SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by waterpilot</i>
<br />SamIV,
Do you have an updated address for FX Luminaire? The link you put in is no longer a valid address. Thanks
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The address is valid, SamIV has a period (.) in the link. Take it out if you directly clicking on it or type www.fxl.com into your browser.

waterpilot,

I purchase my products from a local distributor. Most irrigation distributors and several electrical distributors in my area sell low voltage lighting. Malibu is not a product a lighting contractor should be installing. The product is meant for a diy'er. I'm assuming you are not a lighting contractor.

There are too many manufacturers to mention and by no means are these the only higher end manufacturers, but here are a few - FX Luminaire, Hadco, Vista, Cast, SPL, Nightscaping, Unique, Focus.....
The finish on copper, brass, or bronze will lightily patina with age, but most of the fixtures will be there for a very long time. Most come with a 10 year to lifetime warranty on the fixture itself. Not the lamp or the socket. Then come the aluminum and composits (Ryton). Most aluminum fixtures come with at least 3 year to 10 year warranty. Some composits come with longer warranties. You need to find a distributor you can trust and buy his better product.

I would not wire more than 5 fixures per hub so you probably need to make 2 runs. Cast, Unique, and SPL offer hubs for sale. You can make your own with a section of 2 inch conduit and a cap or black pvc and direct burial wire nuts. If the address for FX does not work for you, try Goggle search. The address still works for me.

SamIV

SamIV,
Do you have an updated address for FX Luminaire? The link you put in is no longer a valid address. Thanks

SamIV,
Thanks for the info. Can you recommend a manufacturer of long lasting finishes on outdoor lighting. I've been very disappointed with the Malibu Metal line (three tiered copper light) I installed at my former house; the finish was almost gone after one season! Are you ordering your lights and parts on-line or do you have a distributor locally you're dealing with. I'm looking for descent quality at a fair price for supplies. One last question (for now)... is there a hub I run my 18 guage wire to that I can feed 7 lights off of (I haven't come across this type of device).
Thanks again for the advice.

The address for FX Luminaire is www.fxl.com. Best manufacturer's site for education on low voltage.

SamIV

Unless you know how the total property is going to be lighted, I think you might be wasting your time. People who try this usually end up with the wrong size wire, not enough wire runs, or just too much wire. Just make sure you have sleeves put in to avoid boring if you can. Make sure the sleeves are large enough. Several runs of 8 or 10 gauge wire will fill up one inch conduit real quick. Most manufacturers suggest using the T or hub method of wiring. One very good site is the FX Luminaire site which explains wiring methods in detail.

There are a couple of manufacturers who offer a device to run low voltage transformers off the irrigation controller. I only install transformers with their own timer and photocell which are very inexpensive. Very large residential lighting installs can run more than double the $3500.00 install I spoke of earlier.

SamIV

Here's what I did for my yard. I ran a 3/4" poly line out to the back flowerbeds and pulled underground rated HIGH voltage wire through. In the flowerbed, I've put a weatherproof outlet box on the end of the wire and this is where I have one of my transformers. The other end of the wire is at the house where it is wired to a GFI (Ground Fault Interrupt) circuit that has its own breaker in the breaker panel in the house. When I originally did the pulls in my yard, I wasn't sure if I was going to go with line voltage or low voltage lights, so I wanted 110v back there, also, I can now drop a fountain or something back there if I want and still have power for it.

I'm installing wire for future use. Do you suggest I position a hub I can feed 7 to 10 lights off of instead of just running line up and down the hill and connect into the line directly where I want the lights. Is this due to overvoltage (the first light get more volts than the second and so-on)?

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by SamIV</i>
<br />As BSME suggested, don't bother running your wire in conduit. This will only make you job harder. Remember, it is only 12 volts or less. Lighting is designed very similar to irrigation. All zones as you might call them sould be center fed or looped or use hub method. No daisy chaining. Only use 80% of transformer rating. Wire sizing similar to pipe sizing. The larger the wire, the longer runs you can have, higher amp ratings, less resistance (less voltage drops). All circuts or zones, the number of fixtures can't exceed amp or watt ratings depending on what lamp you use. Just like irrigation, you can only put so many heads per zone due to the amount of water that will flow through the pipe and what nozzles you use. Lighting alows you to be more creative in landscaping and is very profitable. I can install an average $3500.00 system in one and a half days to two days max and be much more profitable than a $3500.00 irrigation job. Irrigation installation is much more labor intensive. I still do more irrigation installs though.

SamIV
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Woah, Thanks for the info. Didn't know a lighting install could cost that much. Aren't you guys scared of the wiring getting cut though from spades e.t.c.? Also, Can i hook a transformer up directly to it's own controller as well or even to my existing one. Sorry, i'm still new at this stuff. Thanks again for any info.

As BSME suggested, don't bother running your wire in conduit. This will only make you job harder. Remember, it is only 12 volts or less. Lighting is designed very similar to irrigation. All zones as you might call them sould be center fed or looped or use hub method. No daisy chaining. Only use 80% of transformer rating. Wire sizing similar to pipe sizing. The larger the wire, the longer runs you can have, higher amp ratings, less resistance (less voltage drops). All circuts or zones, the number of fixtures can't exceed amp or watt ratings depending on what lamp you use. Just like irrigation, you can only put so many heads per zone due to the amount of water that will flow through the pipe and what nozzles you use. Lighting alows you to be more creative in landscaping and is very profitable. I can install an average $3500.00 system in one and a half days to two days max and be much more profitable than a $3500.00 irrigation job. Irrigation installation is much more labor intensive. I still do more irrigation installs though.

SamIV