Portfolio 4 Watt Black Low Voltage Incandescent Path Light
Top 3 Low Voltage Landscape Lighting Problems and Their Solutions
Let's tackle the top 3 landscape lighting problems we see
Let's be quite honest and open here: Nothing is 100% perfect all the time, and everything has problems. Most businesses with integrity work hard to minimize failures and inconveniences that may occur down the road, both for them and for their clients. When something doesn't work like it's supposed to, no one is happy. In outdoor lighting, most problems boil down to three main issues; but those issues can cause other problems — so let's fix the main landscape lighting problems right from the start.
1. Burned out lamps (light bulbs). Because there are so many incandescent and halogen outdoor lighting systems out there, we get calls all the time asking for help with these systems. We arrive to find lot of lamps burned out. This may not seem like a big deal, but let me tell you why it really can be a big and costly deal. If we are talking about a DIY lighting system made up of products from a big box store (we do not work on these by the way), it's probably installed in the dreaded "daisy chain" wiring method. This is bad because the first light is bright; the second is a little dimmer, and so on down the line. None of the lamps actually get theproper voltage and will burn out prematurely. This can also happen with professional grade outdoor lighting using a multi-tap transformer. These systems are balanced to operate between 10.5 and 11.5 volts — a very tight window. Depending on the size of the wire, distance from the transformer and voltage tap of the transformer that it is hooked up to, a single lamp burn outcan send too much voltage to the other lights on that circuit causing them to burn out prematurely. The moral here is that regular maintenance on a halogen/incandescent outdoor lighting system is crucial. We recommend maintenance at least twice each year for these types of systems, with a complete re-lamp every two years.
2. Connections. We see issues withconnections almost daily. It's hard for me to understand how some installers will use pierce-point connectors which just poke holes in the wire jacket, into the wire strands to make the connection. Guess what else gets into those holes?WATER! There are those who will use the standard red or yellow wire nuts and just bury the wire in the ground. Guess what happens in a hard rain or a well irrigated lawn? WATER gets into the standard connection and causes short circuits. And some guys just make a bad connection. We have actually found instances where an installer just stripped some of the jacket off of the main wire and wrapped the fixture wire around it, and then wrapped that in electrical tape. This is sheer negligence – and dangerous. In all of these cases, for outdoor use, it is best to use waterproof connectors ALWAYS. Depending on the outdoor lighting system, fixture location and other things, there are several great options for making good waterproof connections.
3. Corrosion. The dirty little thing that you can't easily see is corrosion. The first place we see corrosion is in the socket where the lamp is installed. Usually a burning lamp will produce enough heat to burn off any condensation (moisture) that may form in a light fixture. If the lamp burns out, corrosion can form in that light socket. This takes a lot of time but it happens often. Also, a bad or sub-par connection will allow water into the wiring causing corrosion in the wire. This "wicking" will wreak havoc by making it much harder for the electricity to travel to the fixtures. For the socket issue we recommend using dielectric compounds on the base of the lamps to avoid corrosion. The connection issue was discussed above.
Here's a bonus for those in the south: FIRE ANTS! Oh man, these pests arevicious. We have found them completely filling atransformer and lighting fixtures. We have found them mounded over fixtures that stand 8" above the grade of the landscape. We have also seen them fill what is supposed to be a sealed fixture. We used to recommend using a product called Over-N-Out, but we no longer endorse that product. They have changed the formula and we have found it is no longer as effective. We are currently looking for a good product that can be applied to lawns by home owners, but have not yet found one we really like. As soon as we find something that WORKS, we'll let you know. Until then, we now recommend you have your property professionally treated for these monsters. Bottom line is you must get rid offire ants, if not for your outdoor lighting, for your kids, pets, guests and yourself.
Does your outdoor lighting system seem to always have something going wrong? Let us take a look, we can probably rectify the issues.Contact us here
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Portfolio 4 Watt Black Low Voltage Incandescent Path Light
Source: https://night-scenes.com/2013/11/13/top-3-low-voltage-outdoor-lighting-problems-and-their-solutions/
111 comments on „Top 3 Low Voltage Landscape Lighting Problems and Their Solutions"
My low voltage transformer for my landscape lights does not turn off. I turned the switch to off an the lights did not go off. What is the problem?
Hello Bob, I first have to ask the make and model of your transformer? Is it a professional grade transformer or is it one of the black plastic or box units that come with landscape lighting kits from the home improvement stores? Is the timer built into the transformer or is it a plug-in type controller?
I am having the same problem. Lights won't turn off.it is a 600W malibu bought separate from the kit. It is a plug in transformer with the time built in.
Hello Dominic, thank you for the question. I would say that you might have a bad photo control in your transformer. The unit that you describe usually comes with a built in photo cell to operate from dusk to dawn. Try setting it to use the timer and set the timer from 6pm to 7am if you want dusk to dawn operation during the winter months. You can make it 8pm to 7am in the summer months. If that doesn't work, you will have to replace the transformer since the photocell is built into the unit (in most cases with those models). I always recommend professional series transformers which allow control devices to be installed separately. This way, if something does go wrong, the control device can easily be replaced.
I have a Malibu 600 watt Transformer in my Garage that runs all my landscape lighting. I just bought all new LED fixtures and spot lights and the lighting is incredible. I then noticed the further you go down the line things get more dim. I still have 7 Brick LED wall/step pathway lights that are not LED, I noticed when I disconnected 2 of the step lights some of the lights at the end of the line were brighter. I have 7 in ground 10W LED pathway lights and 4 10W LED and 7 Brick wall/step lights(4W ea), it would seem the 600W is more than enough.
I was thinking that if I added say a 300 watt transformer halfway down the line, this may resolve the issue but is there something I can add to each fixture that will regulate the voltage instead of adding a transformer outside?
Thanks!
