Optimizing And Updating Your Houston Outdoor Lighting System

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How To Convert Your Houston Outdoor Lighting System From Halogen Into LED

There are numerous reasons why you may want to consider converting your outdoor lighting system to LED lamps from halogen lamps: you might want to reduce your energy bills, or maybe expand your current outdoor lighting system, or perhaps you would just like to reduce the amount of routine maintenance that you need to do. Whatever the case may be, there are no disadvantages to using LED lamps as part of your outdoor lighting system. for inspiration or examples of LED’s used in outdoor lighting systems, take a look at Our Work!

Use LED To Save Money

It is amazing how much your energy bill can be reduced by using LED lamps. Less electricity is used by LED lamps compared to traditional halogen lamps. Typically low-wattage LED outdoor lights use 80-90 percent less electricity compared to halogen systems. The reason why less electricity is used is LED lights reduce your outdoor system’s overall electrical load. For a majority of outdoor lighting systems, when they are converted to LED it takes the load off of the operational costs of the outdoor lighting system. In most cases, The average electrical bill for an outdoor lighting system using LED can be reduced down to $3-$5 a month.

Reduce Routine Maintenance and Lamp Replacement

The overall costs of routine maintenance and replacing lamps are also reduced when you switch over to LED. With halogen systems, lamps must be replaced about once a year. You need to take into consideration the cost of replacing each lamp every year and the cost of every individual lamp. However, if you switch to LED lamps, it eliminates how often you have replaced your system’s lamps. A majority of reputable LED lamps in today’s marketplace are rated to last for 10 years at least and have a 5-year replacement warranty. That is because high quality LED lamps are designed to last. Although LED lamps might be more expensive upfront, they actually pay off very fast. One thing that needs to be noted is that switching over to LED lamp doesn’t completely eliminate needing to service the system and maintain its optimal operating condition.

Provide Your System With More Lights

When your lighting system is converted from halogen lamps over to LED lamps it also takes off an electrical load from your overall lighting system, which allows room for additional lights. Allow me to explain this further. Any lighting system has a set amount of wattage that it can handle, which will depend on the kind of transformer it has. For example, a 300-watt transformer is restricted to being able to support 200 watts without tripping and possibly overloading the system. With halogen systems, 20-35 watts is used by each lamp. With a maximum 260 watt capacity, a halogen system only is able to support 8-13 fixtures or lamps without possibly overloading. Theoretically, if the same 300-watt transformer is taken, and 4 watt LED lamps are used rather than 20-watt halogen lamps, the same system will be able to support 65 fixtures or lamps rather than 13 (when properly designed). If you retrofit your existing halogen system with LED lamps, that will reduce how much electricity is used. When a load is taken off of your system through LED lamps there is more room for adding fixtures without needing a bigger transformer. It is very important to understand there are numerous things that need to be taken into consideration if you would like to add more lights to your system after retrofitting it with LED lamps. Are your lines properly balanced? How will voltage drops affect more lights being added? How long will your wire runs be? Each system is uniquely engineered and needs to be approached in a different way. Consulting with your lighting specialist regarding LED lights as well as other lighting solutions is always a good idea.

Contact us or call today to revolutionize your space.

How Many Lumens Do I Need for Houston Outdoor Lighting?

Posted by Robert Huff on

How To Choose The Right Lights For Houston Residential Outdoor Lighting

At Robert Huff Illumination we help you navigate the ins and outs of all facets for your residential outdoor lighting needs. The intensity of a light is measured with a unit called a lumen. This is something you should pay attention to when checking the specs of a lightbulb or other lighting solution. The ideal amount of lumens for your outdoor lighting will vary in function of the type of lighting you need. Step lights, path lights, and hardscape or landscape lighting are typically used to create a soft atmosphere. There is no need to invest in bright lights for these uses, but you need to make sure your step and path lights will be bright enough so you can easily so the ground. The recommended range goes from 50 to 200 lumens for these lights. Some lights such as motion sensor lights or pond and pool lights need to be more visible for safety reasons. Look for lights in the 200 to 700 lumens range depending on the size of the area you want these lights to cover. Lastly, floodlights are used to light up a broad area and should be very noticeable, even from afar. You will want to look for lights in the 700 to 1,300 lumens range for this use.

LEDs or CFLs?

Should you get LED or CFL lights for your outdoor lighting system? LED lighting is a popular option and will probably be more adapted to your needs. Here is what you need to know about these two options. CFL stands for Compact Fluorescent Light. This technology relies on a filament that is heated up and becomes incandescent thanks to electric current. The downside of this technology is that exposure to extreme temperatures considerably reduces the lifespan of the filament inside of the bulb. The other downside of this technology is that it can take a few minutes for the filament to heat up and emit the full range of lumens of the bulb. LED stands for Light Emitting Diodes. These lights use small diodes rather than filaments. The diodes don’t emit any heat and are more resistant to extreme temperatures. They emit the full range of lumens right away. The biggest advantage of LED lights is that they use a lot less energy. In fact, a CFL bulb typically uses twice the amount of energy of an LED light with a similar lumen range. You should easily get the number of lumens you need for your outdoor lighting system with low-wattage LED lights and save money on your energy bills. The lifespan of LED lights is another advantage. An LED light will typically last five times longer than a CFL bulb. CFL might seem like the best option due to their lower initial price. However, the prices of LED lights have been decreasing and both technologies are available in a somewhat similar price range.

Other Features To Consider For Houston Residential Outdoor Lighting

There are a few features you should consider when choosing an outside lighting system. Start by looking at the lux of a light. The lux represents the amount of light per square meter. This spec will give you an idea of the size of the area that a single light bulb can cover. Keep in mind that one lux is based on how much illumination you can get by standing three feet away from a candle. Pay attention to the wattage of a light. A 200-watt bulb will use 200 watts per second of use. A light with a high wattage will result in higher electricity bills. If you want to install several high-wattage lights, think about hiring an electrician to install a new outdoor system. Get in touch with us if you need help with choosing the best lights for your outdoor lighting system! Also, be sure to take a look at other examples of our work, and slide on by our blog for a little inspiration!

Whether it’s residential outdoor lighting or commercial, lighting a patio, or custom lightscaping your whole yard, Robert Huff Illuminations has you covered. Feel free to call us or contact us today to see how we can help illuminate you.