Archive for the ‘LED Lights’ Category
The Outdoor Lighting Expert on Task Lighting
By Maria Bargellini
Simply stated task lighting means providing light to see objects needed for a task, like say walking. This article is about outdoor task lighting and I want to help you understand task lighting and its value to your outdoor lighting design for both Safety and Security.
Safety: When most people think about lighting their homes safety isn’t always the first thing on their minds, it’s usually the overall look. Outdoor Lighting that helps people see immediate obstructions should actually be considered first, especially areas that are by a pool where someone can fall into the water. I know what you’re thinking, “what idiot would fall into the water? Well here’s the recipe: a good party, a few drinks, a quick trip over a stone, then a little sprinkler of Murphy’s Law and splash. Anywhere you have a step up or a step down that is too dark to see – should be lit. By most city codes a tripping hazard is anything less than 4″ tall, so believe it or not, the smaller the step the easier it is to trip over it. Most people light the front and the bottom of a set of stairs or path. If your stairs are not all the same depth or heights consider adding lights to the center where that fact can be seen, so that guest can adjust their stride. We’re so used to uniformity in steps everywhere else that are bodies are trained to take equal steps. Steps, pathways, and low entry ways, are where you should put landscape lights in. Keep in mind that these types of outdoor lighting fixtures are some of the most attractive out on the market. as they are highly visible. Typically, landscape lights are supposed to be hidden from view. Path, area and step or deck lights are offered in scores of decorative shapes, finishes, heights, and designs. Keep an eye on that budget – they can also be double the cost of a regular landscape light.
Security: These types of lights aren’t usually considered task lighting but if you ask me they perform a very important task — keeping your home illuminated so as to discourage any would be thieves from getting in and any sly teenagers from getting out, is most definitely a serious task indeed. Now I’m sure the first thing that popped up in your mind when I mention security lights are those huge bulb, antler looking things. Not the most attractive fixture in the world and the light emitted by those huge bulbs can take out the best of us. Security lights do not have to be unsightly. And if the burglar is close enough to set the lights off–he/she got a lot closer than they should have gotten. You can incorporate low voltage and LED lights on your property to both highlight the home and keep it safe. Landscape lighting fixtures are smaller, use less energy, and are a lot more attractive for this purpose than traditional security lights.
So when you’re going over your property take a good look at the less glamours aspects like tripping hazards and security, you’ll be glad you did.
The Outdoor Lighting Expert, DFW Christmas Lights and Lawn Sprinklers Dallas is owned and operated by Dallas Curb Appeal Inc.
LED Landscape Lights
“Finally, an Outdoor LED Lighting Fixture that Outlives the LED Itself”
CAST Lighting LED Engineered Wall Light (CEWL5LED1)
The use of LED’s in Landscape Lighting has become more and more widespread. This trend picked up momentum as consumers learned of the long life and energy efficiency of these electronic light sources. With the growing demand, lighting manufacturers rushed LED lights to market, and hundreds of new LED fixtures and replacement lamps found their way into gardens and lawns across the land. Unknown to consumers, however, was that the great majority of these lights will fail long before their promised lives.
CAST Lighting’s LED Research and Development
Several years ago, CAST Lighting launched an intensive research and development effort to create integrated LED lighting fixtures that live up to the company’s high standards of durability, reliability, serviceability, and performance. It was a long process because the technology continued to improve over time; many of the early LED components were unsuitable because of their susceptibility to heat and moisture damage.
The release of CAST Lighting’s LED Engineered Wall Light (CEWL5LED1) constitutes a breakthrough in the industry. It is the first in a series of outdoor luminaries that are designed specifically for the harsh environmental conditions present in the landscape.
Long Life – For Both LED and Fixture Body
The Nichia LED chips used in this new lighting fixture were specifically chosen for their durability, brightness, and lumen maintenance. To further enhance their long life, these chips were driven with only half their maximum current. Many manufacturers push the current to the maximum to achieve greater brightness at a lower cost. By reducing the current, far less heat is produced and full brightness is maintained over a longer period of time. The CAST Lighting Engineered Wall Light is estimated to maintain at least 70% of its brightness (L70) for 50,000 hrs. – that’s over 20 years.
While many lighting manufacturers also claim an LED life of 20 years, the consumer should ask the question, “Will the lighting fixture itself last as long as the LED light source?” CAST Lighting fixtures are uniquely constructed to make this claim. The body of the wall light is made of solid sand-cast bronze – a material that resists all types of corrosion. (Bronze statues have been known to survive for over 2,000 years with minimal corrosion.) The wire used in the fixture, and throughout all components of a CAST Lighting system, are tin-coated, marine-grade No-Ox – specially made to survive the most corrosive marine environments. Other manufacturers use copper, brass, aluminum and other materials – all subject to corrosion damage from soil and atmospheric salts and acids.
Other factors that can reduce the life of an LED fixture are voltage spikes and fluctuations. The CAST Wall Light is engineered to accept a wide range of voltages (8 to 20 volts) and has built-in voltage spike protection.
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The Outdoor Lighting Expert, DFW Christmas Lights are owned and Operated by Dallas Curb Appeal. If you would like to learn more about this topic please feel free to leave a comment below or to call us anytime at 214-257-8155