Low Voltage Deck Lighting: Setting the Mood and Saving Money
The most beautiful and functional decks are always those that are welcoming day or night. This versatility is only possible with the right deck lighting. Today there are so many styles and techniques to choose from which can make the choices a bit overwhelming.
In order to create the right mood outside and keep your electricity costs low, you’ll need to use low voltage deck lighting. In this article, we’ll cover why it’s important to use low voltage deck lighting, some key design tips for safety and ambience, and we’ll cover some of the best products on the market.
What is Low Voltage Landscape Lighting?
To understand exactly what low voltage landscape lighting is, you first need to understand the basics of residential electrical verbiage. The voltage sent to homes in the US is 120 volts, which is far more than what’s necessary for lighting up an outdoor living space. Landscape lighting is set to 12 volts. A transformer must be installed to reduce the 120-volt output from your home’s electrical system to the 12 volts required by low voltage landscape lights. You’ll need to know how many fixtures will be on this system in order to properly size the transformer and keep the combined wattage of the lights lower than 80% of the transformer's capacity. Leaving room on a transformer will let you add fixtures if you need to in the future.
Is Low Voltage Deck Lighting Cheaper to Run?
Yes, but the savings come in the long run. A low voltage system will be more expensive at the outset but will be far cheaper in the long run, paying off in lower electric bills. Landscape light fixtures (as long as you’re using LEDs) deliver a lot of light at a very modest power draw.
LEDs use a much smaller amount of electricity than other lighting technologies. Incandescent and halogen lights lose a lot of their energy to heat. Fluorescent bulbs don’t heat up but the lights often have an annoying flickering effect. LEDs, meanwhile, convert nearly 100% of their energy into light.
Is LED Considered Low Voltage Lighting?
The two terms are often intertwined, but they don’t always overlap. LED lighting refers to the use of light emitting diodes (LEDs), a technology that offers much smaller and more efficient lights than a typical incandescent, halogen, or even fluorescent light bulb. Because of the high efficiency of LEDs, they can operate at a much lower power draw.
Featured Product Recommendations
The Low Voltage LED Deck Lights from LeonLite are a great example of deck lighting that fits practically any design style. LeonLite has established themselves as a major leader in landscape lighting with a catalog of excellent products available in indoor residential and commercial applications as well.
The LeonLite Low Voltage LED Deck Lights come in a 12 pack so you can see a rapid transformation take place in your outdoor living space when you switch from inefficient lighting technologies. Set at the industry standard for low voltage of 12 volts, these lights will work well through some of the coldest nights and are backed with a 5 year warranty. You can expect these lights to keep your deck safe and lively for 50,000 hours or almost 11 years of constant light throughout each night. The lights are available in five different colors to ensure that the metallic look of the lights stays in touch with the aesthetic demands of your landscape and home.
“These lights absolutely deliver.” - Amazon contributor AlwaysTinkering
The Low Voltage LED Deck Lights from GKOLED are a subtle way to get people comfortable around your deck and greatly enjoy the space. GKOLED is a highly-rated designer and manufacturer of all sorts of landscape light fixtures, including deck and step lights, hardscape lights, and plenty of other ways to keep your landscape looking amazing at night.
The GKOLED Low Voltage LED Deck Lights bring reliable light to your deck without calling too much attention to themselves. During the day, they really blend into the background. These lights are made of aluminum and powder coated for durability in any type of weather. They’re set at 12 volts and a color temperature of 2700K in order to retain a comfortable look for your deck that doesn’t detract from the nighttime atmosphere. These lights come in a pack of 8, 12, or 16 according to the needs of your deck and landscape. Even better, they come in 3 different sizes so you can adapt them to practically any part of your landscape.
“I love these lights on my new deck.” - Amazon contributor Marcie
The Low Voltage LED Landscape Deck Light from hykolity is just one of the many examples of excellent LED lighting the company provides. Hykolity has built fantastic LED lighting products in all facets of indoor and outdoor living as well as an array of commercial oriented products. Their products are truly built to last and bring the best lighting solution to your deck and beyond.
The Hykolity Low Voltage LED Landscape Deck Light brings elegance to your deck with its gorgeous modern design. The light is dispersed downwards and will never make contact with anyone’s eyes while they’re enjoying your deck. The minimalist rectangular fixture is perfectly suited for contemporary landscapes. With an incredible 10 year warranty, Hykolity clearly backs their light fixtures. Available in three different sizes, you’ll be able to apply this light to all sorts of deck lighting uses and build a truly magnetic atmosphere in your outdoor living space.
“They make my deck look really nice at night.” - Amazon contributor athene49
The Recessed LED Deck Lights Kit with Protective Shell from SMY Lighting provides exactly the kind of versatility that so many homeowners are looking for in their deck design. SMY Lighting is a mainstay in the indoor and outdoor lighting world, producing some of the best looking and easiest installations.
The SMY Lighting Recessed LED Deck Lights Kit shouldn’t be pigeonholed in. This light fixture can be recessed in your deck boards or find a home as a wall-mounted light. This enables a minimalist landscape lighting design that looks as good during the day as it does at night. The kits come in two color temperatures that make it useful for indoor settings as well, where color temperatures are generally higher. This is a low voltage and long lasting light that is dimmable, allowing you to create the perfect mood on your deck.