Field guide

Low voltage landscape lighting transformer size

How to estimate transformer wattage, headroom and cable-run risk for outdoor lighting.

Add load first

Multiply the number of fittings by their wattage, then add spare capacity. Running a transformer near its limit is rarely a good planning choice.

Cable length matters

Longer low-voltage cable runs can create voltage drop. Splitting the garden into zones often works better than one long run.

Leave room for changes

Outdoor lighting plans evolve. Spare transformer headroom prevents one extra fitting from forcing a full redesign.