Transformers that convert the main voltage to lower voltage are frequently utilized terms; specifically in low voltage lighting. There are various models to be selected from, while shopping for a transformer; therefore I want to give you some guidelines for you:
Be sure that the low voltage transformer gives output according to your requirements. A very common type is the 12v transformer but many other voltages are available. You won’t do any damage if the voltage is lower than required for your purpose, but it may not work very well. Then again, if you feed 24 volts to something that requires 12 volts, you may damage the electronics seriously, so this is something to get right.
Know the power rating of what you want to have. If it is about halogen bulbs, figure out how many watts are consumed by every bulb and multiply with the number of bulbs you will be utilizing. That is the minimum power rating of the transformer you require. A good rule of the thumb is to have a little headroom in the power, meaning that you may have at least 50% more power available from the Toroidal power transformer than what you think you require.
Make sure what type of voltage you require-AC or DC? A transformer alone can only produce AC voltage; hence if you require DC, what you really want is power supply. This is a transformer plus some extra electronics. Moreover, do you require unipolar and bipolar outputs? A bipolar low voltage transformer has 3 output pins, which are called the positive, the negative and the common ground. A unipolar transformer only has the positive and the common, this type is what is generally sold as low voltage lighting transformer, among other products. If you can dim your low lights, you should know that you should look for a dimmable low voltage transformer.




