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| Use stainless steel screws to mount the transformers to the side of the house. Dipping the heads of the screws in silicone caulk first helps to seal around the screw, and prevents water leaks. |
A mounting bracket on the back of the transformer has slotted holes that slip over the screw heads. This plastic conduit will protect the wires from any damage where they're above ground. Once the conduit is in place, slip the wires inside and pull them into the box. |
Strip off the insulation and insert the bare ends of the wires into the transformer's terminals.
Once everything's in place, back fill around the plastic conduit, put the cover on the transformer, and plug it into a nearby outlet. |
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| Transformers can be turned on and off manually or automatically. A photoelectric cell can be installed to turn the lights on at dusk, and a timer can shut them off later that same night. |
For transformers that need to be away from the house, mount the transformer to a post, above ground. Be sure to check the power required by your lights and make sure that your transformers will provide adequate power for your lighting design. |
With the transformers in place, begin running the low-voltage wire, laying it out according the flag markers placed earlier. |
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| The Loran uplight fixtures need to be spliced into the low-voltage wire. Cut the wire near the fixture location, strip off the insulation, and twist the fixture wire and line wire together. |
The wires slide into a brass barrel, and are secured with the barrel's set screw. |
Slip a piece of tubing over the joint, then heat it with a propane torch. The tubing material will shrink as the silicone inside melts, providing a permanent watertight seal. |
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| To "plant" the live fixture, drive a straight prybar into the ground to create a hole for the mounting stake. After setting the fixture into place, use the end of a mallet handle to compact the soil around the stake. |
Once the fixture is in place, dig a shallow trench in which to fold some of the wire. Leave extra wire on each side of the fixture to allow you to relocate it later, as your landscaping evolves. |
The Intermatic light fixture features special interlocking clips, which can be attached anywhere along the low-voltage wire. Two prongs inside the clip penetrate the insulation and make contact with the wire conductor inside, so you don't need to cut the wire to make the connection! |
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| The best way to run wire along the edge of a driveway or patio is by cutting a narrow slot along the outer edge of the pavement using a flat garden spade, leveraging the spade against the pavement. |
A thin piece of wood makes a handy tool for pushing the wire to the bottom of this groove. |
To run wire across a lawn, cut a slot into the lawn with a garden spade, working it back and forth to create a narrow V in the ground about six inches deep. |
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