You are having a problem with voltage drop on your line. It sounds like everything is running off of one wire. The Malibu transformer only puts out 12 volts at the transformer which means you are getting a lot less voltage the further you are from the transformer. Eventually the LEDs will fail because they are not getting the proper voltage. Add another line to your system and put half of your lights on that wire. Use #12 wire. This should cure your problem.
the fuse in my transformer keeps blowing when my pond lights come on. It only takes a second should I look for shorts in the wiring of the lights or just replace them all. Water and critters are always involved
Hello Rick, thank you for the question. Most pond lights leak after time and the most likely issue is that there is water in one or more of your lights and it's causing a short and the circuit to trip. I would recommend replacing the lights with completely sealed and potted integrated LED fixtures. I hope this information is helpful to you.
Hello and thank you for the question.
Well it could be almost anything with that type of system. I'm thinking that the most likely problem is in the connections. If you are using the provided pierce-point connectors, one or more of them may be bridging both sides of a wire, causing a short which will keep the whole thing from working. Try replacing all of the connections with good quality waterproof connectors.
If it's an LED system, one bad fixture could be causing the whole system to not work. You could remove one fixture at a time to see if you can find the bad one. Remember that you may have to reset the circuit button each time until you find the culprit. Just look for a button that says reset.
I hope this helps
The best fix would be to purchase some professional grade products, including a professional transformer. You will have far fewer headaches in the end.
I purchased a lighting kit from the home improvement store, Portfolio Outdoor, with a 12V, 120W transformer that came with 6 lights. The bulbs the lights came with are too bright, so I changed them out to 4W, 40 lumen bulbs but they keep blowing. Someone told me to put a bunch of extra wire between the transformer and the series of lights, but that hasn't seemed to help. Might I just need more wire? Maybe a regulator of some kind? Is there a 130W bulb that might be better or maybe an LED bulb? What solution might you recommend? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Hello Darin. Some of those transformers come with a hi/low switch, did you look for one? If it has one, make sure it's set to low. Do you have a volt meter? Check the voltage coming out of your transformer to see if it's over 12 volts. Also check the voltage at your fixtures to make sure it is BELOW 12 volts. For every volt over 12, you will cut the life of your lamp by 50% at least. If voltage isn't the problem, meaning you don't have 12 volts at the fixture and you're still burning through lamps quickly, you have two choices. You can either go with a higher quality light bulb that you would purchase from a professional or you could look to LED which has a much wider voltage range for operation. Remember however that a quality LED light bulb will probably cost more than your fixtures did.
I will check on the hi/low switch and also check the voltage as well. Is there such thing as a dimmer switch that I could put between the transformer and the light series and then run higher watt bulbs but dim them with the dimmer? Obviously, I'm not an electrician.
Thanks for your response. Much appreciated.
There are 12 volt dimmers on the market but dimming a light does not change the load. A dimmed 50 watt light is still a 50 watt load so dimming does not help.
I had professional grade LED landscape lights installed. There are 19 lights all together. They were on a timer and worked perfectly for about 2 years. About the time we had a very heavy rain (over 5 inches), they stopped working. The breaker on the transformer would trip about 1-2 seconds after the timer turned the lights on. I don't know that the heavy rain caused the breaker to now trip. Where and how would you suggest I begin to trouble shoot the landscape lights? Thanks.
Hello Dan,
Thank you for the question. It sounds to me like one or more of your LED fixtures or lamps (light bulbs) got moisture in them and it's causing a short in your circuit. Probably the best way for you to find the problem without expensive equipment would be to disconnect all of the fixtures or pull all of the lamps and then reconnect them one at a time until you find the problem fixtures or lamps. If they are from a reputable manufacturer, they should be covered under warranty. The thing to remember as that each LED fixture or lamp is an electronic piece of equipment and not just a light bulb anymore. Electronics HATE moisture and lower quality LED landscape lighting products can allow moisture into them which causes problems. If you are using LED lamps, be sure that they are rated for outdoor use in both enclosed and open fixtures. If they are integrated LED fixtures, make sure that the electronics are completed potted and sealed so moisture can not get in.
I hope this has been helpful to you.
I have set of paver lights that Installed last fall they worked all winter and just 3 weeks ago all stopped except for the first 4 lights (18 total) I checked a few and they came back on for one night but now they are off again except the first 4 Any suggestion
Hello Steven, thank you for the question. It sounds like these fixtures may have a bad connection between the forth and fifth fixtures. It's either that or they are wired in "series" and the fifth fixture is burned out or shorted out, not allowing power to the rest of the fixtures. First check the connection between the forth and fifth fixture and if that doesn't work, try bypassing the fifth fixture to see if the rest come on.
I hope this helps you and I wish you an illuminating day.
Thank You I did try the 5th and 6th bulb and placed in the 4th unit and the bulbs were good. what do I do if it a short
Hi Steven, so you are using LED bulbs in your system? When you took out the bulbs, did the rest of the lights come on? If not, it's most likely the connections between the forth and fifth fixtures. Take those connections apart and remake them using good quality waterproof connectors. To be on the safe side, be sure to maintain polarity. To do this, look at the wires and you will see one that is smooth and the other has ribs on it. Hook up the smooth wires to the smooth wires and the ribbed to the ribbed. If your system is wired in "series" polarity is very important. It can also be important to some LED products. If this doesn't work, try bypassing the fifth fixture to see if the rest come on. If they do, replace that fifth fixture.
My Low Volt Black LED Landscape Path Light were working fine for a year. Now I have press the switch of the transformer to light them which after 10 minutes go off. I wonder whether any one have the solution. Thanks.
Hello and thank you for the question. It sounds like an overload which could be coming from several different places. It has taken a while to develop so it's most likely a connection problem where heat is building up due to loose wires. It could also be a loose connection of your wire in the transformer causing the problem. Check all of your fixture and transformer connections and see if that clears up the problem. I hope this is helpful to you.
