Recessed Lights

Are Your House Lights Flickering? Find Out How to Snub the Danger

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 09:25:16 +0000

The flickering lights in your house are your home’s way of saying, “Uh, we’ve got an electrical problem here.” Consider yourself lucky that you’re getting such a heads up. One such reason for this may be because you’ve got aluminum and copper wire fighting against each other.

If your home was built between the mid to late 60s and early 70s, it’s possible you have aluminum wire throughout it. Over the years, perhaps you or a previous owner have added devices or fixtures that came with copper wire. When you splice the copper and aluminum wire together under one termination point, say in a twist-on connector, the two metals expand and contract at different rates. Over time, this tends to loosen the twist-on connector and this is when bad things can happen.

When this happens, it’s possible to have:

arcing
sparking
oxidation
resistance
heat build up
fire

Thankfully, fire is the exception rather than the rule, but it can happen at any time, even if the home hasn’t had any problems for several years or decades. As newer modern lifestyles — complete with computers, appliances, and other electrical equipment to name a few — take hold, they put extra load on the existing electrical aluminum circuitry and can be a problem waiting to happen.

So, please take this precaution seriously! Always, always, always hire a licensed electrician to evaluate your home and never try to solve the problem yourself. Electricity can be very, very dangerous.

H. Klien is a sales representative of AlCopStore.com, the number one online distributor of AlumiConn, aluminum to copper connectors. If you have Flickering lights in house [http://www.alcopstore.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=13], use AlumiConn to eliminate potential danger!

Outdoor Lighting

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:28:16 +0000

A beautiful home view has to do with a nicely design outdoor lighting. Outdoor lighting has been used by big establishments such as hotels, malls, parks, and other recreational places to attract visitors. These had been used as decorative elements rather than just an ordinary light. Outdoor lamps are specially made to resist weather condition, they are specifically designed to last long and has greater capacity than the typical light. Just like the common hotel name holder, exterior lighting comes in a wide selection of designs; most of it is purposely made to fit on certain locations and designs.

If used at home most exterior lighting can be found on the garden these blends well with a beautiful landscape and grotto. Though exterior lighting is more than just a decorative element it plays a big role especially on safety and security of a home. This type of lighting has a task to watch over your home overnight and ensure safety and visibility to unwanted and suspicious beings, with a good outdoor lighting you can prevent criminal acts such as robbery, burglar and other accidents that are bond to happen on unlighted places. Most common lights are outdoor path lighting and exterior wall lighting, though there is also a very popular outdoor lighting used this is the outdoor landscaping lighting. Path lighting is used to lighten up your pathways, drive hall, and walkways. Wall lighting is often used to light up the whole surroundings this may be done for two purpose security and enhancing the whole building structure. While the most common one is the one used on landscape and decorations. The light used are often rated as for damp locations or wet locations depending on the area it is used. Lights for dry locations may not be very advisable since lighting installed outside the home is exposed to different weather conditions that might cause a problem if it would be used outside.

Visit Outdoor Lighting Discounters to learn more about outdoor lighting and outdoor light fixtures.

How to Layout Recessed Lighting

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:30:35 +0000

One of the most important principles to understand when designing a recessed lighting layout is beam angle. In recessed cans, the light is produced in the shape of a cone. You picture the light starting as a point at the light fixture and forming a circle on the floor. The beam angle is the angle of this light out of the bulb. For example a 60-degree beam angle will produce a circle of light about 9 feet across on the floor if the fixture is 8 feet off the floor. See a

Diagram.

That is just one part of the formula. That circle of light we now have on the floor is not all the same intensity. About five and a half feet of that circle is good intense light while the remainder is spill over and diminishes as it gets further from the center. This is very important to understand. With this information, you can overlap the spill over light so that you end up with a nice even light pattern over the entire area you are trying to illuminate. Something to remember when you are planning this out is something called the work plane. This is an area about 30″ above the floor. It is an area where most tasks take place.

The work plane is important because as the distance between the light fixture and the surface to be lit decreases, so does that circle we spoke about. In a living room or den, designing the lighting plan so that we have even light on the floor is fine. In a kitchen though, this work plane becomes far more critical. This is why in a kitchen, keeping recessed lights about 4 feet apart, creates a pattern that is even on the work plane with the intense portion of the circle.

There are some other things besides the bulb and the can that shape the light pattern. The finish trim on recessed lights can vary the pattern of light. A wall washer creates a half cone that can be directed at a wall or fireplace. A pin spot trim can direct the light in a very narrow beam to light a small object.

This should give you a basic idea of what is involved when you undertake a recessed lighting layout. If you would like to learn more or have questions, please visit us at the links below.

