LVL – Landscape Cable

Votatec's LVL landscape lighting wire is direct-burial cable for low-voltage outdoor lighting, stocked in 12/2, 14/2 and 16/2.

Two stranded bare copper conductors run inside a flat duplexed PVC jacket that shrugs off water, dirt and abrasion. Black jacket. Spools in 75 m and 150 m.

Listed to UL Subject 1493, cUL C22.2 No. 35 and CSA Class 5834-01. Bury it direct or pull it through PVC conduit.

What gauge wire is best for landscape lighting?

Match the gauge to the load and the run length, not to the fixture count. 12/2 holds voltage best over distance, so it's the default for main feeds and long perimeter runs. 14/2 handles mid-length branches. 16/2 is for short spurs close to the transformer.

Voltage drop decides the job, not ampacity. A run that's fine on paper still browns out the last three fixtures if the gauge is too thin. When you're unsure, size up. Copper is cheaper than a return visit.

What's the difference between 12/2 and 14/2 landscape wire?

Conductor size, and that's it. Both carry two stranded copper conductors in the same flat black jacket. 12 AWG holds more copper than 14 AWG, so it loses less voltage per metre and feeds more watts before the far end dims.

Most crews run 12/2 from the transformer to a hub, then drop to 14/2 or 16/2 for the last stretch. Votatec stocks all three gauges in both spool lengths, so you can split a job across gauges without a second supplier.

Built for burial, not for branch circuits

This is low-energy circuit cable for extra-low-voltage lighting, the systems covered by Rules 30-1200 to 30-1208 of the Canadian Electrical Code. It goes in the ground direct, or inside PVC conduit where it crosses a driveway or walk.

It isn't a substitute for NMWU on the 120V side. Feed it from a listed landscape transformer and keep the line-voltage work in cable rated for it.

What it pairs with

Any 12V landscape transformer in the Votatec range, and the path, spot, bollard, hardscape and in-ground fixtures they drive. The flat duplexed construction splits cleanly by hand for direct-burial connectors, so you're not stripping a round jacket in a wet trench.

We don't post a spec sheet for this cable yet, so ask us for the construction data if your submittal needs strand counts, jacket dimensions or the FT rating. Send your gauge split and total metres, and we'll quote spools and confirm stock.