Essential Facts About Landscape Lighting Cables
The cozy evening lighting in your backyard is powered by high-quality landscape lighting cables. Since these cables are low-voltage, many homeowners prefer to handle landscape lighting electrical projects without the help of professionals. Read this blog to learn more about the specifications of landscape lighting wires and what makes them stand out.
What is landscape lighting?
Landscape lighting wire is a specific type of cable used for outdoor landscape lighting. Landscape lighting is the term that refers to lighting installed outdoors, commonly in residential applications, such as backyards and gardens. Common types of landscape lighting include spotlights, floodlights, and downlights. These lights are used both for safety and aesthetic effects. Because of low voltage, landscape lighting is safe and relatively easy to install. If LED bulbs are used, which is mainstream in modern applications, landscape lighting is extremely energy efficient.
What kind of cable is used for landscape lighting?
Landscape lighting cables can be classified as low-voltage. Common voltages are 12V, 30V, 50V, and 120V. The cables usually have a multi-strand copper conductor. The cables are available with different insulation; however, it has to be resistant to water, weather, and other environmental impacts associated with using cables outdoors.
The sizes from 10 to 16 AWG are the most popular for landscape lighting wiring, with 8 AWG, 10 AWG, and 12 AWG recommended for landscape lighting stretched over long distances because these larger sizes are excellent at preventing voltage drop. 10 AWG is commonly used in the main lines, while 12 AWG is placed between the lights. Other sizes of landscape wiring are less common, so they are not produced on a mass scale. In the United States, the transformer for landscape lighting is never more than 300 watts; therefore, this capacity should not be exceeded.
Do landscape lighting cables need to be in conduit, or can they be buried directly?
Landscape lighting cables can be buried directly if specifically rated for direct burial. The cables can be buried in conduit if this is not the case as long as they have appropriate weather and temperature resistance. The landscape lighting cables that are rated for direct burial are generally superior because they have superior resistance to weather and corrosion, so you might consider using the cables with a direct burial rating even if the conduit seemed like a plausible option for you.
Before burying your landscape lighting cables, call 811 and receive the locations on underground cabling from your utility company in order to prevent issues during installation.
Where to Buy Landscape Lighting Wire?
You can purchase affordable and sustainable landscape lighting cables from Nassau National Cable, one of the top wire and cable marketplaces. The particular type of lighting cable sold by Nassau National Cable has a 30V voltage rating and, most importantly, is rated for direct burial. The cable has an operating temperature of 60° C. It is equipped with soft, annealed stranded copper and black high-quality PVC insulation.
Nassau National Cable is a marketplace that is not just about cables. In addition to landscape lighting cables, you can also buy outdoor lighting for your garden that fits the landscape lighting cables.
