Solar Garden Lights and Low Voltage Outdoor Lighting

Low Voltage Outdoor Lighting – A Safe Alternative

A safe, low-cost alternative to traditional outdoor lights is a low-voltage outdoor lighting system. At the heart of the system is a transformer which converts regular 120 volt household electricity into safer 12 volt electricity. Low-voltage lights consume less electricity and are much safer for outdoor lighting.

Low-voltage outdoor lights are easy to install. Most people can do it themselves without having to call an electrician. The most demanding part of the job is installing a GFCI receptacle on the outside of your house. It’s probably best to use the services of a professional electrician for this.Once the receptacle has been installed, you can plan the layout of your low-voltage lights. Having a sketch of your garden can help you decide where the lights can be placed. Keep in mind that the further along the wire, the timber the lights will be. You can use a tree design to keep the wire lengths to a minimum.

Virtually any style of outside lights is available in low-voltage fixtures. You will be able to find lights for pathways, accents, the pond lighting and floodlights. Fixtures are available in both plastic and metal, and the most common type of bulb for low-voltage lights are halogen bulbs. They give a whiter light that is close to sunshine in its spectrum.

Transformers for low-voltage lights are available in different sizes, so it’s important to plan your lighting layout before buying a set of lights. Choose a transformer which is bigger than your lighting needs in case you ever want to expand your outside lighting.

Solar Garden Lights – Convenient And Attractive

One of the drawbacks of backyard lighting is the need to have it professionally installed by an electrician. There’s an alternative, however. Instead of using traditional wired garden lights, you can install solar garden lights which require no external wiring.

A solar garden light is powered with a rechargeable battery that can be charged with sunshine. By installing solar lights in a sunny location, the battery is being recharged all day long. By evening, there’s usually enough power for six to eight hours of light. Solar lights are a great idea. They are easy to install and require almost no maintenance. Some models come on automatically after sunset, while others have a switch for turning them on and off.

Solar lights for the garden come in a wide variety of styles. They typically have a solar collector on the top of the unit for charging the battery during the day. Most lights are powered with nickel cadmium batteries which are good for up to two years of recharging. Almost any style of solar light is available.

Everything from post mounted walkway lights to groundhugging moon lights can be found for your backyard garden lighting needs. Some lights even have motion detectors which cause them to turn on when you enter your backyard.Most solar lights use a fluorescent light bulb, but newer models use LED lighting which reduces power consumption and provides longer-lasting lighting. LED lights have a soft glow which are perfect for the yard. The atmosphere created with these lights has a special magical feel which will enhance any garden at night time.