I have started looking at installing a low voltage outdoor lighting system and after doing a day or research, have the following question: 1. What would be a decent downlight spotlight around between $25-$40. I know that solid brass is best, but everything I've seen is over $50. The lights will be installed on the side of a raised deck to illuminate an area to play bags at night. 2. Is it possible to control lights on the same transformer individually? For example, turn the downlights I mentioned above on and off without affecting deck lights attached to the same transformer? 3. What is the difference between an electic transformer and a magnetic transformer? For example, I actually found some Volt downlights that looked good for $50 but they require a magnetic transformer which seems to be more expensive. Thanks in advance for the help!

That is my question, HU-773166389. My late husband, deceased 9 years now, built a brick will with 6 pillars and wired 2 for lighting along with landscape lighting. Sadly he passed before completing everything. I purchased limestone caps and 120v pillar lighting fixtures a couple of years ago but just located a brick layer pointer who will place the caps. He noticed that the wiring is LV in the pillars. As he revisited it, I recalled the questions that I had when I originally purchased the fixtures. I would want to use LV-LED bulbs anyway. Nothing is wired into the breaker box yet, but to run new wire would be a major investment as there are brick walkways that run from the house to the the where the pillars are. I am hoping from reading this that I will be able to have the electrician wire the 120 fixture directly to the 12 volt landscape wire that ia wired to a transformer and install a 4-10 watt bulb in each. and be done. Just need confirmation.

Hi there, Here are my views/ experiences: 1) Low voltage bulbs generally project less heat than line voltage. They also last longer (even much longer, depending on the bulb). A 50 watt low voltage halogen bulb is a little brighter than a line voltage halogen bulb. Low voltage cans are available in smaller sizes than line voltage. The con is that low voltage is more expensive- there's a transformer to buy. But taking into account the smaller size, longer life (up to 20k hours vs 2k hours) less heat projection and brighter light, I always go low voltage when there is a choice. Now, if you have 30' ceilings, that's a different story. But for most homes, lv works great. 2) Not really. Kitchens are very task oriented. So the cans will be closer together over counter and other work areas to give good overlap and eliminate shadowing. But over walkway areas, they'll be farther apart. 3) Cable and rail halogens do offer a lot of flexibility. You can not only slide fixtures to move them, but add more very easily if needed. There is also a design issue. What do you want to see on your ceiling? I have rail in my hall, but recessed (3" low voltage) in my kitchen. Basically, every lighting design I do involves low voltage cans. As I'm in California, I'm forced to use LED for kitchens and bathrooms. Which are great units. But in a design sense, the low voltage allows for the smallest hole in your ceiling without sacrificing brightness or coverage. There are always exceptions, but for the most part, you can light up a room using the same number of 3.5" low voltage halogens as you would with 6" halogens. The light would be the same (if not better) and the overall heat in the room would be much less.

fluorescent bulbs under cabinets will be T4 or T5 ; these are long and thin -- think of light sticks, not round / spot / pucks. I gave you search terms. I'm sure you will find out stuff. All bulbs generate Some_Heat; the wattage is a key indicator of heat. Xenons are in the same family as halogens and old-fashioned incandescents (the bulbs we had in the 20th century), which is not efficient technology in terms of producing light (as opposed to heat). Searching, I read that xenons are only 10% cooler compared to regular halogens. That is still Hot. So incandescents, all types including xenon-halogen, make more heat than the other means of producing light (fluorescents and LED's). Fluorescents give more lumen (light) and less heat than the incandescent family (xenons, halogens). Fluorescents come in the range of 6 watts to 25 watts; that is fewer watts than the incandescent family needs. Incandescents use more watts to match the lumen, and the extra electricity goes into heat production. They are a heater and a light. LED's come in the range of a fraction of a watt. LED's are lowest wattage but they are so weak they don't produce much lumen (light). So they are good for accent lighting. If you buy large numbers you will get more light. you would have to install hundreds of them, to match the 1000+ lumen output of fluo or incandescent. Has anyone out there installed a hundred LED's under a cabinet? HTH -david