Electricity can kill, so it is very important to be careful while working with it and to use safety equipment. If you are not competent working around electricity have an electrician do the work.

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Low-voltage landscape lights — those that are 12-volt AC — literally are a snap to install. The lighting parts snap together, and the connectors snap into place. The cable looks like a lamp cord.

Landscape lights are available in a package that contains the transformer, the lights, and the connectors that you'll need. You also can buy the system piece by piece so you get exactly what you want. Talk with the sales staff to make sure you get the right transformer.

If necessary, splice low-voltage wires. Strip the wires, put in a silicone-filled cap (sold as a grease cap), and attach the new wire. Some caps are brand-specific, so make sure you buy a cap designed for your wire.

Most low-voltage lighting systems include a transformer that is plugged into a regular outdoor receptacle. The transformer steps the household current of 120 volts down to 12 volts. The size of the transformer varies; most are rated to handle a load of 100 to 300 watts. The higher the rating, the more cable and light fixtures you can connect to the system. A timer in the transformer turns the system on at dusk and off at dawn. One end of the cable connects to the transformer; you can attach lights to the cable anywhere you want

Low voltage Lighting
Another type of outdoor lighting is low voltage lighting. Because of the low voltage needed to power this type of lighting, it is much safer to use outdoors than lighting powered by a conventional 120 volt line. It is so low, in fact, that a short circuit in low voltage underwater lighting would not even be felt by a swimmer. For this reason, it is the ideal type of lighting for in ground pools. More often, through, low voltage lighting is employed to light a drive or pathway or to accent landscaping. Lamps for low voltage lighting commonly range between 25 to 50 watts. You need only install a transformer to step down 120 volt power to 12 volts. Lighting controlled form a transformer can be strung together and connected to fixtures that can then be spiked into the ground along the length of the low voltage wiring. Because there is little hazard associated with this kind of wiring, it doesn’t need to be buried any deeper than 6 inches.

HOW TO: Install Low Voltage Outdoor Lighting

Tools and Materials

• Insulated screwdriver
• Electrician’s hammer
• Multipurpose tool
• 14/2G NM cable
• UF direct-burial cable
• Plastic or metal retrofit receptacle box
• GFCI receptacle
• Adjustable pliers
• Saber saw
• Knockout punch
• Fish tape (nonmetallic)
• 14/2 cable staples
• Wire connectors
• Water light low voltage transformer
• Low-voltage lighting fixtures with spikes

Install the Receptacle Box.
Using a saber saw, make a cutout in an exterior wall for a retrofit receptacle box in a location near where you wish to install your low voltage lighting system. Fish the 14/2G gaugecable to the opening from your power source (service entrance panel or nearby receptacle box). Pull the cable through the receptacle box; then mount the box.

Install the GFCI Receptacle
In the receptacle box, attach the white neutral wire form the NM cable to the GFCI receptacle. Connect the black hot wire from the house branch circuit cable to the terminal screw on the GFCI receptacle. Then, pigtail the grounding wire from the house branch circuit cable to the grounding screw on the GFCI receptacle and the box (if necessary). Secure the GFCI receptacle in the box. Install the weatherproof GFCI receptacle cover plate and gasket, drawing the mounting screws tight for a good seal.

Install the Low voltage Lighting.
Using the attached ground spikes, install your low voltage lighting system by driving the spikes into the ground. Low voltage lights can be positioned along a wall, drive, or patio. They may also be used to accent your garden or some other landscaping feature. Lay the low voltage cable that connects the lights in a trench at least 6 inches deep. Clip the wire leads from each light fixtures to the under ground cable.

Wire the Low Voltage Lighting.
Leaving an expansion loop in the trench, run the low voltage cable to the transformer box. Connect the low voltage wiring to the 12 volt step down transformer, following the manufacturer’s installation guide-lines. Then mount the transformer below or alongside the GFCI receptacle box you installed previously. Plug the transformer into the GFCI receptacle, turn on the power, and test the system. Once everything is in working order, refill the trench.

7 steps to install low voltage lighting

1. Wire the transformer. A transformer steps the voltage down from 120 volts to 12 volts. Attaching the cable for the lights is an easy task of screwing the wires in place. Details vary by manufacturer, so follow the directions that come with the transformer.

2. Hang the transformer. Mount the transformer on the wall next to a GFCI outlet. For most types of siding, you can make the attachment with a wood screw. Drive it into the plywood or the sheathing underneath the siding. For masonry, drill a hole for a lag shield, then screw into the shield.

3. Assemble the lights. Light fixtures usually require assembly. You'll need to snap the sockets in place at the very least, and you may need to do some simple wiring. Follow the manufacturer's directions.

4. Place the lights. Lay the light fixtures in the approximate spots they will be installed and run the cable across the ground from light to light.

5. Connect the lights. Attach the cable connectors. For this light, put half the connecter on each side of the cable and snap it together to connect the lights.

6. Dig for the cable. Dig a 6-inch-deep trench alongside the cable and place the cable in the trench, but do not bury it yet.

7. Set the timer. Plug the transformer into the outdoor receptacle and set the timer. Cover the GFCI outlet with a plastic cover, usually sold separately. Test the lights; if they work correctly, bury the cable.