j8ear

Anyone know about or have experience with this. I am seeing lots and lots of different appliances being provided with a transformer power cord (laptops, camera's, ikea lights, telephones, answering machines, switches, router's, hub's, burner's).

I also understand that in some new high end contruction, low voltage lighting is installed specifically for specialty lighting needs, like art work, flood and spot lighting, over head?

Is a retrofit reasonable? Practical? Cost-effective?

Thoughts?

-bear

btw...I am unsure what 'low voltage' in and of itself means. 12v DC instead of 110v AC?

__________________
It's alot easier to ask for forgiveness then it is to ask for permission.

Scorpion23

If by retrofit you mean the installation of low voltage power to various areas of your home, it would depend mainly on the design and age of the building you're working on.
Running new wires is pretty much always a pain, but sometimes you get lucky and have large crawl spaces and the ability to get to it from above.
In general I would say it's not reasonable simply due to the hassle and my past experiences, but it really depends on how much effort you put into it.

Can you give any ideas on how it's going to be used? Also, what type of building is it. Apartments and condos are more of a pain than houses due to the restricted access to various parts of the wiring.

As far as the low voltage definition, all the ones I've seen for lighting are 12v but there could be others out there.

__________________
"Empirically observed covariation is a necessary but not sufficient condition for causality" - Edward Tufte

j8ear

Single Story Rambler. Open roof rafters to main floor below. All Plaster walls and ceilings. Ideal for retrofit of any wiring needs. Especially if i am placing something in the ceiling, like lighting.

I feel like under taking a project, complex enough in nature to make it unique, yet practical enough to make it worth while.

I think I could light the entire house in some extremely neat lighting schemes, account for all light needs (reading, working, exercising, cooking, bathing, dressing, eating, highlighting features), maybe even a bathroom vent, plus have strategically configured locations in the house into which low voltage appliances (like my portaphone, my laptop, etc) could get plugged in.

I may be off my rocker, but I see some utility savings, some resale value increase, some asthetic improvements, and some interesting design and engineering solutions to create.

-bear

__________________
It's alot easier to ask for forgiveness then it is to ask for permission.

BigTruck1956

I dont know about indoors, but in the landscaping woorld, "low voltage lighting" refers to the small lights you see installed along walkways or illuminating trees or bushes. In this case, the main advantage low voltage (usually 12 volts) has is that 120v outdoor lighting codes are significantly stricter in terms of the wiring connections, junction boxes, insulation, etc.

__________________
so much to do, so little time.....at least i aint bored.

shakran

no retrofit should be needed. Most of the low voltage lighting available for homes comes with its own transformer. This includes the painting accent lights, the under-counter "hockeypuck" lights, etc.

Stuff's real easy to set up. Plug the lights into the transformer. Plug the transformer into the wall (or if you're hardwiring, just snip the plug, strip the wires, and wire 'em up to the romex).

the difference in low voltage from regular lighting is in the voltage (hehe. duh). Think of voltage like you would pressure in a water hose. The higher the voltage the higher the pressure. Up the water pressure and the water shoots out of the hose with more power. Up the voltage and you get more power as well.

That's why the higher you go in voltage, the more dangerous it is. (yes, this is a generalization, and yes I realize that if you lower the amps enough when you increase the voltage you wind up with the same net result as far as electrocution goes).

So if you're running 2 amps off of 12 volts, you're much less likely to get a nasty shock than if you're running 2 amps off 220. Low voltage lighting is simply safer than the 120v stuff.

Scorpion23

As shakran has said, most low-voltage lighting has the built-in transformer. On things like track lighting and other permanent fixtures the transformer is usually part of the mounting bracket, so the wire you hook to it are normal 115v.

Based on your description of the house you might have a pretty good project :-)

I'm guessing you were thinking of a central low-v power source that would feed the rest of the house. Otherwise you could just use the built-in transformer that came with the lighting.
I'm not sure how an interface for things like a laptop and cordless phone would work, you'd have to have a separate jack for each one due to the different voltage requirements. It'd be the equivlent of sticking the transformer in the wall.

You definatley have some interesting ideas. I think the main thing you'll need is time, but don't forget that complicated ideas break more often than simple ones.
Otherwise, good luck. We'll be here if you need more help.

__________________
"Empirically observed covariation is a necessary but not sufficient condition for causality" - Edward Tufte

offrapel

My two cents. Low voltage halogen lights for places under kitchen counters, and indirect lighting for living areas have become very popular.
Pros - They give a more pleasing color balance than flourescent lighting, you can get a lot of light out of a little 15w bulb as compared to other types.
Cons - They require you to change the bulbs with gloves so you don't get oil from your skin on them. They are fairly expensive, $10 for a small round bulb. They don't last as long as flourescent. And, they do give off a lot of heat. Clients complain about their kitchen counters getting very warm.