to like the mini-recessed lights. These have a rough-in housing that is approximately 4 inches in diameter as opposed to the traditional recessed light that has a 6 inch diameter housing. I used newer ones made by Halo.

They are called H-99 housings and can handle a 50 watt bulb. If you space them at 3 or 4 foot center intervals, they really produce some brilliant light. Keep in mind that you can do concentric rectangles with these lights and have the different rings or rectangles operate from separate switches. This look is really dramatic. I know because I installed this design in my neighbor's kitchen.

If you decide to use surface mounted lights or those that hang from a pendant, keep in mind what these lights will do to sight lines. In other words, if the fixture(s) hangs down too much, will it block critical views into the kitchen or will it block outdoor vistas? This is a fine point, but it could turn into a nagging problem after the job is finished. The legend in the graphic above will help you understand the symbols on the plan.

Note that I just show 3-way switches on the simple plan. You can have one light or a group of lights controlled by any number of switches. In my own home, my entrance hall lights and two upstairs hall lights all go on and off at the same time. Big deal you say. But what if I told you there were 4 different switches that made these lights work? Yes, two 3-way switches and two 4-way switches all interconnected together. It is not as hard to do as you might think.

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Special Light Trims

If you purchase a surface mount or pendant type fixture that has a decorative glass light shade that you especially like, it might be a very good idea to purchase a spare shade. We have this type of fixture in our kitchen. Every time I wash the shades I get apprehensive thinking for sure that I am going to drop or chip one. I am nervous because I don't own any extra shades! Don't make the mistake I did.

Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans are very useful in kitchens. They can keep the cook comfortable and they do double duty as drying aids when you mop the floor and wash the dishes.

If you incorporate a ceiling fan you must make sure the tips of the fan blades are at least 6 inches to one foot away from the edges of any recessed lights. If a fan blade cuts across the path of a recessed light, you produce a stroboscopic effect that is very annoying.

As you can see, kitchen lighting requires lots of planning if you want it done right. It isn't hard to do, it just takes a little time and a little thought. Keep reading to see a simple, yet informative lighting plan. Create a similar one for your kitchen and you will be ahead of the game.

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This photo is the other end of the room. I can't begin to describe how magnificent these bookcases are. I hope you enjoy these photos. (C) Copyright 2017 Jay Helms

Indirect Lighting

I have installed indirect lighting in many of my jobs in the past. It is always a breathtaking sight when the lights are turned on in the early evening or at night to softly illuminate the room. If you have not seen this effect, you don't know what you are missing. The soft glow of the lights casts a mood in the room that you just won't believe.

Indirect lighting works best if you can make it continuous around the entire room. Some people cut corners by just putting it on top of cabinets. The trouble with this is that unless the cabinets circle the room - and most don't - you end up with dark spots in the room. It really looks cheap. Don't cut corners with lighting. You will regret it, trust me on this one.

The soffit system that works best for indirect lighting is an open-faced soffit that looks like the letter J in cross section. The small diameter rope light is well hidden in the 3-inch high by 4.5-inch-wide channel created using the drawing I show later in this bulletin. The hardest part of the entire job is finishing the drywall in this tight spot. It can be done.

Indirect Rope Lighting

Perhaps you have seen rope lighting used at a restaurant or some other commercial building. It is often used on staircases to illuminate treads, risers and stringers. It is also used for outlining objects with a soft border of light. It happens to be the perfect source of light if you want a soft glow of indirect light in any room.

In kitchens, it works well on top of cabinets, under tall wall cabinets and inside open-faced soffits. This wonderful product is fairly inexpensive, and it is modular. You buy it in 18-inch-long segments that interconnect with one another. The maximum length of one run is 150 feet.

I was only able to locate one manufacturer. There may be more out there. Simply visit a specialty lighting fixture store to find them.

• W.A.C. Lighting Co.

Open Soffit Cross Section

So you want to build an open soffit above your cabinets to hide the rope light? If your job is a new construction one, it is not hard. If it is an existing home, it is actually easier to a large degree with respect to fire stopping requirements.

The following cross section will give you an idea of how simple it is to build. I use 2x4's for all framing members. I also build the ladder sections on the ground and then just secure them in the air with the blocking.

Need help with your indirect lighting? CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE QUOTES from local companies that can install your lights.

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Magenta is one of my favorite colors. This recessed light has the ability to change colors.

Recessed Lighting

Not long ago, I installed some delightful mini-recessed lights in my family room. My wife and I wanted to spotlight a seating area where we have a table and chair set that we use to play board and card games. Regular recessed fixtures were simply too overpowering for this area.

I visited a specialty lighting showroom and looked at my other options. They had a nice selection of downsized recessed fixtures. The biggest problem was whether they would provide enough light. I solved that easily. I purchased a fixture, a 50-watt bulb for it, and a trim.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE QUOTES from local companies that can add recessed lighting in your home.

