[tarheelblue]

Hi folks. Sorry if these questions are pretty silly but I am doing this for the first time.

So I am doing a low voltage landscape lighting set up. Got 12 guage wire. 200 watt power pack. Very simple set up along two sides of a finished walkway (gravel/flag with an edger) in my backyard.


Left side:

4 deck lights (7w each); closest to the box. first is really within 5 feet but I read the 1st should be no closer than 10 ft, so can double back I guess if I need to respect that 10 foot rule per the instructions on box
1 walkway light (10w)
1 spot (35w) near a water feature
1 well light (35 w) to backlit a firepit seating area. Well light is furthest out. About 70 ft out from the box

Right side:


2 walkway lights (10w); first is 15 ft from box. second is 45
1 well light. furthest out; at firepit. right at 75-80 ft which I know is about the extent you can go w/o voltage drop on a 200W box. may have to go with 10 gauge wire to compensate?

Since its running on both sides of a walkway back to a firepit; I think the T style makes sense. my question is, the power pack can only take one wire in to the terminals....so I assume I run one wire in of course, out a couple feet and then branch off ("tee it"). I suppose I could even do the first 4 deck lights (total 28W) before the T? or do you want to T as soon as possible?

If I do get 10 gauge wire for that longer run, does it play nice with the 12 gauge off the other side of the T? and to the individual lights? or do I need to upgrade it all (both sides of the T)?

open to suggestions. thanks,

THB

 

[rjniles]

I add up 108 watts (9amps) on the left leg, 55 watts (5 amps) on the right leg. Install a JB next to the xformer and branch out from there. #12 is more than sufficient even for your longest run.

 

[tarheelblue]

thanks for the note...sorry, whats a JB?

 

[rjniles]

thanks for the note...sorry, whats a JB?

junction box

 

[stickboy1375]

I always run multiple home runs, I do a LOT of landscape lighting work, and voltage drop is a big design factor, with multiple home runs you can individually adjust voltage drop with a multi tap transformer.

 

[rjniles]

I always run multiple home runs, I do a LOT of landscape lighting work, and voltage drop is a big design factor, with multiple home runs you can individually adjust voltage drop with a multi tap transformer.

With the few lights he has on each leg (108 and 55 watts), I don't think he has any concerns. Plus he does not have a multi-tap xformer (per his original post).

 

[herdfan]

with multiple home runs you can individually adjust voltage drop with a multi tap transformer.

I seriously doubt he has a multi-tap transformer. All of our MT's are 300W minimum and you have to go to a 600W to get to a 22V MT. Sounds like a Malibu.