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Exeric · 01-25-13, 03:35 PM

Hi Opiesche,
I've been thinking about the whole transformer location problem (now you're in trouble) and found a way of reframing the problem. I'm assuming you want to have the light switched. Doorbells also use transformers and they are typically housed in attics, or in your about to be beautiful crawlspace. You can install a butt ugly electrical box up there or down there as long as you've got access to it and it is not covered up by anything. Like doorbell transformers you should wire it always on.

Again, like doorbells you don't need to have UL approved wiring practices for 12 volts. You could just run the fairly small guage wires through the ceiling or floor next to the wall to a local switch box used for the rest of the lighting. You could make a narrow cut in the drywall with a circular saw, or whatever and embed the wires in the drywall and plaster over it. No big overhaul neccessary. If you don't want to expand the existing box holding the existing lighting switches to add a switch then you could just replace one of the switches with a double pole switch. Run the wires that went to the original single pole switch to just one of the poles of the double pole switch that replaced it. Connect the 12 volt hot wire and light hot wire to the other pole of the new double pole switch.

You could do that for retrofitting all low voltage transformers you need to install. Then label them and keep them all located in one out of the way place. This kind of installation would work best for retrofitting installations where you don't want to rip and tear things apart. Also this would not work for lights attached to multiple three way switches. They don't make double pole three way and four way switches.

EDIT:
It may not be such a good idea to use one double pole switch running 120 and 12 volts together. If the switch ever became defective you would have the possibility that you'd get 120 ac running back to the transformer. If the rectifying diodes blew in a shorted state then you'd have 120v ac going into the secondary that would get boosted to 1200v on the primary. It's all a remote possibility but its definitely a possibility. That situation would definitely be lethal.

01-25-13, 03:35 PM	#33
Exeric Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: California Posts: 274 Thanks: 19 Thanked 37 Times in 28 Posts	Hi Opiesche, I've been thinking about the whole transformer location problem (now you're in trouble) and found a way of reframing the problem. I'm assuming you want to have the light switched. Doorbells also use transformers and they are typically housed in attics, or in your about to be beautiful crawlspace. You can install a butt ugly electrical box up there or down there as long as you've got access to it and it is not covered up by anything. Like doorbell transformers you should wire it always on. Again, like doorbells you don't need to have UL approved wiring practices for 12 volts. You could just run the fairly small guage wires through the ceiling or floor next to the wall to a local switch box used for the rest of the lighting. You could make a narrow cut in the drywall with a circular saw, or whatever and embed the wires in the drywall and plaster over it. No big overhaul neccessary. If you don't want to expand the existing box holding the existing lighting switches to add a switch then you could just replace one of the switches with a double pole switch. Run the wires that went to the original single pole switch to just one of the poles of the double pole switch that replaced it. Connect the 12 volt hot wire and light hot wire to the other pole of the new double pole switch. You could do that for retrofitting all low voltage transformers you need to install. Then label them and keep them all located in one out of the way place. This kind of installation would work best for retrofitting installations where you don't want to rip and tear things apart. Also this would not work for lights attached to multiple three way switches. They don't make double pole three way and four way switches. EDIT: It may not be such a good idea to use one double pole switch running 120 and 12 volts together. If the switch ever became defective you would have the possibility that you'd get 120 ac running back to the transformer. If the rectifying diodes blew in a shorted state then you'd have 120v ac going into the secondary that would get boosted to 1200v on the primary. It's all a remote possibility but its definitely a possibility. That situation would definitely be lethal. Last edited by Exeric; 01-25-13 at 08:35 PM..