The Power of Specification
If we asked 100 architects... "Is lighting an important ingredient to the success of your project?" I suspect all 100 would say... "Absolutely". In most cases, Architects and Landscape Architects know that lighting is extremely important to the integrity of their project, but may not have the experience required to achieve the look they are going for. As important as lighting is, it's not always easy to get designers to devote the time and energy required to specify low voltage Landscape Lighting. Often the most difficult task is finding a specifier that will actually take part in carrying through with a Lighting Design. No doubt, most Architects want lighting to be part of their design and their project, but time and perhaps expertise often stand in the way.
NightscapingŪ owner William J. Locklin takes great pride in providing all customers throughout the US and Canada access to a NightscapingŪ professional, who can personally assist in all areas of lighting. Sales Reps will assist with technical dilemmas, fixture specification, ordering, design suggestions, on-site assistance, and more. Your local NightscapingŪ Representative is also knowledgeable on the National Electric Code and how it applies to low voltage outdoor lighting. Sales Reps are fully educated on lamps, load capacities, voltage issues and lighting applications. The fact is, your local Nightscaping representative is a true "lighting designer". Contact yours today for one-on-one customer support. If you haven't met your local rep, email us at info@nightscaping.com. We'll get you connected.
When a professionally spec'd Lighting Plan is needed to improve presentation and impress customers, NightscapingŪ Reps refer Contractors and Designers to our design department. Nightscaping'sŪ full time design department has the resources and expertise to put together the most comprehensive lighting design plans in AutoCAD or Dynascape. It is a free service provided for pre-approved Contractors, Architects, Designers, etc. Thomas, the gentleman who directs the team of design experts at the factory is a horticulturist, former landscape contractor, and lighting design expert. He is a fantastic resource for design and technical questions. The other full-time staff members, Misael, Hector, Luis and Rebekah are always available to assist with lighting plans, design questions, and technical concerns. If you are interested in taking advantage of this free service, contact your local rep and ask how you can get started.
(Misael, AutoCAD designer, revising a plan)
A call or e-mail to the factory (or your local rep) will get the design process going. Contact us today, watch the project come alive, and the rest will be "Magic"!
Jeff Vinachi, LC
GCA Lighting
Tampa, FL
727-638-9349(cell)
JVinachi@gcaflorida.com
Contractor of the Week
Wayne and Kathy Stafford have been in business for 18 years, and provide both indoor and outdoor electric service. They are Mr. Electric of Clermont, Florida, a growing community in Lake County just west of Orlando. Wayne and Kathy have been exclusively installing NightscapingŪ landscape lighting for 7 years, providing Expert Electrical Service throughout Lake County Florida.
The Staffords find that 90% of their lighting service is fixing work done by previous contractors who didn't have the appropriate knowledge of voltage drop and cable size to adequately install a low voltage lighting system. Because they are licensed, bonded and insured electricians, they are well prepared to install a professional lighting system that is sure to please their customers (and impress the neighbors).
To maintain a successful business, they are always meticulous around job sites and wear booties when inside a residence, leaving the site cleaner than when they arrived. They exclusively use NightscapingŪ products, including Ace Connectors to prevent water intrusion on all splice connections, and do not promote or support hub and spoke systems, insisting that the design is inadequate and the hub will most likely fill with water (especially in Florida).
Their company takes great pride in attention to detail, being customer service oriented, and most of all friendly. Kathy and Wayne attribute a lot of their success to Lee Ward Jr., a talented coworker who is dedicated to their customers and working as a team. NightscapingŪ is proud to work in partnership with Kathy and Wayne Stafford.
MR. ELECTRIC
Expert Electrical Service
Wayne and Kathy Stafford
Clermont, Florida
dandw352@aol.com
The Staffords find that 90% of their lighting service is fixing work done by previous contractors who didn't have the appropriate knowledge of voltage drop and cable size to adequately install a low voltage lighting system. Because they are licensed, bonded and insured electricians, they are well prepared to install a professional lighting system that is sure to please their customers (and impress the neighbors).
