Showing posts with label Lighting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lighting. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

West End Lighting WEL-PAR38-302 Dimmable UL 9 LED Par38 Spotlight 14-Watt with 30-Degree Viewing Angle, Warm White

!±8± West End Lighting WEL-PAR38-302 Dimmable UL 9 LED Par38 Spotlight 14-Watt with 30-Degree Viewing Angle, Warm White


Rate : | Price : $130.37 | Post Date : Jan 24, 2012 19:38:28
Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your credit card will not be charged until we ship the item.

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Monday, January 2, 2012

How to Choose Wall Mounted Lighting For Your Bedroom

!±8± How to Choose Wall Mounted Lighting For Your Bedroom

Before you start your bedroom wall mounted lighting decision making, you will need some basic tools. You probably have these around the house. What you will need is a pencil, paper and a measuring ruler.

Now give some thought about the way you will be using the bedroom. Decide weather you are going to be using computers, reading while your are lying in bed and for the women, will you be putting your makeup on in this room? Do you want the lighting to be able to change the mood of the room? Write this down with your pencil and paper.

The next step is to select where you want to place the wall mounted lighting fixture. My suggestion is to choose places in the room where you will be able to light up work spaces, over the bed for reading, illuminate mirrors or other wall art you have applied to the walls.

Now that you know where and for what purpose you wish to apply your wall mounted lighting, you will need to measure how much space is available for your wall lighting fixture. This will be helpful in deciding what size lighting fixture will be best for the job. Again, write this down with your pencil and paper.

At this point you should decide on how your new wall lighting should be controlled. You have a few choices. You can go with using a wall switch or a wall dimmer switch.

When it comes to your choice of power source, you can use a wall outlet, but be sure that the outlet is located close to the place on the wall your light will be. Your second choice would be to wire the wall lights directly into the electrical system of your home. If you are not able to do this yourself, there are electricians in your area who will do the wiring job for you. Your third choice is to purchase wall lighting that is self contained. This means that the power source is a battery located inside the wall lighting fixture itself. With the event of LED lighting, you will be able to produce bright light that uses very little power and this will extend battery life.

With what I have written so far in mind, the next decision you should make is choosing a style of wall mounted lighting that will match the theme of the bedroom. Try to find wall fixtures that go with the furniture and wall decorations you already have in the bedroom. You should take your time and explore all the wall mounted lighting possibilities. There is an extremely large amount of these fixtures available to you online. So don't rush into your final decision.

To give you an idea of what is popular in bedroom wall lighting, a very popular choice is swing arm wall lighting. With swing arm wall lighting you can either mount the fixture to each side of the headboard or on the wall above each side of the headboard. This will make it easy for you to direct light for reading or working while lying in bed.

You also have a choice in the direction of light you would like your wall mounted lighting fixture to aim. You can add a touch of mood enhancing ambiance by installing wall lighting fixtures in which the lighting is directed upward toward the ceiling. By using spotlight or lampshade wall lighting fixtures, you will have your lighting aiming in a downward direction. This is good if you are using the light to perform certain tasks in your bedroom.

Once again, if you are planning on connecting your bedroom wall mounted lighting directly to the electrical system of your home and you are not comfortable with electrical wiring systems, to avoid dangerous situations, have a professional electrician in your area do the job for you.

No matter what your final choice is, you now have before you an idea of how to prepare for choosing wall mounted lighting for your bedroom. I can not stress enough how you should take your time and explore everything that is available to you before you make that final decision.


How to Choose Wall Mounted Lighting For Your Bedroom

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Monday, December 26, 2011

Deck and Patio Lighting Thoughts

!±8± Deck and Patio Lighting Thoughts

One of the primary motivators for the homeowner in considering a patio or deck area as an add-on to their home is its entertainment value. Cruise the neighborhood during the day and you will more than likely see only a few people using the patio or deck. However, as evening approaches the story changes. When parent(s) come home from work or when it's the right time to plan a party for friends and relatives, the patio or deck is frequently used as the center of festivities that often last well into the night.

During the planning stages, it's important to include a lighting plan to make sure that the patio and deck area are not only well-lighted but that the lighting design creates a magical effect for its visitors.