I installed 9, 20 Watt lights ( bucket / barrel ) on a 200 Watt Malibu transformer. Every 3 to 4 days either the first or the second connection ( first or second light / lamp ) is burned out / but only the connection .I tried the regular connectors from the box ( Vista lights ), burned out ( plastic insulation and wire ), tape burned out, but always the first or the second connection. I would fix it and after 3-4 days it happens again. All the lamps / lights are OK after I fix them and the transformer too.
Stephen
Hello Stephen and thank you for the question. What size wire are you using? What configuration is your system wired in (daisy chain, T, hub, etc)? Are all of these lights on the same wire that goes to the transformer? Does the transformer have a secondary circuit breaker?
Hi Paul, I have an Improvement Store series of low voltage landscape lights. They worked great last year. I moved and set them up a few weeks ago and the transformer keeps shutting off periodically for a short period of time then it turns the lights back on. I have it set to come on at dusk and off 5 hours later. Any thoughts on why the transformer is randomly shutting things off, thanks?
Hello Guy, thanks for the question. It sounds to me that there may be a light source too close to the transformer which is causing the photo eye to turn off your system. Try covering the photo eye and turning on your system and see if it stays on. I hope this helps you.
Hello. I have a 60 watt outdoor transformer connected to two post lights. The bulbs are very Dim. Any idea why ?
Hello Steve. It sounds like you have a voltage problem. Check the voltage at the light fixtures, with them installed, to see what your actual voltage is at their locations. If they are 12 volt halogen or incandescent light bulbs they will need at least 11 watts of energy to look like they are not dimmed. The lower the voltage is at that point, the dimmer the lights will appear. To correct the problem you will either have to increase the size of the wire from the transformer, lower the wattage of your lamps or get a transformer with higher voltage taps to compensate for the voltage drop.
Paul- I recently purchased a Portfolio 200-Watt 12 Volts Multi-Tap Transformer specifically to power a 12 volt pond light and found out it is not recommended for underwater lights and I can't figure out why. My outlet has a GFCI and the light is 15'+ away from the power source, can you enlighten me? Thanks.
Hello Ted,
The transformer in question may not be rated for underwater lights because they feel that someone may install a light in a body of water that is meant for human use like a pond or swimming pool. Most professional series transformers are rated for use with underwater fixtures but are not pool and spa rated. If you are putting a low voltage underwater light in a fountain or some other decorative water feature it will most likely be fine.
Some transformers are pool and spa rated, meaning that they can be used to operate appropriately rated lighting in bodies of water that are meant for human use. These transformers have a Faraday shield in them that creates another level of safety that most low voltage transformers do not have. If people can get into that pond of yours, I would recommend using a pool and spa rated transformer and fixtures that are also rated for pool and spa use.
Hello,
I have an LED system with 8 light that works fine when on. When switched off or during the dusk to dawn setting the lights stay on and flicker. Could a short in the ground cable be the cause?
Thanks in advance for the help.
Hello there. It sounds more like a problem with your transformer/controller. For some reason your transformer is allowing a small amount of voltage to leak through to your fixtures when the system is off. This will kill those LEDs in a short amount of time so you need to fix it ASAP.
Our 300 transformer is over heating, it is a Malibu. The one we had caught fire and almost set the house on fire. Bought new transformer (300) gets hot, and not just hot……….HOTTTTTTT!!!!! Our lights are 11 watt 10 of them and 4 floodlights at 11 watts..So can 't be overload. What gives? The one in the back is new ad well 300 same problem. Afraid to plug them in and take a chance of burning the house down!
Hello Bob. There are many things that must be considered when sizing a transformer. Your fixtures for instance are 11 watts but did you see a VA (volt amp) number for them? If they are LED products are you are using an AC (the Malibu transformer is AC) transformer you MUST use the VA number when sizing the transformer and the wire. An 11 watt LED fixture may actually be using more like 20 watts VA. Then the wire size and length also contributes to the load on the transformer. If your wire is sized too small and you are trying to go a long distance, you are creating high levels of friction (heat) or load. Connections also are a HUGE contributor to a load problem. All of these things must be considered when choosing the transformer size to use.
Have you actually used an amp meter on the primary and secondary sides of the transformer to find out the actual load that your transformer is pulling and supplying? The NEC (National Electrical Code) says that you can not load any device above 80% of its maximum load so keep that in mind as well.
Then of course there is the transformer itself. All transformers will produce heat since they are creating friction. A quality transformer with good windings and insulation will be much better than a black plastic container.
We NEVER use the products you are using and only use professional grade outdoor lighting fixtures, transformers, wire and connectors. We calculate every part of the project to insure proper transformer sizing and controls.
I have a Kichler outdoor lighting system. After a year of no issues, one of the transformers has 2 circuits. One has not started to trip. I can reset the switch and within the next 20 minutes or so it trips again. The other works fine. I have not done anything to the system and not had any new hole dug.
Is there a short or other that might be the cause?
Hello Mark. Is this a halogen or LED system? Did you install the system yourself or did you have someone else do the project? If you did do it yourself, did you use the provided pierce-point connectors or did you use another connection method? By answering these questions you will greatly help me to help you.
I had a low voltage landscape lighting system professionally installed, using contractor-grade equipment. For a year or two, the system functioned reasonably well.
For some time, now, I have noticed bulbs burning out at an alarming rate. Not all of them. Some seem not to be affected by this recent problem.
But when I replace the burned out bulbs, the new ones seem to burn out in a very short time (days or a few weeks).
