What are flood lights?
Flood lights are lights that give an even, wide spread of light and can light up a large area equally brightly. The reflectors are designed in such a way that all the light is used to light up a certain area, and there is little to no backwash which means no wasted light. Since it is used to flood a large area with light they are called flood lights.
What are they used for?
Flood lights are most commonly found in outdoor areas like parks or stadiums where there is a need for good bright light over a large area. Most sports are played under flood lights and even if you are having a party outdoors you need to install at least one of these.
Flood lights are also used in security to light up the outside of commercial establishments and parking lots and to bring out something against the background of the sky, like a statue or even part of a building. In homes flood lights are mostly used as a security measure because one single light will be more effective than a number of ordinary lights.
Do I need one for my home? Will it increase my power bills too much?
The answer to the first question is up to you. A flood light is one of the simplest ways to light up the outside of your home and you can install it high up so that the entire front or back garden is lit up. Of course there are other ways to achieve the same thing so as mentioned it is your preference here.
The answer to the second question is no. Most flood lights are gas powered lamps. The cheaper ones are Sodium (yellow light) and Mercury vapor (white light) lamps. You also get really high intensity discharge Xenon lamps that gives you the same white light, but since their output in the infrared and ultraviolet band is much more, it is the closest to sunlight that you can get. They are also more expensive. The advantage of gas powered lights however is that although they are more expensive when you get them, their running costs are actually quite low. They are very efficient and use only around 40 to 60% of the electricity that a comparable incandescent bulb would.
Which one do I get?
Once again this depends on your needs. Most street lamps use either sodium vapor or mercury vapor lamps. The Xenon ones are just too expensive. Depending on how much area you want to cover, and how bright you want the light, you can opt for any one of these. You get bulbs with different lumen, which is the unit to measure the power of the light and the higher the rating, the more the output. One thing that you have to remember though is that the reflector is sometimes more important than the light itself. Even a bulb with the highest lumen will not work if the light is not focused properly and most manufacturers only give you lumen rating when the light exits the bulb, not at 100 yards distance.
Which is the best one of the lot?
For home use the mercury vapor lamps are probably the best option. Even though they are a little more expensive than the sodium vapor lamps, they give off a white light making everything clearer. They may not have the same output levels of the Xenon lamps, but then you do not need that kind of output anyway. Plus a Xenon lamp requires more than just the lamp and you have to install a ballast to ensure that there is no fluctuation in the current supply. All this is not necessary with a Mercury vapor one. Just make sure that you get one with the right voltage. If it is a high powered one that requires more, then you may have to take a dedicated line just for the light; more expense for you.
View the original article here
Visit LightingShowroom.com for all your home lighting needs.
See all LightingShowroom.com Press releases here.
No comments:
Post a Comment