Starting with the most elegant (and usually the most expensive) deck and patio lighting we can take a look at lights that are built-in to the foundation elements of the patio or deck. These lights provide a soft uplight glow that can mark a pathway or just provide a non-functional source of beauty. The lights are generally installed by contractors during the patio and deck construction and are generally not a project that the average DIY should consider tackling. I've seen this type of lighting done in a variety of colors and have even seen systems that automatically change the colors during the course of the evening, providing a mood-altering effect.

Dimmers are also a worthwhile investment for ground level lighting, allowing the host to increase or decrease the intensity of the lighting depending on the mood desired. Ground lighting is very safe since the lights themselves are never in contact with the visitors. Contractors will make sure that the process for changing the bulbs is simple and straightforward.

Speaking of dimmers, it's generally a good idea to keep your entire deck and patio lighting system under dimmer control. Bright moonlight can allow you to turn the lighting down a bit while dark moonless nights can prompt you to boost the light up a bit.

Ground level lighting can also be used to frame the patio or deck area particularly if you've planted shrubbery or other low plantings around the area.

Down lighting is another type of deck and patio lighting. As the name implies, this is lighting from above and can be used to simulate moonlight. Besides being a natural lighting source, down lighting also enhances the security of the area because a lighted deck or patio usually leaves the impression the there's someone at home.

A creative way to use this as a security feature is to have your doorbell circuit tied into a switch that at least temporarily turns the down lights on.

Most down lighting is accomplished by the use of either or both floodlights and spotlights. The floodlight will provide more ambient lighting by illuminating the entire deck or patio area while spotlights can be used as task lighting to highlight such areas as stairways and entryways. Spotlights can also be used to accent special features such as fountains, plantings or cooking and eating areas.

Many deck and patio lighting is installed at the waist level to keep any glare away from the face and to provide an elegant touch. Some lighting can also be installed at the top of posts that are at the top of stairways or other areas that separate one part of the deck or patio from another.

Some homeowners use strip or rope lights to highlight the porch or deck railing or other areas that need special attention such as stair risers or seating areas. If you live in an area where you can use a deck or patio during the winter holiday season, give some thought to decorating the area with lighting that can be used year-round.

Have fun with your lighting plan for your deck or patio. Most of the lighting is relatively inexpensive and can be removed or modified relatively easily. You may want to divide your plan into lights, which need to be permanently installed, and lights that are movable and optional.

Please don't get carried away with deck and patio lighting plans. This type of lighting is best understated although some decorative lighting such as hurricane lamps or tiki torches (used in moderation) are OK.

Bugs are often a problem at night and several manufactures offer lights that discourage or repel flying pests. Sometimes a bright light, strategically placed in a tree a bit away from the patio or deck will help keep these insects occupied elsewhere rather than with your guests.

Above all, keep in mind that you want to create a magic environment that will encourage visitors to congregate and socialize late into the evening.


Deck and Patio Lighting Thoughts

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Sunday, December 11, 2011

Lighting and Energy Efficiency

!±8± Lighting and Energy Efficiency

As a former educator and former psychotherapist, I have continually had a common notion about people reinforced: We are creatures of habit and change doesn't come easy for any of us. With respect to our living environment, this is particularly true. It generally takes some kind of jolt or "smack in the face" to get us to consider making changes in where and how we live.

One of the strongest motivators in prompting people to change comes from information on how to save money particularly when we find we can get the same benefits from using things that are more efficient and cost-effective.

This article is a brief synopsis of ways that you can save money on your lighting costs. Implement some of these suggestions and you will notice a change in the bottom line of your electric bill. Remember, that these savings add up month after month and at the end of the year, a tally will prove that you've made a wise move.

For many people, the way they light their homes and businesses hasn't changed much since the invention of the incandescent light bulb by Thomas Edison. Granted, these bulbs have evolved into more energy-efficient devices, but technology can only go so far with an idea that, by its very nature, is inefficient in terms of its basic function. The incandescent light bulb is really more of a heat than a light producer and compared to new lighting technology they just aren't very durable.

The latest and greatest lighting innovation is the compact fluorescent light bulb also known as the CFL. The first CFLs had some definite drawbacks. Like most new technology, they were more expensive than their incandescent counterparts, had separate tubes and ballasts and were available in just a limited number of shapes, sizes and the amount of light that they generated. These limitations made the early CFLs somewhat limited in terms of popularity and applications were typically limited to just the right circumstance and need.

