Tuesday, September 13, 2016



  1. What fixtures are best used for illuminating the front of a house?
  2. What techniques are used to illuminate driveways?
  3. Is it OK to mount a transformer inside a home?
  4. Will a landscape lighting installation damage my property?
  5. How long will my bulbs last?
  6. Why are CAST Lights made of solid bronze?
  7. Why are my CAST Lighting fixtures turning white?
  8. What sort of maintenance is required for CAST fixtures?
  9. What sort of maintenance is required for CAST transformers?

1. What fixtures are best used for illuminating the front of a house?

CAST MR-16 bullets are the most commonly used fixtures for illuminating vertical surfaces. MR-16 lamps are available in a variety of beam angles and wattages allowing for precise control of the lighting effect.

CAST Well Lights were previously used for this purpose. However, well lights are below-ground fixtures and may get covered in mulch and plant material. For this reason a MR-16 Bullet fixture is the perferred choice.

2. What techniques are used to illuminate driveways?

The most compelling lighting for a driveway is moonlighting. This involves mounting CAST Wash Lights 20 to 30 ft. up into trees. Driveways may also be illuminated along the edges with CAST path lights or the CAST MR-16 Area Bullet.

3. Is it OK to mount a transformer inside a home?

We recommend installing transformers outside on a transformer stand (constructed according to our guidelines). This eliminates running wires through walls and also allows for the best dissipation of heat generated by the transformer.

However, CAST transformers are UL approved for inside installation. In this case, the installer needs to follow National Electrical Code (NEC) guidelines for running wires within a structure; and must use a properly rated metal conduit when running wires through exterior walls.

4. Will a landscape lighting installation damage my property?

No, low voltage lighting wiring requires very shallow narrow trenches as compared to high voltage lighting that requires deeper, larger trenches.

A typical landscape lighting installation can be completed in one or two days leaving the landscape unmarked and undamaged.

5. How long will my bulbs last?

The life expectancy that appears on the lamp box is determined by tests under laboratory conditions using standard testing procedures set by the Illumination Engineering Society of North America (IESNA).

The rated life is set at the time when half of the tested lamps burn out. When lamps are subject to an outdoor environment with changes in temperature, lamp life may be shortened. Other factors such as fixture design and voltage fluctuations may also affect lamp life.

Given this host of variables, it is typical (in a landscape lighting application) that 10,000 hr. lamps last (on average) from 18 to 30 months, while 5,000 hr lamps last from 12 to 24 months. Of course, it's not uncommon for some lamps to burn out in times much shorter or longer than this.

6. Why are CAST Lights made of solid bronze?

Solid sand-cast bronze is the most corrosion-resistant metal used to make landscape lighting fixtures. It doesn't scratch, chip, crack, break or corrode. It also ages naturally to a beautiful patina - a color that blends perfectly into the landscape.

7. Why are my CAST Lighting fixtures turning white?

Bronze contains a small amount of zinc. After a fixture is installed in the landscape, some of this zinc migrates to the surface forming a whitish coating. This coating eventually fades and washes off. The time for the whitish coating to disappear varies according to environmental conditions and can last from a couple weeks to a couple months.

We recommend that homeowners allow this natural process to progress, but if they wish to remove the zinc coating, this is best done by gently scouring the fixture with coarse steel wool or a steel brush. After scouring the fixture, the surface should be wiped clean with a damp cloth. Keep in mind that the whitish coating may re-appear until the zinc migration is complete.

To prevent the zinc from reappearing after the above step, the homeowner may apply WD-40® to the fixture then rubbing it over all the surfaces. Note, however, that this application will delay the further patinization of the fixture to it's final stage of bluish-green by as much as a year.

8. What sort of maintenance is required for CAST fixtures?

At least once a year, the following maintenance should be performed on CAST fixtures:

  • Fixture surfaces wiped clean of dirt and debris.
  • Lens cleaned with a CLR solution.
  • Plant material and debris that may be contacting or covering the fixture should be removed.

9. What sort of maintenance is required for CAST transformers?

At least once every 18 months, the following maintenance should be performed on CAST transformers:

  • Surface and under cover cleaned of dirt and debris.
  • Terminal block set screws (top and bottom) tightened securely.
  • Testing loop amped and compared to record form to ensure transformer load is still within limits.