Low Voltage Landscape Lighting

For example, they are easy to install, energy efficient and cost effective.  They enhance safety and security of your premises.  And they can help increase the home's value, as well as provide an extra measure of beauty to the landscape at night. 

Let's take a look at some of the advantages of lighting up your landscaping in more detail.

Easy to Install

Low-voltage landscape lighting can be easily and safely installed by the average homeowner, without any specialized tools or electrical knowledge.  It is perfect for the "Do-It-Yourselfer" types who love doing home improvement projects in their spare time and on weekends. With low voltage lighting, there is no need to hire an electrician, as the lights can be plugged into existing outdoor receptacles.

Unlike regular line voltage landscape lights which operate on the standard 120v home electric power, low voltage landscape lights operate on 12 voltage power. A transformer converts 120 volt power to 12 volts, and feeds the correct voltage to the lights on the system. 

The ease of installation is one reason why many choose 12 volt low voltage lights over 120 volt lights.

Enhance Security

Installing low voltage lighting can improve visibility and enhance the security of your home at night. A home with a darkened landscape can be a prime target for a potential intruder. However, lights placed in strategic locations can illuminate the dark recesses and shadows that might otherwise provide a hiding place for anyone lurking about.  A well-lit premises would likely prompt an intruder to move onto to an easier target where visibility is not so good.

Motion detector lights that turn on whenever there is movement are an especially good choice for lighting up the front and back access points to your home.   

Improve Safety

Low voltage lighting also provides an additional measure of safety for any night-time visitors.  Use lights to illuminate uneven walkways, driveways, steps, decks, and other features that might cause someone to trip and fall while on your property.  Not only will this reduce the chance of injury due to a fall, it may also help protect you against potential liability. 

More Relaxation

If you love spending time outdoors, the fun doesn’t have to end when darkness falls. Install lights for your deck, patio, garden or other outdoor areas to create a relaxing setting and pleasant ambience that you can enjoy long after the sun goes down.    

Increase Home Value

Raise the value of your home, and add instant curb appeal by putting in low voltage landscape lighting. Use techniques such as backlighting, uplighting, silhouette lighting, accent lighting and wall wash lighting to create professional looking effects that will beautify your landscape at night. Highlight features such as trees, shrubs, walkways, fountains, statuary, walls, and numerous other possibilities to add a bit of “wow” factor to your landscape.  

Save Money  

Low voltage lighting (12v) uses less than a third of the power required for traditional 120v high voltage lighting, which saves you money each month. You can increase your energy savings even more by installing LED lights and/or solar powered lights.

Many Choices 

There are many different types of lighting fixtures on the market today, available in a choice of brands, styles, finishes, and functions.  Popular low voltage light fixtures that are commonly used in home landscaping include bullet lights, well lights, flood lights, motion detector lights, string lights, deck lights, and path lights.  Many manufacturers bundle lights, cable, connectors, and transformers together in landscape lighting kits to make selection and installation of the lighting system as easy as possible.

Browse the huge selection of Low Voltage lights for your landscaping, offered by our trusted retail partner, Amazon.com

Related Articles:

• How to Use Color and Placement for Best Effect - If you are considering using low voltage outdoor lighting for your landscape areas, this article presents a some ways to use color and placement for best effect.