| 12 v |
220v |
| flexibility when installing or relocating; cable is only hidden |
wire must be buried 18 inches and/or placed in a protective conduit; difficult to move |
| designed for wet locations and operate safely when exposed to moisture |
all fixtures and connectors must be absolutely waterproof; shock hazard potential when wet |
| lamps (light bulbs) are small and allow fixtures to be smaller and less obtrusive in the landscape |
lamps much larger and require larger fixtures to house them |
| lamps available in low watt type and many beam spreads; more precise lighting effects can be achieved with lower energy costs |
higher watt lamps and one or two beam spreads produce inappropriately high light levels; lack of beam control creates glare problems; more expensive to operate |
| can be plugged into existing outdoor receptacles; no need for an electrical contractor in most cases |
must always be installed by a licensed electrical contractor; local permits may be required |
| transformer to convert current from 220v to 12v required; voltage drop (dim lights) can occur if improperly engineered and inadequately sized cable used |
no transformer required; voltage drop not as critical |