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Steve
Hello Steve. Usually 2 years is the point at which all halogen lamps should be replaced at the same time. Halogen lamps usually only last a couple of years and when a few go out, the rest are not far behind. When a lamp does go out it allows more voltage to flow to other lamps which usually means they are becoming over volted and will burn out quickly. Halogen lamps work best between 10.8 and 11.5 volts and if they get more than 12 volts they will not last long. Professional series low voltage transformers may have voltages of 15 or even 22 volts to compensate for voltage drop on a system. You can do a couple of things here. First, you can relamp your entire system at the same time, making sure you use the same wattage light bulbs that were originally installed. I would then suggest that you lower the voltage taps for each of your wires in the transformer to cut the amount of voltage going to each light by 1 volt which will really extend the life of the light bulbs (lamps). They may not seem as bright however on those lower voltage taps. One other thing you could do would be to convert the system to LED which would eliminate all of the problems you are having since they operate in much larger voltage ranges. I hope this helps.
Hey,
I had a lamp go out and I thought it was the bulb. I replaced the bulb and then realized the wire had come apart from the lead line. I cut some wires to get a better connection when putting back together with wire nuts and now not only does that one not come on-none of them come on! There are about 8 lamps in this particular garden. There is power at the box, timer is working, but no lamps cut on????? Help-I thought it was an easy fix, but now no lights cut on……….
Hello Matt. The first thing you need to do is dig up your "repaired" connection. You should have the lead wire coming to the fixture in question, the wires for the fixture itself and then the wire leading to the other fixtures. You'll notice that on each set of wires there is a smooth wire and one that has ridges on it. Try making the new connection by keeping all of the ridged wires together and all of the smooth wires together. Also be sure to tug on the wires once your connection is made to insure that everything it tight. Let me know if this works.
Thanks! I will give it a try once I get home………..
Great and let me know how it turns out please.
First thanks for the replies to all the questions! Now I have a problem and hope you can supply some feedback. I have a Portfolio transformer that has been working for a few years, other than bulb replacements I've had no issues. Yesterday the lights did not come on, I have the transformer in manual mode and the sensor is covered. It still shows manual mode but the lights will not turn on. There is no error being reported but the transformer is making a 'clunk' kind of sound every second or two. Any idea why and what suggestions do you have that may lead me to a solution?
Thanks again, Jim
You are welcome sir and I'm glad to help. First, do you have a volt meter? If so, turn your transformer on and check the voltage coming out of the secondary (where your low voltage wires are hooked up). You'll put one probe of the common and one probe on the 12 volt tap. See if any voltage comes out when the transformer turns on. If no voltage is coming out, check to see if there is a reset switch on your transformer. Some of them do and some do not but if yours does, go ahead and reset it. If it trips again, you most likely still have a short somewhere which is causing it to trip and you'll need to make that repair. If you have no voltage coming out at all and your reset is fine, your controller or transformer itself has been damaged by your earlier problems and needs to be replaced. If so, I recommend stepping up to a professional grade transformer which can usually be purchased at a local irrigation supply house. Good luck and let me know how it goes.
I have a Malibu Starlight set from Home Depot. It has 2 spot lights and 8 path lights.They go down one side of my stairs and back up the other, with a spot light at the end of the run down and another on the run back.
All the lights are on the same wire. Imagine a horseshoe with the transformer on the lower right, lights going up to the top of the horseshoe, where one spot light resides and path lights going back down the other side with a spotlight on the lower left hand side. Got it?
Transformer is installed correctly however only the two spot lights and one of the path lights, the last one in the line, illuminate. I have changed the connectors, checked the bulbs, and still nothing. I am out of ideas. Thanks for any assistance or troubleshooting technique I should use.
Hello Keith, do you have a volt meter? You need to check the voltage at the light sockets at each fixture that is not working to make sure they have the proper voltage. If they do, replace the lamps which may have been bad, right out of the package. I've seen it many times. If you don't have voltage at the sockets, you have connection problems. I hope this helps
I recently replaced a analog timer that stopped working due to ants. I replaced it with a Portfolio 120 watt transformer from Lowe's. I have 88 watts of lights on the string. I set it to go off 7 hours after sunset. It has been on for 1 week and in that time I have received 4 "E" "1" codes and the lights do not come on. I am not sure if the lights come on at dusk and then give the error code or whether they do not come on at dusk because of the code. This is intermittent in nature. We have had it happen on some nights and not others. I unplug the plug from the outlet and wait 10 seconds and replug the transformer in and the lights will work fine. I cannot find what causes an "E" "1" code, what it means. It is not in the owners manual and no one at Lowe's can help. When I put it on manual lights work fine. This seems to only happen when using the automatic on setting. Do you have any ideas that might help?
Thank you,
Stephen
Hello Stephen. Since we don't work on this DIY systems I'm not sure what that code is. I'm betting that you can find out by doing a quick internet search however. One thing I can say is that at 88 watts, your 100 watt transformer is overloaded and that may very well be the problem. By unplugging and replugging you might be resetting it until it feels overloaded again. You have to remember that transformers cannot be loaded more than 80% of their maximum load and at 88 watts you are almost at 90%. You also have to take into consideration other things in the system that take up load like the wire itself. If your system is LED, you have volt amps to deal with as well. Just some things to consider and I wish you luck.
I have a 300 W portfolio Transformer. Lights won't turn on automatically. I can switch to manual mode and lights work fine. There is no external photo eye. What can it be?
Hello Jim. There is usually a photocell and timer on those transformers but not always. We only use professional grade transformers so I'm not familiar with all of the different models of Portfolio and Intermatic transformers on the market.
I see a lot of good feedback on this site. I am looking into LED uplighting on the house. I expect anywhere from 6 to 8 10W wall washes. I want to put it on a 150W transformer to allow for a few extra path lights. Question 1: Is there a specific type of transformers for LED or will all transformers work? Question 2: Is it safe to go with a 300W transformer with such a low load (anticipating that I may add some lights in the future)?.
