If you glance around your home, you’ll notice that many light fixtures are connected directly to the line voltage of your electrical system. Line voltage (also known as high voltage, or what is commonly referred to as household current), is the standard voltage -120 volts- that’s found in outlets and junction boxes here in the U.S. Line voltage fixtures are used for many types of traditional lighting including ceiling lighting and sconces.
Low voltage LED lighting, which we’ll be discussing throughout this post, uses less than 50 (typically 12 or 24) volts of power. Low voltage lighting got its start in American residential settings in the 1950s. Originally developed to facilitate landscape lighting, low voltage lighting soon made its way indoors and is now very common for lighting applications like recessed lighting, track lighting, under cabinet lighting, strip and tape lighting, and more. So what’s the deal with low voltage lighting, and what sets it apart from regular line voltage lighting?
Low voltage LED fixtures rely on transformers (sometimes referred to as drivers or power packs) to reduce the line voltage from 120 volts. These drivers are either built into the fixtures themselves or located remotely.
Let’s touch on drivers for a moment. LEDs require drivers for two purposes:
- As we just learned, an LED driver rectifies higher voltage, alternating current to low voltage, direct current.
- LED drivers also protect LEDs from voltage or current fluctuations. LED light output is proportional to its current supply, and LEDs are rated to operate within a certain current range (measured in amps). Therefore, too much or too little current can cause light output to vary or degrade faster due to higher temperatures within the LED.
For these reasons, every LED light source depends on a driver, whether internal or external. When choosing a driver, we recommend that you only use about 80% of the rated load of the power supply. This helps to ensure a longer lifespan and avoids overstressing the driver components. For example, if you have a driver with a wattage capability of 96 watts, it should only operate LEDs that use 77 watts at most (96 x 0.8 = 76.8). Keep in mind too, that drivers also may require a minimum combined wattage in order to operate the LEDs effectively, and without flickering or humming.
Light sources like household bulbs with standard screw-in or plug-in bases normally have an integrated driver because it makes replacing them easier. LED downlights, tape lights, and certain fixtures, panels, and outdoor-rated lights typically need an external driver to operate. Sometimes, a LED fixture will come equipped with the separate driver needed, but not always. It’s important to check the recommended accessories on the product details page or the manufacturer’s spec sheet to see if the fixture you’re buying will require a separate driver, and the type needed if necessary.
Types of Low Voltage Lighting
There are several ways to use low voltage lighting around your home. Low voltage under cabinet and cove lighting can be utilized in kitchens, closets and bathrooms to illuminate countertops, shelving and surfaces. Low voltage LED recessed lighting is great for general lighting in all areas, inside and out, or as directional light to highlight certain features. In many cases, low voltage lighting can be used in the same spaces and for the same purposes as line voltage lighting.
When it comes to outdoor lighting, many people choose to use low voltage options due to the ease of installation. Most landscape and path fixtures come in low voltage options. Adding or moving fixtures is easy because there’s no trenching required, which saves a substantial amount of time and money. Line voltage outdoor installations often means having to hire an electrician because it must run in conduit buried to meet electrical code requirements.
Spotlights and low voltage well and step lighting can offer additional illumination around your home’s exterior. Another popular low voltage lighting effect is LED string lights, or bistro lights, which look pretty and festive when hung on trees and above outdoor patios.
Bottom Line
Both line voltage and low voltage lighting have their advantages, so choosing one over the other largely comes down to ease of installation and cost of the fixture itself. You may find line voltage the better choice because installation is often ‘plug and play’, and there could be a less expensive upfront cost, depending on the fixture.
The jury is still out on whether or not low voltage lighting saves energy over line voltage. However, at PROLIGHTING, we can’t express enough the importance of using a dimmer to save energy whenever possible. Dimmers give you control over your lighting levels, which has both aesthetic and financial benefits, whether you’re using line voltage or low voltage fixtures. Keep in mind that low voltage lighting often requires more expensive dimmers, and, once you add this to the price of your transformers, you may find yourself going over your budget.
One thing that’s for sure is low voltage lighting allows for using smaller light fixtures, thus creating more options for installing in tight, harder-to-reach spaces. Think super slim LED downlights, puck lights, well lights, and strip lighting for inside recessed ‘slot’ spaces.
Whether you’re looking to illuminate your kitchen with under cabinet fixtures, or brighten the walkway to your front door with path lighting, PROLIGHTING has plenty of low and line voltage options to suit your needs. Our team of certified lighting ‘PROs’ can assist with fixture selection, lighting layouts, project quotes, and general product questions. Send us an email, or use the live chat feature on our website for an even faster response. We’re available to speak to you Monday through Friday, 8AM to 5PM EST.
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