Following are commonly asked questions by individuals interested in CurbLites.
Q Why should I consider the Wizard's lights over other curb lighting out there?
A There are many reasons. Here are a few of the more important.
1. The Wizard is the originator of CurbLites. They were developed in 1992 and have been sold continually since.
2. The lead wire used in the Wizard's system is smaller than the wire used in most other systems making it easier to work with and conceal.
3. The Wizard offers several different tube lengths and price ranges.
4. The Wizards guarantee.
Q I have seen lights mounted on the back side of curbing but I've never seen them mounted into the curb like the Wizard's lights are in the brochure. Why go to the trouble of modifying my machine to cut a groove in the curb? Seems much easier to go with the easier method of installing the lights on the back side of the curb.
A No question that it is easier to attach 110 Volt Rope Light to the back of the curb. However, CurbLites are designed as accent lights. The Wizard designs his lights to decorate, not just illuminate. They provide attractive sparkles of light to accent and decorate their surroundings. A subdued, soft "glow" of illumination instead of a bright glare of light. The whole idea is to make the light itself pleasing to look at. Their primary purpose is to add ambiance to a setting, not flood the area with light.
In addition you have the shock hazard issue and weather or not you can legally install 110 volt lights if you are not a certified electrician.
Q Can I mount CurbLites on the back side of the curb?
A Yes. You can mount them any place on the curb that your customer wants. However we have found that by placing them into a groove in the curb provides protection for the light, keeps the light straight and creates an ambiance that simply can't be duplicated.
Q Can I mount the 110 volt rope lighting in a groove like I do CurbLites?
A No. The heat build up will most certainly affect the PVC.
Q Why should I choose low voltage over standard 110 volt lights?
A There are many reasons. Here are a few.
1. Low voltage lights can be installed by anyone. No need to hire an electrician.
2. The Wizards low voltage lights provide a soft accent light while the 110 volt are very bright and harsh.
3. The 110 volt presents a shock hazard.
4. The Wizard's low voltage CurbLites are encased in durable, non-yellowing polycarbonite tubing.
Q I'm doing a job and the length of CurbLite that I selected works out to be 6" longer than the run that I'm doing. What can I do?
A Most jobs have enough room to vary the curb enough to make up the 6" by moving the curbing from the original layout slightly.
Q Does the Wizard make 110 volt rope Lite?
A No. But he does stock them for sale as a service to customers who want it.
Q Does the Wizard make 110 volt rope Lite?
A No. But he does stock them for sale as a service to customers who insist on it.
Q I see rope lighting at the local home center. Why not buy that and install as curb lighting.
A Many of these answers are repeated from above but - here they are.
1. The rope lighting offered by most home centers is 110 Volt.
2. The rope lighting is made from PVC, not durable Polycarbonite.
3. The bulb life is generally much less than CurbLite.
4. The light generated by these lights is much to bright. Most home owners want accent lighting in the curbs not flood lights for this type of application.
5. Most of the 110 Volt "rope lighting" sold in home centers is imported from China and uses inferior lamps rated as low as 5,000 hours. CurbLites are made with 40,000 hour lamps.
Q Where are CurbLites sold? I had a curb lighting job lined up several months ago, then my customer saw the lights in a home center at half the price I was charging.
How long will it be before I have the same problem with CurbLites?
A You will not have this problem. CurbLites are sold to the curbing and/or landscape contractor. We do not solicit home centers and are not interested in selling them.
Q What is the voltage of the Wizard's CurbLites.
A 24 Volt
Q I thought that low voltage meant 12 volts.
A No. Anything 30 volts or lower is considered low voltage.
Q I'm confused by all of the length options offer by the Wizard. Why not one size fits all?
A Good question. The Wizard offers the various sizes to keep you competitive. We suggest that you use the 48" tube as often as possible. If you get into a situation where price is the prime consideration - you may have to go to the longer length to get the order.
Q What is the wattage of the miniature lamps used in CurbLites?
A Approximately 1/2 watt each.
Q How long of a run can I do with 18 gauge and 16 gauge wire.
A 18 Gauge about 180' if the power is fed from the end, or 360' if the power is fed from the center of the run.
16 Gauge about 245' if the power is fed from the end, or 490' if the power is fed from the center of the run.
Q How do I know what size power supply I need for a job.
A Multiply the total number of lamps that will be used on the job by .5. That will give you the wattage needed for the power supply.
Example: Your job is 480'. You are using CL 48-5 CurbLites that are 48" (4') long. Therefore you will need 480' ? 4' = 120 pieces CurbLite required.
Each 4' section of CurbLite has 5 lamps.
So... 120 pcs x 5 lamps = 600 Lamps Total.
600 lamps ? .5 watts per lamp = 300 watts.
Power supply required for the job - 300 watts or greater.
Most important - if you don't feel like figuring the job, call the Wizard. He'll do it for you in a flash.
Q I notice that the lamps are not centered within each tube. They are closer to the end of the tube on one end than the other. Why?
A If the lamps were centered exactly in the tube you would have a longer space (without lamps) on the ends of the tubes. When you join two tubes the spacing between the end lamps is the same as the spacing within each tube.
Q My customer loves the idea of CurbLites but insist on having lamps at 3" intervals. Anything we can do?
A No problem. Fax us the layout and we will figure the job as a custom project and can put lamps as close as 1/2" if your customer wants.
Q I have a customer who is crazy about StikLites and wants to use several within a semi-circle of a lighted curb. She also wants to us Stair Lites on the front entrance which is about 30 feet from the curb. My question. Can I hook all of this up on one power supply or do I need a power supply for each group?
A One power supply will do fine so long as the wattage is high enough to cover the number of lamps that will be installed. If you have questions, call the Wizard.
Q I was vacationing in California and saw a curb lighting job that was attached to top of the curb with silicone. Can I do that with CurbLites?
A You can, but we don't recommend it. In fact, the Wizard offers a "U" channel that will hold the light tubing. However, we have found that the tubing is frequently subjected to severe abuse from lawn mowers, weed eaters, edgers and people when it is installed in the manner. The tubing frequently gets torn loose causing call backs and customer complaints. Therefore, we suggest inserting into the curb as shown in our curb drawing.
Do you have questions not answered here?
Call or fax us or e mail the Wizard at lagunalites.com!
501-321-0125
501-321-0127 FAX