Thanks in advance for the feedback!
Hello David. Thank YOU for your feedback and questions. I actually have a question for you. What color is your home? The reason being is that a 10 watt LED fixture sounds like it may be too bright, depending on the lumen output of the fixture. On a light colored home I usually use 4 watt LED products and on darker surfaces I may go up to a 6 watt LED product. Light colors reflect light while dark colors absorb light. You may want to do a little experiment before you actually dive into the 10 watt products. Now for your questions. There are some specific transformers out there but generally, you do not need a special transformer for low voltage LED landscape lighting. As for transformer size, if you do go with 10 watt fixtures on your home, then go with the larger 300 watt transformer. If you decide that you don't need that much light on your home, then go ahead with the lower wattage unit and you'll have plenty of space for added lighting at a later time.
I hope this was helpful to you and good luck with your project.
Thank you for the feedback Paul. I am of the same opinion. It is a lighter brick and stone, so 10W may be too much. I was planning on getting several wattages and seeing the best fit. Thanks again!
Hi, I just replaced my landscape wiring from 16 gauge to 12 gauge to reduce "dimming" affect. To my surprise, now 3 lights out of 7 lights on the same line won't work. They were working just fine prior to the wire change. The transformer is the same as before the wire change (600 watts), no issues. I checked the bulbs on the non-working lights and they are ok. The connectors are the cheap squeeze, poke in the wire method. I tried several times to clean the connectors and re-install with no luck. I'm leaning towards this problem is a connector issue (perhaps replace?) but greatly value your comments and suggestions.
Also, is it possible to use both 12 gauge and 16 gauge wire on the same line? The first 100 feet would be 12 gauge wire and last 20 feet would be the 16 gauge. There would be two lights connected to the 16 gauge wire. Transformer is the same 600 watt unit as mentioned above. Thanks for your help!
Hello. The problem is in your connections. You need to take all of those pierce-point connectors out and instead use gel-filled wire nuts which are not perfect but they are 100 times better than what you have. The metal that is trying to pierce the wire jacket is probably not long enough to get good contact on the new 12 gauge wire. I hope this helps you out.
Thanks Paul! Also, is it possible to use both 12 gauge and 16 gauge wire on the same line? The first 100 feet would be 12 gauge wire and last 20 feet would be the 16 gauge. The reason to use the 16 gauge is due to the final 20 feet go under a walkway and would take a bit of time to swap out with new 12 gauge wire. There would be two lights connected to this 16 gauge wire. Transformer is the same 600 watt unit as mentioned above. Thanks for your help!
You are very welcome Chris. You can't really use the 16 gauge wire on that transformer. The wire could burn in half without ever tripping the transformer breaker because it's load limits are far below the 25A limit on the transformer circuit. Take the extra time and replace all of the wire anyway because it has holes in the jacket that will allow for wicking and corrosion. Hope this helps.
Hi Paul, thanks for your great help! I swapped out the cheap connectors, using your advice with water proof nut connectors and that did the trick. I'll swap out the other 16 gauge wire (I took this section offline, so not hooked up anymore) with 12 gauge so everything on the entire line is 12 gauge. I made a mistake on the transformer wattage. I thought it was 600 watts, but turns out only 300 watts. 10 lights total will eventually be hooked up to this transformer. Right now only 5 lights hooked up. With the 12 gauge wire, really makes a difference on the lighting brightness, no more dimming effect. Thanks again!!
Best,
Chris
I'm glad to know all is well now. I wish you an illuminating weekend.
My transformer is about a year old and has worked fine. It is now making a clunk sound about every thirty seconds. The lights come on and then it "clunks" and the lights go out. It just keeps clunking. It is a 600 volt professional meter. Thanks for any help.
Hello Candace. There are a couple of things it could be. It's not unusual for a transformer of 600 watts or more to make a noise when they engage due to the contactor inside. My first thought is that you have this system on a photo cell and there is a light nearby that is causing the transformer to turn off and then the light goes out. Then it's dark enough again and the photocell turns the transformer back on, etc. After this happens over and over again, that contactor can really start to "clunk". Now that I said that, the clunking of the contactor closing might be warning that it's about to go and the transformer needs to be replaced. If it is a stainless steel professional grade unit, it might be under warranty. Call your installer and have them take care of the warranty for you. I hope this information helps.
Hi Paul, In 2008 I installed a DIY (Malibu) 2-line (2 transformers) landscape light system consisting of 16 (total) low voltage post-style and spotlight fixtures. Since then I have had to replace 4 of the transformers! – UGH! – as well as most of the fixtures (75% of which was due to children destroying, not fixture failure!). When replacing the fixtures I switched over and now currently have all 1-2 watt LED fixtures with a total load of about 30-40 watts max on the 2 lines. I now need to replace a transformer yet again! I've just purchased a Portfolio 200-watt, dual terminal transformer from Lowe's to connect both lines to one transformer …is the plan 🙂
My questions to you are #1 is the 200-watt transformer too big for my system now that I've converted it all to LEDs? (I've read troubleshooting commentaries indicating this to be so). AND #2 does the "leave 10 feet between the transformer and the 1st fixture" rule still apply to LED fixtures or just to the incandescent I previously had installed in my system?
Thank you SO much for your help and troubleshooting advice!!
Hello Darlene. You should not have any trouble when placing all of your lights on the one transformer and 30-40 watts won't be too low of a load. You also shouldn't have any problem with the 10′ thing either unless the light is shining too bright to your photocell which may cause your system to turn on and off repeatedly. Good luck.
Thank you Paul for your quick reply! So if I hear you correctly, you feel my load is not too low for a 200-watt transformer. Is there such a thing as having too small a wattage load on a transformer? If so, what's the lowest I should let be on my 200-watt transformer?