The great competitive nature of our culture soon began to prompt significant changes in all aspects of the CFL. If you haven't been hanging around the lighting department in your local home center or hardware store, you may be in for a surprise with respect to what is currently available to homeowner and business owners and why you should seriously consider making some changes in the way you light your environment.

First, let's consider expense. Modern CFLs use about one-third the electricity and last as much as ten times longer than their incandescent counterparts. For example, if you consider one single 18 watt CFL in place of a comparable 75 watt incandescent bulb, over its lifetime, the CFL will save you as much as - at an average kWh unit cost.
Remember, we are talking about just one bulb. Multiply the number of bulbs by the average savings per bulb and you will be in for a real eye-opener.

Related to the cost savings provided by the CFL, let's also consider efficiency. The typical CFL is up to four times more efficient than its incandescent counterpart and will last on average ten times longer. Taking a 22-watt CFL as an example, it will generate the same level of illumination as a 100 watt incandescent. Translated into energy efficiency, the CFL uses about 60% less energy than a comparable incandescent.

The quality of the light generated by the newer CFLs has improved considerably over the earlier versions. Everyone is familiar with the cool white look of the early fluorescent. While this type of color found many applications in factories and offices, it just wasn't conducive to the type of lighting most people desired in their homes. Newer CFLs use rare earth phosphors that can provide a wide variety of colors including those that emit a warm, soft light that is desirable in a living environment. In addition, the newer CFLs include technology that eliminates the annoying hum and flicker of the older versions.

The big news is that today's CFLs can be used just about anywhere that the traditional incandescent bulb is used. They can be used in table and floor lamps, on track lighting, in recessed fixtures, in ceiling fixtures and even outdoors. The newest technology also provides 3-way CFLs that can be used in lamps with high, medium and low settings and CFLs that can be used with a dimmer switch are also now on the market.

For the environmentally conscious individuals, CLFs have been proven to reduce both air and water pollution. For example, replacing just one incandescent bulb with a comparable CFL will reduce about one-half ton of CO2 over the life of the bulb. If using CFLs became the lighting method of choice for the entire country, we could eliminate a large number of electric power plants and their toxic by-products.

While the news about switching to CFL lighting is nearly all-positive, there are a few drawbacks or limitations that should be mentioned. Not all CFLs are dimmable. This technology is fairly recent and the models that are available are therefore limited. Be sure to carefully check the package before purchasing a CFL that you intend to use with a dimmer or in a 3-way light. If you plan to purchase a CFL for use on a timer, be particularly careful in making your selection. While the standard CFL will function with a timer, its life will be considerably shorter.

Unfortunately nearly all CFLs are not as durable when they are frequently turned on and off. Consider where you plan to install CFLs and stick with an incandescent bulb if this is an issue (such as in closets, laundry rooms, etc.).

Many CFLs don't produce their rated light level when used in an outdoor setting. The package should let you know if the CFL is suited for outdoor use.

CFLs are not designed to function as spotlights so if you have a need for accent lighting in your home or in a retail setting, it's best to consider other alternative lighting.

Finally, CLFs contain small amounts of mercury, which is classified as a toxic material and may be released if the bulb is broken or when it is disposed of. Take care to observe local, state, and federal regulations with respect to the disposal of this toxic metal. If you happen to break a CFL use a wet rag and dispose of both the bag and the pieces in a tightly sealed plastic bag. Your local recycling center may accept this waste but if they don't, use your local trash container making sure to cleanse your hands after disposal.

Under no circumstances, send the waste material to an incinerator because it will simply release the mercury into the atmosphere.

Some final words about CFLs:

These fixtures are available in a wide variety of sizes, styles and shapes and have from two to six tubes. Some CFLs have the ballast permanently fixed and must be replaced as a unit while others have a separate bulb and fixture which permits you to replace just the bulb.

