In the recent times, the popularity of residential and commercial landscape lighting has increased to a great deal. And this has lead to many consumers to look for low voltage systems and components that can be easily installed and are sufficiently safe.
Low Voltage Products and Services
Burglar Alarm Systems,
Fire Alarm Systems
Telephone Systems:
Voice over IP, PABX, Key Systems
CCTV Systems
Structured Cabling
Low Voltage Lighting
Why Install Low voltage?
There are various reasons behind the popularity of Low Voltage lighting System that include
Ideal for creative decoration of trees, gardens and art work
Can be easily installed, buried in a shallow trench and easily passed through buried underground
Safe and energy efficient
Easy cable management system and less bothering for wire mold installer to perform task of wire wiring, hot tub wiring and transformer installation
Flexible and can easily move fixtures to accommodate plant12 volt, low voltage landscape lighting
As voltage is low, there is no risk of electrical shock to you in case cable is cut accidently
What are the Components of Low Voltage Lighting Systems?
Power Supply: This component feeds electrical power to operate the low voltage switches and relays in the system. The transverter is step-down transformer which is itself powered by a 120V circuit in the building converts its incoming 120-volt alternating current (120 VAC) to a 28-volt direct current (28 VDC). This is the operating voltage and current type used to power the switches and the relays that they turn on and off.
Switching Relays: The switching relays in a low-voltage electrical system are turned on or off by low voltage wires coming from the switch. Separately, 120V 15-Amp wires bring electrical power into the switch, and similar wires are connected between the switch and the light, electrical outlet, or other 120V device it is intended to control. When the relay is switched "on" it sends 120V to the device it controls. When the relay is switched "off" it stops delivering power to the device it controls.
Low Voltage Switches: these switches, mounted at the normal height and location in rooms in the building are used to turn normal 120-Volt building lights, electrical receptacles, or perhaps other 120V devices in the building on and off.
Because installing individual switches and their wiring is lower in cost than installing a 120-volt-rated switch and wire in the same location, a low-voltage-wired home may have multiple switches in multiple locations all controlling the same light or other device.
Low Voltage Wiring: Very thin copper wires, typically #22 gauge, is used to connect the low-voltage switches to the relays that each switch controls.
Normal Voltage (120V) wiring: "normal" building electrical wires, typically #14 gauge (for 15-Amp circuits), is used to carry electrical power into and then out of the low-voltage relay and on to the light, electrical receptacle, or other device that the switch and relay are intended to control.
Electrical Devices: lights, receptacles, other. These are the same conventional electrical lights or electrical receptacles found in buildings. In the United States most electrical lighting and electrical receptacles are wired to carry 120 Volts A. C. (electric lights and electric receptacles used to power TV's, computers, etc.) or in special cases, 220V A. C. (such as for electric stoves, electric water heaters, and some air conditioning systems.)
Guide to Low Voltage Building Wiring Transformers or Transverters
An electrical "transformer" converts voltage from one level to another, say from 120Volts down to 28Volts in order to supply the lower voltage to devices that are designed to operate at that level. A "converter" changes alternating current to direct current. Electrical power entering buildings in the U.S. and in most of the world operates at 60-cycle alternating current (or 50 cycle AC).
Alternating current: If you measured the voltage level on an AC circuit, you'd see the voltage level varying between +120V down through 0 volts and continuing down to -120V and then cycling back up again 60 times a second. That's what 60-cycle AC means.
Direct current: if you measure the voltage level on a DC circuit, you'll see the level staying roughly constant at whatever voltage level the circuit is supplying. For example, most automobiles operate most of their electrical components at 12-volts direct current or 12-V DC.
The switches and the relays they control in a building low-voltage wiring system are designed to operate at 28-volts of direct current.
So in building low-voltage wiring systems a "transverter" is used to transform 120V down to 28V and also to convert the voltage from alternating to direct current. We only need one of these transverters. Old low-voltage wiring electrical systems use a single transverter to accept incoming 120V AC current and change it to 28V direct current. The switching relays in older low-voltage wiring systems are operated individually, that is, one at a time.