The 10′ distance, I had read, was so bulbs don't burn out faster. …but may have been only in reference to incandescent – you think? So you don't feel there's a concern for premature bulb burning if my LED fixtures are closer than 10′ to the transformer?
Thanks again for your help! I very much enjoyed looking thru you beautiful photo gallery of your wonderful work! I wish I was close to Texas to come see them in person! (I'm way up in Massachusetts!) 🙂
Hello Darlene. Some electronic transformers require a minimum load but your transformer is magnetic and does not have a minimum load requirement. Also, the reason some people say that the first fixture should be at least 10′ from the transformer is to allow for some voltage drop between the transformer and the first fixture which almost only comes into effect on halogen lighting systems installed in a daisy-chain configuration. LED lights usually have a wider voltage range for operation which is usually between 9 and 15 volts. Your transformer does not put out more than 13 volts so you should not have any issues. I hope this is helpful to you.
Hello, I recently had 4 outdoor led lights professionally installed and they have had to replace the transformer 3 times thinking they were faulty. The 3rd one has just burnt out and I can't believe that it was just another bad transformer, what are the other possibilities?
Hello Jerry. Do you know what kind of transformer it is (magnetic or electronic)? Most LEDs won't work with an electronic transformer unless it's specifically made for LEDs and they will burn up. It could also be the control mechanism? Does it have a built-in controller or is it a plug-in controller? I hope this is helpful to you.
It's a Multi-Matic 12 Volt and it says it's compatible for LED. The timer (controller?) is plug-in.
OK, so it's a Unique Multi-Matic transformer. Unique transformers usually have fuses in them, have you checked the fuse to see if it's blown? If so, you'll need to replace it and look for whatever problem caused it to blow. It's most likely either a loose connection somewhere or a defective LED lamp that would cause the fuse to blow since your load is probably too low for the circuit to be overloaded. If the fuse is not blown, remove the timer and plug the internal plug straight into the internal outlet and see of all of the lights come on. If they do, then you need a new timer. Unique transformers rarely fail so I'm betting the problem is NOT your transformer itself.
Hello,
I have a professionally installed low voltage halogen system since 2005. Recently a GU5.3 socket needed to be replaced, which I did with no issues. Several months later the light stopped working. I changed the bulb, not fixed. I replaced the socket, not fixed. I confirmed there is power to the fixture since the bare wires spark when touched together. Could it be the replacement socket is defective? I should mention this area does receive heavy runoff duration heavy rain, but until the last few months, there have been absolutely no issues with this location or the fixture.
Thank you so much in advance for any suggestions.
Hello Dan and thank you for the question. You'll need a digital volt meter but you should check the voltage in the socket itself to make sure you have at least 11 volts there. If so, check the lamp. I have found that too many times, lamps are bad right out of the package (this is especially true at home improvement stores). You can check the lamp by using the OHM meter which is usually included in digital volt meters, look for the "omega" symbol. Place on of your meter leads on one of the lamp pins and the other lead on the second lamp pin. If the lamp is good, you should hear a sustained beeeeeep of the meter. If you don't hear anything, you have a bad lamp. If you do, in fact, have voltage at the connection but not in the socket, then you do have a bad socket and you'll need to replace it (again). I hope this is helpful to you and good luck.
Hi Paul –
I'm hoping you can help. For more than five years, our landscape lighting has been working perfectly fine off of a 500 WATT transformer with 12V, providing power to four sections. Just recently, one section wouldn't light up with the rest of the lights when the timer kicked in, but would then suddenly light up a few hours later, sometimes not at all and then at other times, would light up at the right time with the rest of the lights. Our gardener who installed the lighting system says it's not the timer but is proposing adding another transformer to provide power to the section not working.
This doesn't make sense to me given it has worked for years and at times, still lights up. What do you think could be the issue?
Thanks!
Phillip
Hello Philip, sorry for the delay, I've been on vacation. It sounds to me like you have a connection issue, not a transformer issue. What brand transformer do you have? Does it have secondary circuit breakers or are they fuses? I'm betting that you have a wire somewhere that is making good connection at times and no connection at others. This could be a serious problem in that there could be arching which is never a good thing. Please feel free to email me from our "contact us" page to go into this further. Thank you.
I have a 600 watt Malibu transformer with two output connections on the bottom. My 20 watt pathway lights (4) are on one side and my 35watt spots (6) are connected on the other. It has worked great for about 8-9 years. Recently my spotlights quit working. After checking for line breaks and being none, I disconnected them and hooked them to the other side where they worked. Can one side outlet go bad in the transformer?
Hello David, The short answer is yes. A 600 watt transformer is actually 2-300 watt transformers in one box. You may want to check to see if there is a secondary circuit breaker or re-set button for the two 300 watt circuits. If there isn't one, then you will probably need to replace the transformer with a new one. Or, you could convert your lighting to LED in which case the 300 watts that are working will be more than enough to handle the new load. Good luck.
Hi, I have a new LED low voltage system in place in my yard. Everything works fine but I notice that one light goes on before all of the others in the system. Is this abnormal? There is about a 1 second delay on all of the other lights.
Hello Mike. That does not sound normal. You may want to check the connection at that fixture to see if it's a little loose, causing a delay in power going to your other fixtures.
Good luck
I have a 300 w transformer with 3 circuits coming off of it. 1 circuit is close connected to 12 v and running about 50 w if led lights. The second is wired to 15 v for voltage drop (about 125 ft) running 15-20 w of led lights. They both work great. Now comes the third leg, wired to 15 v running about 150 ft I can run two large led floods if you connect another just the floods start to blink connect another and they go out. The other two legs stay. Any ideas? Thank you
Hi there Kyle, thanks for the question. Without knowing what products you are using, I'm going to speculate that you are loading that third run too much at too great of a distance. Most LED products have have a power factor that has to be figured into the total load of the circuit. This means that the load is usually more than you may think. If you have three separate circuits in your transformer, one circuit won't effect the other two. To correct your problem you will probably need to run another wire out to the fixture location to lighten the load. Make sure you are using at least #12 wire. I hope this information is helpful to you.