These CFLs are available with standard sockets, which are easily installed, in most household fixtures:

Triple tube lamps provide greater lighting in small areas using shorter bulbs. These lamps are ideal for table and reading lamps as well as for open hanging lamps. Spiral lamps are just as described and are typically used as replacements for incandescent light bulbs. Globe lamps look like standard incandescent bulbs and have a diffuser that will provide a soft and pleasing light. Globe lamps are typically used on bathroom vanities and add the benefit of reducing the heat in this area, which is usually lighted by multiple bulbs. Flood lamps are designed for track and recessed lighting and can generally be used both indoors and outdoors. They provide a soft light, which is diffused and generates considerably less heat than their incandescent counterparts. Candelabra style CFLs are screw-in fixtures that have a small base designed primarily for chandeliers. Socket reducers, available at most hardware stores, may be needed to adapt these bulbs to certain chandeliers and sconces.

While the majority of this article focuses on the benefits of CFL lighting, another light source is becoming more and more popular. I'm talking about natural sunlight. Some DIY will consider installing a skylight(s) a major project and for the most part, they are correct. However, when considering new construction, skylights are certainly an option to seriously consider. While they may be somewhat more expensive to install, they will more than make up the additional cost over the years in reduced electrical bills. If you decide to tackle the job yourself, be sure that the skylight is a tight fit and well caulked.

Finally, and beyond the scope of an extensive discussion in this article, solar panels (depending on where you live) can provide significant a significant savings in your electrical costs. The models and options available in solar panels have significantly increased over the years and there are models available that will fit just about anyone's budget. There are some state and federal programs that provide financial incentives for homeowners considering solar panels and I suggest you look into these.

I hope the information in this brief article has been useful and will prove beneficial to you as you continue to look for better and more economical ways to light your part of the world.


Lighting and Energy Efficiency

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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

High Efficiency Halogen Lamps Are a Better Energy Efficient Lighting Option For Recessed Downlights

!±8± High Efficiency Halogen Lamps Are a Better Energy Efficient Lighting Option For Recessed Downlights

For many homeowners, especially those with children, the kitchen is the most lived-in room in the house. It's a gathering place, a workspace, a study area, an entertainment venue and of course, a room in which to enjoy meals together. Thus, it's not uncommon for kitchen lights to be switched on for four or more hours per day. This presents a legitimate opportunity to save money and reduce air pollution and landfill waste by switching to energy-efficient lighting solutions.

As a source of both ambient and task light, recessed downlights ("cans") are widely used in American kitchens. These fixtures push light down and away to light an area and a work surface at the same time. To enable the homeowner to add ambience, they're often controlled by a dimmer switch.

For homeowners motivated to make a small investment to reduce their electricity use and/or carbon footprint, a simple light bulb retrofit in their existing kitchen fixtures is a smart and easy strategy. Simply remove the existing high wattage (commonly 65-90 watts) bulbs, and insert lower wattage eco-friendly lamps which yield equivalent light output (lumens). But since there are two types of lower cost energy-efficient lighting options from which to choose, which is preferable in this application?

High-Efficiency Halogen Lamps Beat Compact Fluorescent Lamps

We've looked at this question from many angles and have concluded that screw-in (self-ballasted) CFL reflector lamps, for many the obvious choice, are an inferior, energy-efficient lighting solution. Very few consumers are familiar with the new high-efficiency halogen lamps ("HEH") which have hit the market in the last few years. The best of these models already exceed the energy efficiency requirements for incandescent reflector lamps scheduled to take effect in July 2012.

Here, we cite nine reasons why we believe high-efficiency halogen lamps, controlled by a pre-set dimmer switch, offer overall superior, energy-efficient lighting value to CFLs starting with the most important factor for electric light sources, whether energy efficient or not: light characteristics.

Reason 1 - Great Light:

Halogen light is legendary for being white, bright, crisp, and punchy and making colors appear vivid. The light cast by CFL reflectors, while typically warm white, is average at best.

Reason 2 - Superior Illuminance:

"Illuminance" describes the amount of light on a horizontal surface, measured in "foot candles." High-efficiency halogen lamps, especially those with a PAR (Parabolic Aluminized Reflector) configuration, throw concentrated light downwards measurably better than CFL reflectors. The result? Much more artificial light where it's needed.

Reason 3 - Effortless Dimming:

No artificial light source dims better than an incandescent lamp. High-efficiency halogen lamps use improved incandescent technology and don't require special dimmer switches. Dimmable CFLs cost more than non-dimmable versions. But dimmable doesn't translate into impressive dimming performance.

