November 4, 2009
We recently finished a project for a new client in Vienna, VA who had an existing lighting system installed by another company. The client had decided to give a young man an opportunity to install their original system. After all, he seemed like a nice guy and he worked for a company that touted itself as “one of the larger outdoor lighting companies” in America. He did not provide them with references or a nighttime demonstration, but they were eager to have lighting installed and assumed he knew what he was doing; they signed an agreement for installation, placing their trust solely on this young man.
Unfortunately, this client paid the price for the young man’s inexperience. So many of her problems with her lighting system could have been easily avoided if the installer had some basic lighting knowledge.
This system was installed in Spring 2009. By October 2009, nine service calls later, and many hours of frustration, the system was still not working right and the young man quit answering her phone calls.
The client called us to see if we could get the system working. We got out there and found the voltage readings to be all over the place. One part of the house was at 12.3 volts and another was at 9.1 volts. This may not sound like much of a difference, but that has a dramatic effect on the color of the light output. The fixtures on the trees in back were measuring at 14 volts and the deck lights were closer to 15 volts. It was no surprise that every deck light was burnt out.
We also found one transformer laying on the ground. This is a sign of someone just giving up and not caring anymore. The wires were at surface level (not at proper depth per NEC code) and the well lights did not have any cover to protect debris from getting inside.
It would be nice if stories like this were rare, but they are not. This is why it is so important to choose the right company from the beginning. This was a simple, straight forward install that should have only taken 1-2 days to complete to give the customer years of enjoyment and satisfaction. For more tips, on what to look for in choosing a lighting contractor, please check out this post.
Well light installed less than six months ago by another company, without cover or proper wire burial.
Messy placement and installation of this transformer and wires. Poor effort on the part of the installer; he did not treat the client's property with respect.
November 3, 2009
When I first began in lighting, Day Light Savings was always a royal pain. We would have 50-100 people call to have us adjust their timers for the changing season. Today it goes by just like any other day because the astronomical timer that is standard with any lighting system.
This timing system will self adjust for the changing season and for day light savings. Our customers never have to think about their lighting systems, they just work automatically.
Outdoor Lighting Perspectives invested a lot of time and capital into designing a great outdoor timer. We are able to set the GPS coordinates of the home in the timer. The timer will then know sunrise and sunset for the exact spot. We typically set the timer to come on 15 minutes before sunset, so the lights gradually appear, rather than having the lights flash on once it gets dark. This timer is also able to link all the transformers to come on together so the entire property can now go on and off at the exact same time.
We are also able to put a switch inside the house, so the customer can manually turn the lights on and off without going near the transformer. This is a great benefit if guests stay a little late or someone hears a noise late at night.
We have even tied our systems in with ADT Custom Home Security systems. If the alarm were to ever go off, the lights would flash to draw attention to the home.
Timing systems have sure come a long way since the days of photocells, with the simple red and green push-pin timers. If you’re still utilizing an old timing system, call Outdoor Lighting Perspectives to find out more about our Day Light Savings trouble-free timer.
October 31, 2009
After spending a couple of hours trick-or-treating with my son Benjamin, I really had an opportunity to see how many people have poorly lit stairs leading up to their door. I was also surprised to see how many people have tried the low quality solar lights on their walkways.
As I was walking up to one home I accidentally bumped a plastic path light. It of course fell over and I could not find the base. As I searched in the dark to put this light back together I was hoping no one would come by and see “the lighting guy” struggling to put together a solar light.
The home owner came out and saw me messing with her light, but fortunately I was able to get it together right then.
Someday, someone will make a fortune when they finally make a higher quality solar path light. Until then, guys like me will continue to trip and accidentally knock down these flimsy lights.
Ben as "Bob the Builder" for Halloween
October 29, 2009
Outdoor lighting is an enhancement which can make your home more welcoming, or adversely, can make it spooky. Since Halloween is just two days away, I wanted to share the best “spookily-lit” houses on the web, which use lights for extra drama.
A string of orange pumpkin lights along the step rail and shrubbery as well as orange and purple strings of lights
One spot light shining only on the upper right corner of the home - an uneven wash and spooky look with warm light shining through all the windows
Colorful red and green up lights give this home extra drama
.JPG "Halloween Exterior Night")
The contrast of color with blue and red lights give this house a menacing look
Large spot lights up light this home, making it welcoming for trick-or-treaters and party-goers. The light output has a slight tint of yellow and orange which help create a Fall/Halloween atmosphere
Purple lighting on the building and weeping willow tree make this spooky yet delightful
A green filter light makes the rafters and peak of this home eerie
And here’s a Flickr Slideshow from a talented man in Davenport, FL who created his own Haunted House display and used some colorful exterior lighting to enhance it.
