120V vs 12V…What is the difference?

This question comes up often when talking to potential customers about landscape lighting and honestly, it is not a simple one-word answer. There are many factors separating 120-volt from 12-volt lighting. One of the most important differences for an installer is that you must be a licensed electrician to handle 120-volt fixtures but not 12-volt lighting.  12v LED lighting uses a transformer to step down from 120v to 12v making it much safer to handle.

One of the biggest perks of using low voltage lighting for the customer is the price difference. The fixtures are much less expensive to purchase and to power.  You may not even notice a real change in your electric bill when running low voltage landscape lights.  However, if you light up the outside of your home with 120v lights, you will certainly see the impact on your monthly bill.  Low voltage fixtures also offer a much wider variety of options.  With more fixture options, there isn’t much a trained designer can’t illuminate.  From your typical up-light and path light to the fancier submersible and in-ground well lights, we can cover it all with low-voltage lighting.

Finally, you can easily achieve a much softer look when using low-voltage lighting.  Looking at the attached picture, you will see a mix of 120v and 12v. The homeowner already had 120v soffit lighting on their home (circled in red). We installed low voltage lighting around the rest of the home. The low-voltage lighting is soft and creates the perfect ambiance on the outside of the home. The soffit lights will need a dimming switch installed to achieve a uniform look.  Some clients are concerned by the number of lights suggested for their home because they think it will be lit up like a Christmas tree. However, with LED lights, you will find more of a calming appearance as shown in this example.