Paul Forte has been in the lighting and electrical field for over 25 years. He has helped countless homeowners across the country with their lighting needs through his website. he will be appearing on an upcoming episode of “It Takes a Thief” on the discovery channel installing some security lighting. How to Layout Recessed Lighting Visit Our Home Page for more information

Bathroom Design – Lighting & Vanity Mirrors

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:33:07 +0000

With the wide variety of lighting, mirrors, and bath accessories that are now available, most consumers are taking the time to design their bathroom to meet their personal and decorative needs. There is no longer an excuse to have a bland looking bathroom, with a single strip light with exposed bulbs as the only light source. Whether you are decorating your home with colonial or Victorian decor, or went for an ultra modern look, there are plenty of lighting fixtures, mirrors, and bath accessories to meet your needs.

General Lighting

The lighting needs of a bathroom are no different than the needs of any other room. For the most appealing atmosphere, there must be layer of general, task, and accent lighting. many people make the mistake of using vanity strip lights above a mirror as the general lighting in a bathroom. This can create unappealing shadows over the face while grooming. So if you have a bathroom larger than 100 square feet, you should strongly consider placing a few recessed light fixture as to provide for general lighting in the room. Recessed lights, should be centered 24 to 36 inches between the face and the mirror. This is a much better method of proving general lighting in a bathroom.

Task Lighting

Matching wall sconces on either side of the vanity mirror would be an ideal way of proving task lighting for the bathroom. These lights should be about 64 inches off the ground.

Accent Lighting

Lastly, pendant lights and small chandeliers can be the perfect accent to the surrounding decor. A matching contemporary chandelier or modern pendant light, can go a long way in accenting other modern furniture in the room. If you don’t have the luxury of a larger bathroom with the space to hang a chandelier, a decorative flush-mount or semi-flush ceiling light may be a great option.

For a great selection of Bathroom Lighting, vanity mirrors, sconces visit us at BathroomLightingOutlet.com. There you will also find a growing body of content on bathroom design ideas and guides.

Let There Always Be Lights

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:33:29 +0000

When remodelling a home or building a new one, one of the last choices to be made is that of lighting. It’s important because lighting first needs to be functional. After that it also needs to enhance the mood of the space or perhaps even create it is some cases. Depending on the function and feel of the space, the question then becomes one of lights verses lamps.

For purposes of literal definition, the words “light” and “lamp” are pretty interchangeable. In the real world of lighting design however, a lamp is generally implied to be a stand-alone unit comprised of a base, fixture, and shade of some sort. The lamp is plugged into an electrical outlet and controlled by a switch wired to the fixture. A light, on the other hand, is a fixture mounted directly into a wall or ceiling and hard-wired to the building’s electrical system.

In applications such as bathroom and kitchen lighting, lamps are usually impractical. A lack of space combined with the dangerous element of water dictate that kitchen and bathroom lights be installed in the ceiling. Since kitchens and bathrooms tend to be functional rooms only, there isn’t as much a need for mood lighting. Lights are first chosen based on their output in relation to the space, then aesthetics afterward.

For other rooms, lamps hold a few advantages over lights. First, they are portable. For people who like to rearrange frequently for a fresh look, lamps can be moved around to provide the maximum benefit. Second, lamps can be acquired that will fit in to the current design scheme, making them an active part of the decoration rather than just a functional light-producing unit. They can also be replaced easily, if not inexpensively, should the design of the room change.

Lights may be a better option outside of the kitchen and bath depending on individual needs. The permanent nature of the fixtures keeps them relatively free of potential damage so they last the life of the building. They are normally less costly than lamps and can be installed in strategic locations for maximum benefit. Permanent lights also offer the advantage dimmer control, remote operation, and integration with security systems.

Where style is concerned, the last twenty years of lighting design have brought about some great innovations that are both functional and attractive. Wall sconces for example, are mounted just above eye level to provide adequate light without being overpowering. Designer fixtures and covers create a soft, warm glow reminiscent of the oil lamps of old.

Recessed lights installed in the ceiling can maximize the lighting needs in a very large room. They are made to be flush with the ceiling, allowing only the cover to be seen. The design of recessed lights tends more toward direct illumination, making them ideal for small work areas or kitchen soffits.

One type of light which seems to have a dual identity is the track light. Track lights are independent fixtures which are mounted on an electrified rack system. The track is hard wired while the individual fixtures move back and forth on it. Track lighting allows for fixtures to be aimed at specific areas in the space, and different fixture designs are used to determine the spread of the illumination.

As an expert in residential lighting design, Faith C Sykes offers her experience and insight through writing, speaking, and designing. More information regarding choices for residential lighting can be found at her web site.

Halo H7ICAT 6-Inch Air Tite Recessed Housing