Reason 4 - Dimming = Longer Lamp Life:

Dimming any lamp is an energy-efficient lighting strategy because it reduces electricity consumption and harmful gas emissions. There's an added green benefit when dimming high-efficiency halogen lamps: it extends the lifetime of the lamp. For example, constant dimming by just 15% (a pre-set dimmer enables this) will triple the life of the bulb, thereby reducing landfill waste and replacement costs. For premium high-efficiency halogen lamps, this translates into 9,000 to 12,000 hours, roughly the same as the average rated life of an Energy Star rated CFL reflector (whose projected life is static even if dimmed).

Reason 5 - Instant On:

Just like non-halogen incandescent bulbs, halogen lamps reach full brightness with the flick of a switch. State-of-the-art CFL reflectors will start instantly but take 30 seconds to a minute's time to reach full brightness (depending on the ambient room temperature).

Reason 6 - Mercury-Free:

High-efficiency halogen lamps operate without the use of mercury. All CFLs contain mercury which must be vaporized to create ultraviolet energy and subsequently, visible light. Since mercury is a toxic substance, this necessitates proper recycling at the end of a CFL's life. Further, while breakage in a recessed can is a low probability risk, an accident would cause mercury to contaminate the area below.

Reason 7 - Reliability:

High-efficiency halogen lamps don't contain any electronic components. Unlike a screw-in CFL, which contains a precise electronic component called a ballast, neither frequent on/off switching, nor trapped heat will affect the performance or lifespan of these energy-efficient lighting solutions.

Reason 8 - Lumen Maintenance:

Lumens are the measure of the amount of light emitted by a light source. High-efficiency halogen lamps maintain their initial lumens for as long as they operate. CFLs, using different technology, will gradually dim by about 25% over their lifetime. Why does this matter? Studies have shown that at age 65, the eyes need three times more light to see as well as at age 20. With CFLs in a kitchen, vision needs and light output are moving in opposite directions as time passes.

The Rest of the Story - High-Efficiency Halogen Lamps Are Greener

Reason 9 - Better, REAL Energy-Efficient Lighting:

The commonly used metric for comparing energy-efficient lighting is lumens of output per watt of electrical input. This method is appropriate for omni-directional bulbs such as traditional A-shape lamps and spiral CFLs. Directional lamps (floodlights, spotlights) are different. Their job is not to glow, but to throw light into a defined area or onto a specific surface. Compare the measured light (illuminance) on a horizontal surface from two floodlights, a 16 watt CFL BR30 (630 lumens) and a 34 watt HEH PAR30 (1) (612 lumens). The CFL has 39 lumens per watt vs. 18 for the HEH. Thus, by conventional measures the CFL is more than twice as energy efficient. Measured illuminance tells a very different story: the CFL floodlight casts just 15 foot candles of light onto the work surface in this demonstration. The HEH? 51 foot candles.(2) Therefore, at 1.5 foot candles per watt, the HEH bulb is 60% more efficient in real terms than the CFL (0.9 foot candles per watt). Or viewed another way, using typical recessed downlight fixtures, to produce an equivalent amount of light on a kitchen countertop or table, where important tasks such as food preparation and schoolwork are performed, a 54 watt CFL floodlight would be needed. Not only would such a lamp be more expensive to purchase, it would cost 36% more to operate and generate 36% more air pollution than the high-efficiency halogen lamp.

Notes for Previous Example

1. A 40 watt model was dimmed by 15% to reduce lumen output from 720 to 612.

2. Measured distance of each light source to the surface of the light meter instrument was 50 inches.

Illuminating the Perks of Energy-Efficient Lighting

Impressive consumer value is sometimes found where it's least expected. We're all for selectively installing energy-efficient lighting around the home and place of business because it leverages the fact that the cheapest and cleanest kilowatt of electricity is the one that's never produced in the first place. But if light bulb buyers only paid attention to the popular media or followed Energy Star prescriptions, they would only know to consider CFL reflectors as an affordable, energy-efficient lighting solution for their oft-used recessed downlights.

As we've argued here, the exciting new high-efficiency halogen lamps (spot and floodlights), which are generally priced on par with premium quality dimmable CFL reflectors, are superior energy-efficient lighting solutions for consumers who value great light characteristics, thrift, dimming performance and environmental sustainability for their lighting dollar.


High Efficiency Halogen Lamps Are a Better Energy Efficient Lighting Option For Recessed Downlights

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