What is the difference between high-voltage and low-voltage lighting and why does it matter?
Quick Answer
High-voltage lighting, or line voltage, runs on standard 120-volt household power. Low-voltage lighting uses a transformer to step that down to about 12 volts. For home landscape lighting, low voltage is the usual choice. It’s safer if a cable is damaged and easier to change later. Outdoors, line voltage typically suits high-output commercial lighting and takes more work to install.
Detailed Answer
Residential landscape lighting is usually low voltage for two practical reasons. If a cable is ever nicked, 12 volts carries much less shock risk than 120. Fixtures are also easier to move or add as your landscape changes.
Line-voltage fixtures run on 120 volts straight from the breaker panel, so installation typically needs a licensed electrician, sealed junction boxes, and cable in conduit or buried deeper than low-voltage lines. The exact requirements depend on the wiring method and local code.
Past the transformer, low-voltage landscape lighting runs at about 12 volts, so its cable can sit in a shallow trench without conduit. If digging is required, we call 811 to locate utilities first and then bury direct-burial cable at least six inches deep. Our master electricians pull the required permits, so you don’t have to.
LEDs use up to 80% less electricity than incandescent bulbs, and their lighter load also helps limit voltage drop, the voltage lost along a long cable run that can dim the farthest fixtures. Cable size and run length matter too, and we plan for both.
To see where each system works best, read our comparison of high-voltage and low-voltage outdoor lighting.
Contact us today and we’ll talk through what fits your property best.