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The popularity of water features in the landscape, residential and commercial, has risen dramatically in recent years. Low-voltage landscape lighting provides a safe means of adding lighting to water features, waterfalls, ponds and water gardens.
The concept of reducing electrical energy down to a safe, efficient level was implemented over 45 years ago. This type of system uses direct-burial cable to deliver the low-voltage electricity from the transformer to the lighting fixtures. Lower voltage means the lamps in the fixtures produce sharp, clean light that uses less wattage than traditional line-voltage light bulbs. This means lower operating costs. Low-voltage lamps are available in a variety of styles, wattages, and beam patterns. The fixtures that hold the lamps are specifically designed for outdoor use, resulting in superior life expectancy. And because this type of lighting system does not need conduit, deep trenching, or expensive hardware add-ons, the installation costs are less than 120-volt lighting systems.
Today, electricians and landscapers are realizing the tremendous profit potential of offering low-voltage landscape lighting to their clients. The need for water-safe lighting in this market is critical because of the potential shock hazard in using lesser-quality lighting products in or near water features. This article addresses design ideas for water features, components of a water-safe lighting system, safety concerns, and selling a water-safe lighting system to a client.
Any lighting project that includes water lighting should be addressed on an individual basis, since each client?EUR??,,????'???s needs and wants are different. Ask your client: ?EUR??,,????'??Why light? How do you envision the lighting for your waterfall, pond or water garden? Are we lighting from inside or outside the water??EUR??,,????'?? The possibilities are endless, yet a simple mistake or two, and the whole water feature will become unsightly at night.
Taking a lesson from nature, we realize that water is not naturally lit from within. Thus, it is important to use underwater fixtures only in clean, clear water. Underwater lighting should be used to highlight items of interest and should be used sparingly. Area or directional lighting beneath the surface of the water can be dramatic if used properly. Sometimes, leaving the water dark and lighting around or across the surface is a better choice. This is known as mirror lighting. Uplighting surrounding plant materials, structures, or items of visual interest opposite the primary viewing angle will create a spectacular inverse reflection. Downlighting can also be used to gently light the surface of the water feature, or it can be used with a specific lamp to highlight a part of the feature, such as a waterfall or adjacent rockwork. It is also important to consider the ambient light levels in the area and use lamps of appropriate wattages to create the desired effect. Not all water-safe lighting must be bright and stark. The possibilities and effects are endless, and the selection of lamps and corresponding fixtures allows the contractor to become an artist with light!
The heart of any quality outdoor lighting system used in or around water features is a UL1838-approved transformer.
The UL1838 statute limits an outdoor lighting transformer to a maximum of 15 volts output.
This is the maximum safe voltage to which a person can be subjected, without the potential of sustaining injury or death. Outdoor lighting transformers must also comply with the National Electrical Code Section 411, which limits the single secondary circuit size to 25 amperes of electrical energy. And, of course, the transformer should be equipped with a nontamperable protection point on the secondary (low-voltage) side, such as the fustat.
Lighting system cable comes in a two-conductor direct-burial design, with a choice of wire sizes (#12, 10, 8) for various applications. Contractors must use UL-approved cable and quality cable connectors to ensure the safety and integrity of the system. Quality cable connectors must be used at any cable junction that cannot be fully contained within a lighting fixture or an approved electrical junction box. Any underwater fixture must have its cable splice to the system completed out of the water. And exposed wire nuts will not provide a solid mechanical connection or good electrical conduction with low-voltage direct-burial cable.
Low-voltage outdoor lighting fixtures used in or around water features must be approved for such use, and cannot be used within any pool or spa where human contact is likely. There is almost an endless variety of lighting tools and solutions that can be used underwater, within a waterfall, next to a pond, or around a water garden. The key here is to use quality lighting fixtures that will withstand moisture and extreme temperature changes for years to come. The key to success is quality materials, good workmanship, a superior lamp manufacturer and a solid manufacturer?EUR??,,????'???s warranty to back up the contractor.
There are a variety of codes and ordinances that address lighting systems used in or around water. Please take the time to visit your local building department and ask the inspector what is required for your projects. Topics of interest to the contractor should be: minimum setback for lighting on pools and spas, approved transformers and connection to existing electrical circuits and approved lighting fixtures and equipment. Getting to know your local inspector will go a long way in helping build your business image in your market.
Besides using a UL1838-approved transformer for your low-voltage lighting projects, it is critical to understand the potential shock hazard that comes with using lighting equipment that is not properly grounded. As safe as they are intended to be, even low-voltage lighting transformers can become damaged by lightning or power surges, to the point of delivering line-voltage to ground through the low-voltage lighting cable. The National Electrical Code requires all lighting systems to be grounded. This means transformers plugged into an approved receptacle with a ground slot; spike-mount fixtures using spikes constructed of metal, NOT plastic; and properly grounding the ?EUR??,,????'??green wire?EUR??,,????'?? on any underwater fixture with a brass stake driven into the nearby earth and the ground wire connected to it. Adhering to these critical points will minimize the potential for a dangerous electrical shock scenario and the possibility of serious injury or loss of life.
Incorporating water-safe lighting in water features should be an automatic selling point when presenting a project plan to your clients. After all, they are hiring you to create a special place in their lives that they will enjoy each day. Why not give them the opportunity to enjoy it at night as well? One of the best times homeowners will have to enjoy their personal landscape and water feature will be the evening hours, when the work day is over and the sun begins to set. At high noon the sun lights everything indiscriminately, but in the evening around or just after sunset, shadows and silhouettes begin to appear and take shape. Evening is a naturally visually interesting time. This effect can be continued long into the night hours with a properly designed and installed lighting system that enhances the beauty of and provides safety around a water feature and surrounding landscape. Please consider making a quality low-voltage lighting system a regular part of your water feature work. By using water-safe lighting your clients will realize added value in their landscape by enjoying the visual and audible enhancement the water feature brings. And you will be a winner in their eyes because you have created a warm, magical, and safe environment through the use of water-safe lighting.
Steve Atkinson may be reached at 530-409-079 or at stevea@nightscaping.com.
Raleigh, North Carolina
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
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