I replaced a light at the end of my driveway (someone ran over it) now there are several lights that don't work. there is no particular order to the ones that don't work. I didn't install this system so I have no idea what could cause this. any help is greatly appreciated.
It's hard to say for sure but if you have LED lighting, the damaged fixture may have caused a short in your system which may have damaged other fixtures or at least tripped a breaker in/on your transformer. See if you can find a switch or reset at your transformer. I hope this is helpful.
I have a LED system and everything works fine except for the last light in the line. What is the best way to terminate the last light? I read you should have an extra feet of wire and then capping it? But how i terminated is hooked up the end of the wire to the last light fixture so there is no extra wire beyond this last fixture. I figure this is better since there is no way it can short out by directly terminating the ends to the light. This should work yes? The light was lit for a while but after an hour, it stopped. I will check it tomorrow but is there anything wrong with terminating the line directly to the last fixture versus having extra line at the end and just capping it?
Hello Gary, there is nothing wrong with terminating at the last fixture and it's actually the best way to do it. You need to check the voltage at that last fixture and make sure that the voltage is within the required specifications of the fixture. Some fixtures require as much as 11 volts to operate properly.
I have a Malibu transformer (3100-1120-01) with a photo eye. The Landscape lights work when I turn the system to the ON position but not the AUTO position (either at night or during the day when I cover the photo eye). Does the photo eye need to be replaced (and how) or might it be something else?
Hello Gary, it would appear that your photo cell is bad but I don't think it can be replaced. You can buy that model transformer for somewhere in the $20-$30 range on Ebay I'm sure. That would be cheaper than trying to fix it. Good luck.
Some lights work on the same line but some don't. But I still read voltage at the socket.
If you are reading at least 10.8 volts at the socket, the problem is a burned out light bulb. Even if you've replaced it, it could have been a bad light bulb right out of the package (it happens more than you might think). If you have extremely high voltage at the socket you might also be burning out light bulbs as soon as you install them. Halogen lights work best between 10.8 and 11.5 volts. Most LEDs work well between 10 and 15 volts.
From the previous home owner, I have a 300W Hampton Bay transformer (probably from about 2005 ish) with 14x 20w halogen HB lights on my home. The 3 lights farthest from the transformer where dim, so I determined I was likely exceeding the wattage. The halogen lights are getting old, so I purchased 14x HB LED lights which only use 4.5 watts per light (14x LED lights: 4.5W x 14 = 63W total). I switched out 3-4 of them and they worked great. So I went ahead and switched out all of them. Now for some reason, the lights go through a sequence of 3 levels of light, dim/brighter/brightest, then go dark …. then this repeats every 3-4 seconds. I can't figure out what is causing this since I'm not overloading the transformer and the Halogens and LEDs are internchangable. Any thoughts? Frustrated … Please advise.
Hello Troy and thank you for reading our blog! LEDs can be quite tricky when it comes to their voltages and the types of transformers that can operate them. Check to make sure that the transformer is a magnetic type of transformer and not electronic. Electronic transformers sometimes require a certain load to operate properly and LEDs don't do well with electronic transformers and they tend to "strobe" on electronic transformers. Also some low voltage LEDs require minimum voltage of 11 volts to operate while other, higher quality LEDs, work fine with as little as 9 volts so you may need to check the voltage operating range of the LED lamps you are using and insure they are getting enough voltage. If you do have a magnetic transformer, then split the load by adding an additional "home run" wire to the transformer and put half of the lights on that new line. This will hopefully insure that all of your lamps are getting proper voltage. also, if your transformer has a Hi/Lo setting, put it on hi. I really think your problem is one of the two I've suggested here and I'd really appreciate it if you would get back to me and let me know what you find out. Thank you.
Hi Paul, hoping for some help here. Just purchased a 120 watt low voltage transformer. Portfolio Landscape product. I hooked up low voltage 12/2 black stranded wire. On my first and only run so far, I have a 20w LED spot light (says 5w actual fixture usage). And a 35w (9 w actual usage) wall wash light. Nothing is going on. The transformer has power but my cable has nothing. I've tried all of the settings but nothing. And I'm not sure what to do with the end of the cable. Right now the wire is split and capped off. I can't find any information on what to do with the end of the wire. The two connections are the screw down type which ,as not be best, but there is no power going through anyways. Any help would be great. Thanks, Russ
Hello Russ and thank you for your question. My first thought is that you have a connection issue at the transformer itself. I'm hoping you have a digital electrical meter to check voltages at the transformer and along the wiring. First you need to check the voltage coming into the transformer (at the outlet) to make sure the transformer is getting power. If you do have power there, you need to check the voltage on the secondary side of the transformer (where the low voltage wires hook up). You should have around 12 volts between the common connection lug and the other lugs. If you have around 12 volts there, everything is good at the transformer, if not, look for a reset button (this is a circuit breaker on the transformer) and reset the transformer. If you still don't have power on the secondary lugs, you may need to check the built in timer to make sure it is in the on mode. If all of that checks out, you may have gotten a bad transformer. If you do have power at the secondary lugs, between the common lug and the "line out" lug, than you have a connection issue, either at the transformer itself or along the wiring. I hope I didn't confuse you and I wish you good luck.
Thanks for the reply. It's turns out my wire was too big for the amount of lights I had. I bought a smaller cable and attached my two lights and it worked. I used the thicker cable on the other side of the house and hooked up 6 more lights and that worked as well.
That's great news, thank you for getting back to me.
Hi Paul, absolutely terrific that you take the time to answer these questions… Thank you in advance.
