Help with landscape lighting question.....

[taumac]

RI ran landscape lights for a few years ago and had 2 150w transformers running 280w of lights. I'm running 8(20w) spotlights 12(10w) path lights on 3 lines
1 side of garage with 3 path and one spotlight
1 line running 7 spotlights.
1 line 9 path light
I ran them together making sure to hook them up with polarity or same side of transformer since I couldn't find + or -
The transformers where getting hot and cracked case and keep hitting the breaker on transformer. I have brand new transformers with new lights but only 120w per transformers. I decided to use my older 120w first. I heard and read you can run a loop as long as keep poplarity in mind. I tried but transformer has no + or - just 13v coming out and after a week these transformers are getting hot and turning off. I need help with wiring all three together here's what's I'm using thanks for any help

5 Stitches Garage
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211899
Florida GJ Group
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[RossABQ]

Malibu power units are AC. For a buck each you can buy full-wave bridge rectifiers off eBay and convert the outputs to DC, then you will have (+) and (-) wires. With the AC system you will have to keep track of which wire is which throughout the system to do a loop. (the bulbs don't care, tho)

What I did at that point was convert to LED lamps (also off eBay, direct from China). They last forever, and draw a lot less. The 4W incandescents go dark every time the dog knocks the fixture, and cost 2X as much. The LEDs are also generally brighter.

 

[C96]

My yard lights are wired how you’re trying to do yours. I have two separate identical transformers wired in parallel with each other. The secondary outputs on each transformer are connected together thus creating one larger transformer so to speak in order to carry the load.

Being they are AC transformers, one way to connect them is to tie one output terminal from each of the two transformers together and then check the voltage at the remaining two terminals. If there is virtually no voltage on the remaining two terminals then proceed in connecting them together as well. If you get about double the voltage of the rated output on the two remaining terminals then change the first connection you made to the other terminal of either transformer and recheck.

Mine have been running this way for about 9 years with no issues.

This thread reminds me that maybe its time for me to upgrade to some LEDs as well.

Good Luck

 

[taumac]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the info. I did tie all the right and left sides together but thinking the loop part I'm doing without the rectifiers in place is causing the overheating of the transformers. Gonna take loop out until I get the rectifiers.

5 Stitches Garage
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211899
Florida GJ Group
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[Mustang51js]

Why don't you just get one 600 watt transformer. What size wire did you run and how long is the distances. Seems like you made things more complicated than they needed. There should be no loop in the wires going to the lights,the ends should just stop at the end of tHe run,you should use a minimum of #12 landscape wire and #10 for long distances otherwise you get the closer lights brighter than the farther ones. I normally run multiple lines out to separate the lights and use a oversized transformer so you can add on if you wanted,and the transformers are only around $100 or so

 

[taumac]

I agree one transformer would be better but first kit came with everything. 4 spots, 6 lights and transformer. I got 2 kits. Few years later at lowes I got a deal 75 percent off light kits so I got 3. I just replaced the path lights and used spots I had. Just trying to use what I have being I have theses transformers and 3 brand new one sitting in the boxes. As far as the loop... I heard somewhere that a loop would help voltage drop and the end of the runs.

5 Stitches Garage
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211899
Florida GJ Group
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=117

 

[taumac]

16 gauge wire with 80 ft to end appropriate

5 Stitches Garage
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211899
Florida GJ Group
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[Mustang51js]

16 gauge is def small,that's prob one of the reasons the transformer is getting hot. You will def have some lights brighter than the others at that distance. Maybe look into changing to led lights a little at a time over time. Your prob losing 3-4 volts at the end of that run. I know the wire gets expensive but if you used the 16 gauge for the shorter runs,keep it less than 20 feet and used 12 or 10 for the longer runs with no loops that would solve your issue. You could still use the same transformers you have and it's ok to put multiple wires under the screws on the transformers. So say you have a run of 80 feet with 6 lights, you would do 3 sets of wires connected to the same transformer with 2 lights on each line. You could do more lights per line but that's just an example to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.