To maintain a successful business, they are always meticulous around job sites and wear booties when inside a residence, leaving the site cleaner than when they arrived. They exclusively use NightscapingŪ products, including Ace Connectors to prevent water intrusion on all splice connections, and do not promote or support hub and spoke systems, insisting that the design is inadequate and the hub will most likely fill with water (especially in Florida).
Their company takes great pride in attention to detail, being customer service oriented, and most of all friendly. Kathy and Wayne attribute a lot of their success to Lee Ward Jr., a talented coworker who is dedicated to their customers and working as a team. NightscapingŪ is proud to work in partnership with Kathy and Wayne Stafford.
MR. ELECTRIC
Expert Electrical Service
Wayne and Kathy Stafford
Clermont, Florida
dandw352@aol.com
Cable Size and Technical Tips
What does the size of wire have to do with 12 Volt Lighting?
Ohms law will show that higher amperage is found in Low Voltage runs. N.E.C. Article 411 limits
runs to 25 amps or 300 watts in a single 12 Volt system (12Volts X 25Amps = 300Watts).
A 50 foot run of 300 Watts using #12 wire has a Voltage Drop of 2.0V, even with # 10 wire the Drop is still 1.25. Excessive voltage drop can be devastating to a system, resulting in dim lights, poor system performance and a situation that is much more expensive and time consuming to repair than to do correctly the first time. Voltage drop is caused by the resistance in the wire to the flow of electricity. This is why we list and stock wire as large as # 8.
Some Contractors have had excessive Voltage drop because they were using non UL stranded
electrical wire. Depending on the size, wire can be between 19 and 21 strands. This wire is stiffer and normally cheaper. Voltage drop is dramatically increased when "skinning" (removing a strand) which results in a loss of 14% of the rated amperage. This loss amounts to 34 Watts of current carrying
capacity. End result, you are trying to push 20 Amps through wire that can only carry 17 Amps.
electrical wire. Depending on the size, wire can be between 19 and 21 strands. This wire is stiffer and normally cheaper. Voltage drop is dramatically increased when "skinning" (removing a strand) which results in a loss of 14% of the rated amperage. This loss amounts to 34 Watts of current carrying
capacity. End result, you are trying to push 20 Amps through wire that can only carry 17 Amps.
Every once in a while, it is a good idea to check your cable supplier for accuracy. The following are the
requirements for N.E.C. cable specs:
Wire Size # Strands Size of each Strand
# 18 16 .010cm # 30 awg
# 16 26 .010cm
# 14 41 .010cm
# 12 65 .010cm
# 10 104 .010 cm
# 8 168 .010cm
requirements for N.E.C. cable specs:
Wire Size # Strands Size of each Strand
# 18 16 .010cm # 30 awg
# 16 26 .010cm
# 14 41 .010cm
# 12 65 .010cm
# 10 104 .010 cm
# 8 168 .010cm
AMP: The current flow on a wire
VOLT: The difference in electrical potential between two points in a circuit
RESISTANCE: Determines how much current will flow through a component
WATTS: The sum of the current times the voltage
FORMULAS: VOLTS = WATTS / AMPS
WATTS = VOLTS x AMPS
AMPS = WATTS / VOLTS
OHM'S = VOLTS / AMPS
VOLT: The difference in electrical potential between two points in a circuit
RESISTANCE: Determines how much current will flow through a component
WATTS: The sum of the current times the voltage
FORMULAS: VOLTS = WATTS / AMPS
WATTS = VOLTS x AMPS
AMPS = WATTS / VOLTS
OHM'S = VOLTS / AMPS
True Tales In Troubleshooting
Have you ever read one of those articles where names are changed to protect the innocent? Well this is one of those articles. It's a story that at first may generate a chuckle or two. But beyond the superficial comedy, it is a perfect example of how the quality of the NightscapingŪ brand and the function of the systems we manufacture depends on the expertise of professional designers and installers. Also, it may shed some light (forgive the pun) on why it is important for the residential consumer to selectively choose a designer and/or installer with experience in the craft of outdoor lighting.