I took these components home and temporarily wired them up so that the light would work. I then held the light up in the ceiling to see the level of light it produced. I intended to place four of them in a diamond shape all within four feet of each other. I could instantly tell they were going to be perfect. There is no substitute for realism. When in doubt about the capability of a light fixture, try to do this type of testing or at least reproduce the amount of bulb wattage in the space to see how dull or bright the finished light may be.

There are three levels of light in this kitchen, four if you count the bright lights under the stove hood! Photo credit: Tim Carter

Task Lighting in Kitchens

Well over 90 percent of work in kitchens is performed at countertops, islands or similar work surfaces. The last thing you want at these locations is poor lighting or shadows. In addition, most people do not want a kitchen ceiling loaded with surface light fixtures. Recessed lights solve both problems.

My kitchen measures 17 feet by 20 feet. I have 11 recessed fixtures each with a 75-watt bulb in them. Add to this the pendant fixture above my island that has three 75-watt bulbs and you have lots of light. It actually calculates out to 3.08 watts per square foot. Feel free to use this as a guideline in your own kitchen if you want a high volume of light. Be sure to switch the lights so that you can turn certain ones on at different times so you have different levels of light.

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The CFL Bulb Players

Just about every bulb manufacturer that makes regular incandescent or regular tube type fluorescent bulbs makes the trendy and energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs. Names like General Electric, Panasonic, Sylvania, Westinghouse and Phillips should ring a bell with you.

The photo is just a small sampling of different bulbs that will save you lots of money. If you have lots of recessed fixtures in your house, the one bulb in the two o'clock position in the photo above will be of interest you. I have two of these now and am getting ready to order 30 more. They really work well and they are saving me huge money.

Photo courtesy of Sylvania.

Do you want to find all of these CFL bulbs and more? Forget about going to a home center, a hardware store or a grocery store. The BEST place to find light bulbs is at a specialty store that sells light fixtures. I go to a place in Cincinnati called Becker's. They sell light fixtures and have every bulb both CFL and incandescent you could ever imagine. I'll bet you have a similar store or two in your city or town.

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Finding Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

A Bulb for Every Fixture

When I was writing this column, my wife Kathy asked me if I could get a CFL bulb for the table lamps in the family room. These lamps have 3-way-switches that allow the bulb to glow with different levels of intensity. The answer is: "Yes!"

Remember the yellow bug bulbs you would put on porch lights to reduce the amount of moths and other night bugs? You can get yellow CFLs.

Do you have lots of recessed light fixtures? I do. I think I have over 50 of them in my house. They burn lots of energy. You can buy special reflector CFLs that capture all of the light and reflect it down out of the recessed fixture. They work very well.

Bulb Temperature

An interesting side benefit of CFLs is the reduced operating temperature. Many a house fire has been started where a high wattage incandescent bulb was placed in a ceiling fixture. The high temperatures can actually melt the insulation on some older wire. Once this happens it is only a matter of time before electrical arcing starts a fire. CFLs burn at significantly lower temperatures. The fire hazard is low or non-existent. If you have an older closet with a bare bulb fixture, change it out immediately with a CFL. Exposed incandescent bulbs have also started fires where clothes or boxes have fallen against them.

Easy Access

You may find some CFLs at home centers, hardware stores or even grocery stores. But if you want the best selection visit an electrical supply house or better yet, a specialty store that sells light fixtures. Stores like this need to supply bulbs with the fixtures and trust me, they have so many different bulbs you will not believe your eyes. I am talking hundreds and hundreds of different bulbs. Just one of the CFL manufacturers has a minimum of 100 different size/type CFLs! I guarantee you will find what you need.

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Save with Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

In a previous column, I wrote about real ways to lower your utility bills. I get frustrated on a regular basis when I see other columns or magazine articles about all of these fantastic ways to save money. The problem with most of these articles is that they don't calculate the 'Return on Investment.'

What is the Return on Investment?

For example, just this past Saturday, I got a call on my radio show from a person who wants to tear into the plaster ceiling in his basement to add insulation so that the band board around his house would be warmer. He was hoping to raise the temperature in a bathroom. My reply was simple. Take the square foot area of the exterior walls and attic ceiling area of the house. Divide this number into the monthly or annual cost of heating and cooling the entire structure. Determine the percentage of the square foot area that represents the band board. My guess is that it would be less than three percent. When you do the math you might find out that it takes 50 years to get a payback! It might be better to not spend the money on the improvement and keep it in the bank. Use the interest to pay for the heat loss.

Compact fluorescent bulbs are four times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs and provide the same light level. PHOTO CREDIT: U.S. Dept. of Energy

Well, guess what? You CAN save money and save it in a Big Way if you begin to buy compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).

Significant Savings

If you buy just one CFL bulb and use it heavily, I doubt you will see a difference on your electric bill. But change over all of your bulbs and I guarantee you will see a difference. Over time the difference will not only pay for the bulbs but it will also keep money in your pocket instead of being distributed as dividends to the stockholders who own the utility company!

Read Joanne's question on CFLs - CLICK HERE.

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