What Lamps Can I Use in a Low Voltage Fixture

Lamp Types

• Different types of lamps such as tungsten-halogen, incandescent, fluorescent and high intensity discharge (HID) are types of lamps used within a low-voltage fixture. Other factors such as equipment and maintenance costs, power consumption and function will determine what type of lamp would be best suited for a particular project. Lower lamp wattages such as 12W and 10W could serve the purpose for outdoor landscapes and 5W or 4W bulbs could help provide the right kind of ambience for an indoor room.

Lighting Basics

• General lighting is all-purpose lighting, which is used to brighten up a home to aid vision, and bulbs with high-wattage ratings, such as 60W and 100W, are used for this reason. Low-voltage fixtures wouldn't typically use these types of lamps. Accent lights highlight parts of a room or landscape; 4W or 5W lamps work best in this type of situation.

Uses for Light

• Task lighting is used in situations where a small amount of light is necessary for completing an assignment. Decorative lighting is specifically designed to make a room or landscape more attractive and it provides accent lighting within a particular area. Low-voltage fixtures such as those used as counter top lights, wall lamps or outdoor torches can use a low-wattage lamp for task, accent or decorative lighting.

Considerations

• Low-voltage fixtures are not made to consume a lot of power and they are practical for illuminating an environment without overpowering the area. These types of lighting systems can be used to highlight a flowerbed or a particular tree within a yard, or they can be used indoors to provide light to a picture or a particular area of the room where some radiance is needed. Bulbs with low-wattage ratings are better suited for low-voltage fixtures.