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Landscape lighting question amanetta 07-16-2006
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Posted by on July 16, 2006, 3:23 pm
I hope someone can help me. I would like to install some low voltage
landscape lighting without the use of an outdoor transformer; I'd
prefer an indoor transformer if possible. My setup is as follows: I
have a patio with landscape beds on 2 sides. One bed is small and only
requires 3 lights and the other bed is larger and would probably get 8
or 9 lights. There is conduit running beneath the patio from both beds
which I could easily use to run wire into my basement where my fuse box
is. I'd like to also have the ability to turn the landscape lights on
and off and not be on a timer. I went to my local hardware store and
picked out lights and then noticed the transformer must be installed
outdoors. Of course the store clerk had no idea what to suggest in
lieu of the outdoor transformer so I'm posting here with some hope that
someone might know of an indoor transformer made for low voltage
lights. I plan on not needing more than a 200W transformer that would
let me hook up the the separate lines from the landscape beds. I then
plan to plug the transformer into an RF sensing outlet to be able to
turn the lights on and off with a remote. I dont know if this plan is
feasible or not but I hope someone can help me with this. Thanks in
advance


Posted by Colbyt on July 16, 2006, 3:37 pm

>I hope someone can help me. I would like to install some low voltage
> landscape lighting without the use of an outdoor transformer; I'd
> prefer an indoor transformer if possible. My setup is as follows: I
> have a patio with landscape beds on 2 sides. One bed is small and only
> requires 3 lights and the other bed is larger and would probably get 8
> or 9 lights. There is conduit running beneath the patio from both beds
> which I could easily use to run wire into my basement where my fuse box
> is. I'd like to also have the ability to turn the landscape lights on
> and off and not be on a timer. I went to my local hardware store and
> picked out lights and then noticed the transformer must be installed
> outdoors. Of course the store clerk had no idea what to suggest in
> lieu of the outdoor transformer so I'm posting here with some hope that
> someone might know of an indoor transformer made for low voltage
> lights. I plan on not needing more than a 200W transformer that would
> let me hook up the the separate lines from the landscape beds. I then
> plan to plug the transformer into an RF sensing outlet to be able to
> turn the lights on and off with a remote. I dont know if this plan is
> feasible or not but I hope someone can help me with this. Thanks in
> advance
>

Maybe I have missed something. I have never seen a transformer that must be
installed outside. Why would it have to be outside?

My current one is in the basement and I just ran the low voltage wire out
the wall. If you aren't handy with wiring the RF outlet should work just
fine.



Posted by on July 16, 2006, 5:28 pm
The instructions stated the transformer MUST be installed outside and
the only reason the clerk was able to give me was because the heat the
transformer puts out could be a fire hazard. Well i asked if it
mattered that much since the same heat would be created outdoors and
instead of burning the house from inside out, it would be outside in.
It was a Malibu transformer.


Colbyt wrote:
> >I hope someone can help me. I would like to install some low voltage
> > landscape lighting without the use of an outdoor transformer; I'd
> > prefer an indoor transformer if possible. My setup is as follows: I
> > have a patio with landscape beds on 2 sides. One bed is small and only
> > requires 3 lights and the other bed is larger and would probably get 8
> > or 9 lights. There is conduit running beneath the patio from both beds
> > which I could easily use to run wire into my basement where my fuse box
> > is. I'd like to also have the ability to turn the landscape lights on
> > and off and not be on a timer. I went to my local hardware store and
> > picked out lights and then noticed the transformer must be installed
> > outdoors. Of course the store clerk had no idea what to suggest in
> > lieu of the outdoor transformer so I'm posting here with some hope that
> > someone might know of an indoor transformer made for low voltage
> > lights. I plan on not needing more than a 200W transformer that would
> > let me hook up the the separate lines from the landscape beds. I then
> > plan to plug the transformer into an RF sensing outlet to be able to
> > turn the lights on and off with a remote. I dont know if this plan is
> > feasible or not but I hope someone can help me with this. Thanks in
> > advance
> >
>
> Maybe I have missed something. I have never seen a transformer that must be
> installed outside. Why would it have to be outside?
>
> My current one is in the basement and I just ran the low voltage wire out
> the wall. If you aren't handy with wiring the RF outlet should work just
> fine.


Posted by on July 16, 2006, 7:33 pm
On 16 Jul 2006 14:28:24 -0700, amanetta@gmail.com wrote:

>The instructions stated the transformer MUST be installed outside and
>the only reason the clerk was able to give me was because the heat the
>transformer puts out could be a fire hazard. Well i asked if it
>mattered that much since the same heat would be created outdoors and
>instead of burning the house from inside out, it would be outside in.
>It was a Malibu transformer.
>
At a certain point the question becomes, why not just install it
outside and make your life easy. The Malibu lights will be solid waste
long before that transformer goes bad.

Posted by RBM on July 16, 2006, 3:41 pm
Sounds feasible to me as long as the total wattage is below the rated output
of the transformer. You need to go to the website of the transformer to see
its rating. I generally stay away from low voltage outdoor lighting, but I'd
be surprised to see a transformer with an outdoor rating that could not be
used indoors. Look at companies like Wac, Kitchler, Kim, Hadco, and Vista if
you need to, they all make indoor transformers for the fixtures you plan to
use



>I hope someone can help me. I would like to install some low voltage
> landscape lighting without the use of an outdoor transformer; I'd
> prefer an indoor transformer if possible. My setup is as follows: I
> have a patio with landscape beds on 2 sides. One bed is small and only
> requires 3 lights and the other bed is larger and would probably get 8
> or 9 lights. There is conduit running beneath the patio from both beds
> which I could easily use to run wire into my basement where my fuse box
> is. I'd like to also have the ability to turn the landscape lights on
> and off and not be on a timer. I went to my local hardware store and
> picked out lights and then noticed the transformer must be installed
> outdoors. Of course the store clerk had no idea what to suggest in
> lieu of the outdoor transformer so I'm posting here with some hope that
> someone might know of an indoor transformer made for low voltage
> lights. I plan on not needing more than a 200W transformer that would
> let me hook up the the separate lines from the landscape beds. I then
> plan to plug the transformer into an RF sensing outlet to be able to
> turn the lights on and off with a remote. I dont know if this plan is
> feasible or not but I hope someone can help me with this. Thanks in
> advance
>



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