Answer:

By the same token you will not have a high quality lighting design that will last for years, no matter how good the designer is, if the fixtures are poorly designed, produced, rust out, easily move, and allow excessive amounts of moisture to get inside them.

A transformer that is poorly designed with weak voltage outputs and repeatedly trips a breaker for no apparent reason will also not produce a quality design that will look good for many years.

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Real Effect Lighting - Not Plastic Toys

The truth is kit lighting can't even compare to professionally designed outdoor fixtures. Some of the key differences are kit lighting typically uses low watt incandescent bulbs verses halogen. The plastic and die-cast fixtures are designed to fail so guess what? You have to go back and buy new ones every few years and the worst part is you have to buy the entire kit. Unlike hardware store plastic kit lighting (Home Depot type kits) professionally designed fixtures are made of architectural grade materials and engineered to be installed by professionals. Lighting designers that carry these quality products know how to maximize the true potential of their products. In the long run ensures that you get the of yard of your dreams with zero problems.

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Fixtures made of Brass, Copper, T-6 aluminum and stainless have quickly become the choice for good professional landscape lighting. They are heavy duty, look beautiful and will not corrode in any climate even when they are painted. Brass and Copper if not colored will age naturally and blend into any landscape.

If you do choose a colored fixture, there are new state of the art, color blends that are achieved by spraying the brass, copper, T-6 aluminum or stainless fixtures with a fine electrically charged powder that clings to the fixture. The fixture is then baked inside a furnace to produce one of the hardest finishes possible. It is the best way to get a no peeling, chipping or faded color finish. Since there is no paint involved in this process and the color is baked onto the fixture (hence the term powder coating), the color is designed to last for many years in the most demanding environment.

When someone is selling plastic or thin aluminum fixtures it's because the fixtures are inexpensive for them and they are trying to maximize their profit at the client's expense. The labor cost to replace a cracked or corroded fixture is never included in any manufacture's warrantee so chances are even if that fixture fails in the warrantee period it will still cost the client money, therefore negating any perceived savings up front. Click here to see more information on our fixtures.

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In simple terms voltage drop is when the required amount of electricity at the fixture is inadequate for the bulb (lamp) to operate or light to the manufacture's specification. This will lead to a dramatic shortening of bulb life and a lighting design with dim bulbs or even worse, fixtures that are out all together. This can be caused by any one or all of several factors such as.....

1). A poor design with many fixtures on one run. (daisy chained)

2). Inadequate size or type of cable at different points in your system.

3). A poor connection that is loose, wet or poorly cut and spliced.

4). Lower than normal power at the source (house) outlet or circuit.

5). An inexperienced installer that uses cheap lighting as an add-on business to landscaping or sprinkler systems.

6). Transformers that don't have multiple voltage outputs that consistently have enough power to do the job and are not designed specifically for Architectural and Landscape Lighting. The approved UL 1838 designation for both the U.S. and Canada on the transformer from Underwriters Laboratories is a good place to start.

If one light fixture fails, that light doesn't work. One transformer fails all lights or the entire system does not work and could potentially cause harm to property or worse yet, human life.

Clients and installers should be aware that a bad or inadequate transformer can at the very least make your lighting dull, ineffective, and expensive to install and operate. It could also be a potential source for tragic consequences with regards to a fire.

The transformer is definitely one area you don't want to overlook or cheap out on. Make sure the transformer at the very least has the UL1838 designation from Underwriters Laboratory only. This certification is most stringent and is used exclusively for landscape lighting systems. It means that the transformer met or exceeded standards for voltage guidelines, circuit capacities, heat build up and moisture guidelines amongst other things.

While the UL1838 designation is important from a safety standpoint, it is still no guarantee that the transformer has the abilities needed for designs which might include oversized multiple voltage outputs, independent dual power level switches, stainless steel cases, large cable access area and consistent power from voltage outputs at the levels they are supposed to be. Click here to see our transformers.

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