To preface the trials and tribulations of Contractor X in this troubleshooting comedy of errors, it is important to note that many NightscapingŪ distributors order and stock our brand of fixtures without lamps. The lamps we provide standard in our fixtures are all the finest quality available. Now the finest quality lamp is not always the cheapest lamp on the shelf. Therefore, when distributors stock fixtures without lamps it is to give their contractors options.
That's fine. We know the lamps we provide standard are top of the line. We are confident with their quality, durability and longevity. But, at some point we have to allow our users to make their own decisions based on their individual situation. That's what happened in this particular case.
Contractor X was relatively new to the lighting trade - everybody has to start somewhere. He sold a rather large job and went to his local distributor to buy the NightscapingŪ brand products necessary to complete the installation.
Contractor X was off to a great start. He'd made the effort to sell a large job and chose to use quality NightscapingŪ brand products. He got his materials, performed the necessary calculations, and the installation went off without a hitch until it was time to turn the lights on.
They didn't come on.
He rechecked his wiring, made sure the power supply was sending juice to the system, tested the transformer, and so on. He went through all the troubleshooting steps he could think of. Nothing worked. So he called his distributor. They went through the same troubleshooting routine. Still nothing. Everything seemed to be right. But for some reason the system wouldn't turn on. And in the mind of Contractor X, his troubles had to be the result of a faulty product. Boy, was he wrong.
In a last ditch effort to save the system, the distributor asked Contractor X to check the lamps he used. Perhaps he'd purchased the wrong product or got a bad batch or something. So, that's what the contractor did. To his dismay he found that he had installed the entire system and overlooked the small detail of lamping his fixtures. No wonder the lights wouldn't turn on. There weren't any lamps.
Perhaps now Contractor X will understand the value of using NightscapingŪ brand fixtures with the lamps we provide. If not, I can only hope that he learned a valuable lesson from his tale in troubleshooting. That being said, if you're going to point fingers, make sure those actions are justified and secondly, as a minor side note, it's pretty close to impossible to produce light without first using a lamp.
William J. Locklin Owner of NightscapingŪ
Avoid Poor Contacts
Poor contacts are the cause of more problems than all other low-voltage lighting installation errors combined. Poor contacts or loose connections cause friction which in turn produces heat. This heat will compromise both the safety and aesthetic qualities of any low-voltage lighting system.
The problem manifests itself originally in the terminal blocks within a transformer. The first concern before beginning an installation is that the terminal blocks must be of sufficient size and design to accommodate the ampere rating of the particular transformer plus 50% (UL 1838). This is a matter regarding the manufacturer of any outdoor lighting transformer.
When it comes to installation, once the wires are inserted into the terminal block, it is of utmost
importance to tighten the contact screw to the maximum extent. Once the contact screws have
been appropriately tightened, vigorously wiggle the connecting wires up and down, back and forth, etc... This settles the wires within the terminal block and will allow you to further tighten the contact screw at least an addition half turn. Do this every time, without exception.
importance to tighten the contact screw to the maximum extent. Once the contact screws have
been appropriately tightened, vigorously wiggle the connecting wires up and down, back and forth, etc... This settles the wires within the terminal block and will allow you to further tighten the contact screw at least an addition half turn. Do this every time, without exception.
Loose connections in the cable runs can also create heat. Therefore, any splices in the cable
runs must be made with an approved (UL or CSA) method. A twist on connector is not approved for direct burial. The piercing content connectors are a continual source of corrosion. Either of the two result in poor contacts which generate heat and reduce voltage being delivered to the lamp.
runs must be made with an approved (UL or CSA) method. A twist on connector is not approved for direct burial. The piercing content connectors are a continual source of corrosion. Either of the two result in poor contacts which generate heat and reduce voltage being delivered to the lamp.
From a troubleshooting standpoint, never make any cable splices more than six inches from the fixture. Running a "Home Run" to a hub is really asking for poor contacts especially with twist on or piercing connectors and underground splices. It is in your best interest to eliminate any underground splices whenever possible.
These practices will assist you with designing and installing low-voltage systems in a way that minimizes the production of heat. Moreover, they will further ensure that your clients have a beautifully functioning and safe outdoor lighting system.
Bill