So my issue seems to be unique and I am hoping there is a magical answer.
My transformer is a clock timer as well and I have it set at time a and goes off at time b. It is a simple set up… 10 landscape lights.
Every night, between a and b time, the lighting turns off and then back on. This happens about 3-5 times a night. Odd right? . There's no overcurrent shutoff? If there were, then it wouldn't turn back on.
Its hard for me to catch it because I'd have to stay up all night. I guess I will if I had to but I'm hoping there's a magical answer from direct from the manufacturer.
Again, great job and thanks.
Steve
Hello Steve. I'm more than happy to answer questions and help people to enjoy their outdoor lighting so thank you very much for your kind words. As for your issue, those transformers usually also have a built-in photo cell. It seems to me that there may be some light catching that cell and causing it to turn your system off. It then realizes it's pretty dark and comes back on, and the cycle continues. Try covering the photocell tonight and see if that helps and then let me know if it worked or not. If it doesn't work we'll look at option b.
My Malibu 121 transformer was making a lot of noise for a few weeks. Then I notices one night the lights were not on and one of them was flickering. Transformer seems to be dead and most of all the bulbs look black. Bought a Portfolio 120 and hooked it up. Replaced a few light bulbs to see if it would work and it does not. May the bad transformer messed up the wire or fixture connections? The Malibu lighting has been in place since 2000 with no other problems. 14 lights at 7 W and 1 spot light at 20 W
Any suggestions?
Hello Dave. First let me say that if you got 15 years out of that Malibu lighting system, you did great! You got all of your money out of it and then a lot more but your system as now died and it's time to move on. I'm sure the wiring is in pretty bad shape and the fixture sockets can't be all that great either. It's probably time for a new design and upgrade to LED too so why not start from scratch with that new transformer? Those are my suggestions Dave and I wish you as much success on your new lighting system.
My transformer is getting hot and all the lights shut off. Atfer it cools down they come back on. What would this problem be.
Hello Travis. It sounds like it's overloaded. What size is your transformer and what is the load on it? If the load is more than 80% of the transformer capacity, it's overloaded. Another problem could be a loose connection at the transformer or somewhere in the wiring. I hope this was helpful to you.
Hi, thank you in advance for any help.
We bought a house 2 months ago, and at first the landscaping lights worked (8-10) that are around the transformer in a circular fashion (not sure if that indicates how its wired). There are 3 nice metal lamps along the walkway that look professionally done, but some of the black spotlights in the shrub look amateur, unless the growth of the plants makes them look sloppy
malibu ML600TWM/8100-9600-01 600 W
Not sure how long, but eventually all the lights stopped turning on all at once
Wasn't sure if i switched off that outlet from the inside etc, but the timer on the transformer changes correctly with time. i tried manually turning the switch and they lights just don't go on
this is my first attempt to find troubleshooting steps. i searched for malibu transformers or electronics and apparently they don't have their own webpage? how are they still in biz?
Thank you
just found this
Search Results
Malibulights.com
http://www.malibulights.com/
Malibulights.com. malibulights.com expired on 06/11/2016 and is pending renewal or deletion. Backorder Domain · Renew Now …
Hello Ethan, Malibu is actually in bankruptcy (chapter 11) I do believe so that might have something to do with their website being down. I suggest looking for a reset button or circuit breaker on your transformer. It should actually have two of them since it's a 600 watt unit. I hope this helps.
Thanks for the idea. On Saturday my fiancee and i did some yard work around the lights. while digging up a plant, i saw one of the wires in the ground, but did nothing to it or the lighting system.
That night, without me doing anything to the transformer etc, all the lights started working, and have worked since. I will definitely look for those things the next time
I have no explanation!
Thanks for the help!
Lights won't come on in the timer setting anymore.
You may need to reset your GFCI outlet or look for a reset in or on your transformer. Also, if you have a digital timer, you may need to replace the battery.
We have a 120 watt system (Malibu) and have had it for less than a year. No problems till lately, when it first comes on. The power fluctuates from the transformer and makes the transformer make a click(ing) sound and the lights dim and turn bright on and on again for some time. What is wrong? A short someplace? And where if so, do I start looking for this?
Thanks in advance!
Hello Gary, It would appear that you have a bad connection at one of your fixtures or, if it's an LED system, maybe one of your fixtures is going out. I suggest that you go through all of your connections and if you are using the pierce-point connectors that are used in Malibu system, cut them out and use silicon filled wire nuts instead. This will give you a much better connection. I hope this helps.
I have a paradise GL22772 model . That stopped working. It maybe connected to recent heavy rains. The transformer display works but no lights come on. I have checked the connection to the transformer, no issues there. My first light run off of the main line is 3 feet from the transformer, the line was buried. That light does not go on nor do the other four on the single circuit.
So, I'm thinking its the transformer but the display working has me stumped.
Your valuable reply would be outstanding
Hello Barry. If the wire is burned, you need to replace it. There should also be a reset button or circuit breaker on the transformer somewhere that probably needs to be reset, after you replace that burned wire.
I have a question! I have the Malibu Lighting kit and recently I noticed that my lights turn off around 10:30pm every night and by 11pm there back on. Then they shut off at the regular time there supposed to. What can be causing this issue?
Hello Gerardo. Some of those transformers will allow for multiple timer settings. It sounds like this is a possibility. Another thing could be that the circuit is overloaded and shuts down long enough to cool off and then restarts and works until the timer turns it off. If this is the case, you have a bigger problem to deal with and you need to lower the load on the system before that wiring gets too hot and starts a flame. I hope this is helpful.
I bought a new outdoor post and lamp. The post came with a day nite sensor and a single electrical outlet. When turned on from the house it will stay lit during the day, but after dusk it trips the breaker and goes off
Hello Tim, it sounds like your photo cell is not hooked up correctly.
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