Hi,
I've been seeing recently the increasing offers of low voltage (12V) lighting. At least one disadvantage is real: I need a voltage transformer (and run the low voltage lines all over the house) to make it work. But which are the advantage of these over conventional 110V lighting?.
Thanks in advance Faustino
Safety! The transformer is a minor disadvantage compared to the benefits in certaincicumstances.
12V lighting is not subject to some of the same codes of wiring as the 110V stuff. Yu can runwires in places that would not be allowed. The wires are thinner and easier for Joe Sixpack to handle. This is a major advantage for outdoor applications for lighitng a patio or deck.
Smaller fixtures. I got some small "hockey puck" type of lights to go under the kitchen cabinets.
Another use, would be inside of china cabinets and the like, again small, low power (10-20w) lights.
Well, actually the advantage is to the insurance company used by the light manufacturer. There is much less chance that you, the consumer, will shock yourself and sue the manufacturer. This is the same reason that all small electronics devices have "power bricks" now.
More lights on a circuit, easier wiring of lamps, can't electrocute yourself by sticking your tongue in the lamp socket... :)
Biggest advantage is often size of fixtures. You can put mood/environment lighting everywhere. Better is fiber optic for this, but costlier and more difficult.
Jeff
Anmother reason most manufacturers have resorted to "power bricks" is that UL only goes as far as the 120 volt component. I don't believe that my printer is UL blessed, but the "power brick" is. Same with my laptop. Saves time and money.
BTW, I bought a replacement cord for an old iron that I wanted to use for softening glued veneer. Plugged it in and thought I had left my arc welder on. When I opened it up the two conductors (an old style cord) were connected together in the female connector. The UL tag on the cord didn't even get singed.
RB
William W. Plummer wrote:
Well, yes and no.
The advantage to the manufacturer selling in the U.S. in using out-board power supplies is that they only need to get the power supply UL listed, not the entire device, hence saving significant money and time-to-market. In this way they can also use the same supply on multiple devices for further savings, or use different supplies for the same device destined for different countries to gain even further savings.
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