To some, the whole concept of working with lighting transformers is new. It used to be, that all you did was change the light bulbs now and then, and that was that. But with low voltage lighting grabbing an ever increasing share of our domestic light sources, many homeowners suddenly have to deal with unfamiliar elements such as transformers, and running power cables around the house. It is enough to get some of us out of our comfort-zone.
To make good on the title of this article though, we will focus on finding the best location to mount your new low voltage transformer. Now – while something like a 12v transformer may be necessary to run halogen spots or certain led bulbs, that does not mean you cannot have an aesthetically pleasing installation. The transformer could be placed anywhere in theory – as long as you can wire the lighting fixtures to it. But you will still want to think of certain other issues and deciding factors, such as ease of maintenance and fire safety. This mainly means that you must not mount the unit in a way that it is made inaccessible. An example of that, would be to put it behind a sealed wall or ceiling panel. Having to demolish part of your home to do some fault-finding on the electrical system, is not something you will enjoy much.
Most transformer units are enclosed in either plastic or metal, of a kind that you can paint over. This allows you to match the look of it to a wall or ceiling, enough to make it blend in easily. You can also think about putting it somewhere that isn’t in your normal line of sight, like in a ceiling corner next to a doorway. In this case, the doorway will attract most of the attention, because most people will focus on going through it, not some small box above head height, painted to look like the wall. Another good thing about a corner location, is that the unit cannot easily cast shadows there – since there will be no light coming from above it, and since the proximity of two walls and the ceiling will all but eliminate shadows.
If you can hide it in a closet, then even better. You can still get to it very easily if you have to, which is key. Wiring can go through walls, ceilings and floors, and is easy to conceal, so don’t worry about distance to the light fixtures – worry about find just the spot for your transformer.