Happy Halloween everyone!
October 27, 2009
There are times when a light fixture can look like a work of art. Since I work with lights everyday, I take particular notice of the quality, craftsmanship, and details of a fixture that make it stand apart from the crowd. This particular fixture is one of those. I am sure to most customers it looks like any other commercial up light, but I have seen so many low quality fixtures that outwardly appear similar to these, but are made out of inexpensive aluminium and do not stand the test of time.
This is a solid cast brass light. It is a true heavy weight lighting fixture. It is able to use anything from a 70 watt ceramic metal halide (cmh) to a 150 watt cmh.
That may not sound like much, but the cmh bulb can put out some serious light. Most lighting designers have compared the 150 watt ceramic metal halide to the 400 watt traditional metal halide.
We recently used four 100 watt bulbs to light every inch of the large trees in a client’s backyard in Fairfax Station, VA. With the front of the home beautifully lit with our LED fixtures and the back trees creating the perfect backdrop, this home looked amazing in the evening. We also were able to save our customer over 1,700 watts of energy consumption over traditional landscape lighting.
A 12-inch ruler next to the fixture to give you an idea of its size
Brass CMH outdoor light fixture installed in landscaping bed
October 24, 2009
Halloween is one of our busiest times of year in the lighting industry. This makes sense since more strangers will walk up to your home in one evening than any other day of the year.
We all know the potential dangerous step or other obstical on our own property, but a six-year old that only has candy on his or her mind will not be looking as carefully. A properly lit pathway and stairs will help protect you and the swarm of guests that will be invading your home.
Indirect lighting in a tree or the house can sometimes provide enough light to keep everyone safe. We also recommend solid path lights to guide everyone’s step.
This will make your home look warmer and more inviting, so be prepared to have some extra candy on hand.
Below are some general safety tips provided by the Fairfax County, VA Police Department in their October 2008 newsletter:
- Homeowners should prepare their home for trick-or-treaters by removing obstacles from the front yard, restraining dogs and other animals, and lighting the house well.
- Provide treats that are individually wrapped candy or offer kids nonfood treats, such as stickers and erasers.
- Artificial lights and candles are a safer alternative to real candles with a flame that can pose a fire hazard.
And here are some of their Trick-or-Treating safety tips as well:
- Children should be well supervised by an adult when trick-or-treating. Older children should trick-or-treat in large groups in well known neighborhoods.
- Carry a flashlight.
- Stick to well lit houses in familiar neighborhoods only.
- Follow traffic signals and rules of the road.
- Drive slowly.
- Avoid taking shortcuts across backyards or alleys. Stick to the sidewalks of well lit streets.
Prince William County, VA police also have a helpful “Crime Prevention Center” link on their website with Halloween safety tips such as:
- Wear light colors or reflective tape on costumes.
- Stay in groups, if they’re older, or with parents, if they’re younger.
- Visit only familiar homes where the outside lights are on.
- Do not eat their treats until they get home.
And lastly, a useful tip for those of us staying at home to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters:
- Outdoor lights and porch lights should be turned on to encourage trick-or-treaters. After trick-0r-treating hours have ended or you no longer have candy to distribute, you should turn off all outdoor lights to discourage unwanted visitors.
October 17, 2009
Photo Credit: stephendl
There are only 2 weeks left until Halloween.
For today’s post I wanted to share with you something that combines my husband’s love for lights with my love for crafts…make your own light bulb Halloween costumes! I had a lot of fun researching this on-line, as I realized Halloween is quickly approaching and our 3-year old son doesn’t have a costume yet. I’m the kind of “craft-sy” parent that likes to make items rather than buy new ones, if I have the time… (just to let you know, last year our son wore an Old Navy brand firefighter costume because I didn’t have time). So I started searching for DIY light bulb or electricity-related costumes.
Here are some fun ideas (some of these are just photos, others include instructions on how to make your own):
Anyone else have any fun costume ideas related to lights or electricity?
Be sure to post a comment to enlighten us!
October 16, 2009
Besides being designed for the best LED quality, light color, and a driver that is detached from our LED fixtures, our LED light fixtures were designed solely for LED lighting. That may seem like a no-brainer, however most companies are simply trying to convert their current halogen mr-16 fixture design into LED lights.
The problem with this is the heat displacement. In the halogen lights we are trying block the heat of the bulb from the socket. With the LED we are trying to draw the heat away from the LED back into the fixture. This may seem like a small distinction, but it will dramatically increase the life of your LED.
If you are looking to purchase an LED fixture, here are my 3 tips:
- Make sure the driver is separated from the fixture
- Make sure the light output color is exactly what you want (beware of too much blue)
- Make sure the manufacturer has designed a way to draw the heat away from the LED.
