Integral LED Outdoor Lights

With the balmy weather we are experiencing during the spring or the summer, people are taking to their gardens now more than at any other time of the year. But why should nighttime mean the end to your enjoyment of your home’s exterior when you can have very nice garden lighting? The light fittings from Integral LED illuminate your garden spaces, allowing you to enjoy them well into the pleasant summer evenings and nights. Previously, sophisticated outdoor lighting belonged to only the most expensive of properties. However, Integral LED has now made it affordable to light up your garden in style. In this article, Sparks will examine how the average homeowner can spruce up their outdoor space at a very reasonable price. The problem with outdoor lighting - corrosive weather elements Ian Major, Product Consultant at Integral LED knows the field of LED lighting extremely well. He has many profound insights into how these types of lights may change outdoor lighting forever. Many current outdoor lights are ground lamps, which are excellent for lighting up garden pathways or verandas. Pathway lighting is kept at a low level for obvious reasons - it looks most elegant there and guides people as they walk in the dark. As Mr Major states, they create a: “Visual theatre of the main garden scene” However, the lights being so close to the ground creates problems that could affect the functionality of the lamps themselves. They are often located in areas such as the very fabric of the path or driveway. Even in cases where the luminaire is IP67-rated, there may still be cause for concern. There are widespread flaws with the design of the electrical installations that we place so close to the ground. These flaws mean that water does find its way into the luminaire, which is certain to deteriorate their functionality and lifespan. How LED lighting has revolutionized outdoor lighting: views from an expert LED lighting has made elegant outdoor lighting become increasingly within budget, according to Mr Major. LEDs are relatively robust compared to other forms of lighting and so they can withstand all types of weather. This is Britain after all - and we may experience plenty of drizzles even during glorious periods of sunshine! A wonderful example of an Integral LED light that combines elegance with water resistance is the Ciclo IP54 outdoor wall lamp. It is a compact, stylish, and contemporary LED luminaire - weatherproof and hard-wearing. It is designed to last against the elements while bringing a designer look to its surroundings. There are many reasons for Integral LED lights superior resilience to weather conditions. As described above, problems arise when electrical installations are installed too close to the ground, drastically lowering their life expectancy. Another Integral LED fitting Garden Lighting is the IP54-rated black Curve LED wall light coming integrated with a 7.6W 3000K 360lm LED light and an integrated PIR sensor. Mr Major believes that the team at Integral LED has addressed this fundamental flaw in low-level outdoor lighting. They identified ‘cable suction’ as the main cause of water ingress from the surface of a garden. This is when - simply by operating - a lighting installation can draw water into its very core. Obviously, this will result in reduced functionality. Integral LED lights have been designed to actually increase in temperature while they are in operation. This means that heated air will expand, which prevents water access to the sealed bulb of the LED fixture.Buy Integral LED Outdoor Wall LightsHow Integral LED’s smart lights deal with excess water in garden spaces for Garden Lighting The heated air produced by the Integral LED lights means there will be no water intrusion while they are operating. However, there is still the run-off water, that has not made it into the luminaire, to deal with. Integral LED has come up with a brilliant solution to this issue. Whilst the light is not in use, the assembly effectively becomes a small water pump. This then pushes moisture in the air along the cable toward the fitting body of the device. The fitting body of the light comes with Integral LEDs ingenious ‘H20 Stop’ device. The H20 Stop deals with divergent water within the electrical cabling of the lamp and prevents the damage done by corrosive moisture. Integral LED has also brought out an excellent range called the ‘Pathlux in-ground’ series. The Pathlux lights use the innovative H20 Stop technology for maximum weather resistance. They also have solid-state light sources which are famous for their longevity - these are lights that could last a lifetime! Key reasons to buy Integral LED outdoor lights The main reasons Integral LED offers a superior outdoor lighting range are outlined here: Reliability. The elegant ambience they provide. Resistance to corrosive elements that occur outdoors. Protection against water ingress. The innovative use of technology, for example, ‘H20 Stop’. Longevity. In conclusion, we at Sparks wholeheartedly recommend the brilliant outdoor light fittings made by Integral LED, whether they are ground lights, wall lights, or ceiling lights; of course, they are all LED lights, and they are suited for exterior lighting.

Already in 2013, we have seen two thematically similar news stories: sodium street lights in the UK are being replaced with LED equivalents. Cost-effective street lighting has been the focal point of much debate recently, with some councils turning off street lamps altogether. Replacing the old lamps with LEDs is seen as an alternative to that solution - keeping the streets well-lit and safe. Westminster's Smart Streetlights Westminster in particular is an interesting case, with much of the publicity concentrating on the controls for the new LED streetlights. Technicians will be able to use an iPad app to control the brightness of inpidual lights, and they will be alerted to potential maintenance problems via the app. This is all very futuristic, but Westminster City Council is likely more concerned about the financial savings to be had. A planned 14,000 streetlights will be installed over the next four years to the tune of £3.5million. But the council assures us those costs will be recouped within seven years: taxpayers will save an estimated £420,000 per year. Lighting the Streets of Sheffield (Above: a before-and-after shot of Hicks Gate roundabout in Sheffield, from info4security. Sodium streetlights are on the left; LEDs are on the right.) Meanwhile, our Northern friends in Sheffield have launched a £2billion project - becoming the first UK city to initiate a city-wide switchover to LED streetlights. Right now, the city's electricity costs amount to £3million. The 'Streets Ahead' project aims to reduce that to around £1.2million, re-investing the savings into the project. These new lights will also be controllable, but Sheffield City Council is remaining quiet with regards to the OS they will be using. These moves could popularise the technology and drive down the costs. In a world gone increasingly eco-friendly, this can only be a good thing overall.Outdoor LED Lights Some LED streetlights have already been installed in Tijuana and Toronto. Hampshire's national parks are also home to LED streetlights as they reduce light pollution - stargazers are very happy about this. But what do you think, valued reader? Is the gradual introduction of LED streetlights a good idea? Are these projects worth the cost?Note: please see our full range of LED lights and LED lamps, many of which can be used outdoors.  Photo by Herry Lawford on Flickr (Creative Commons)

An IP code is a rating that indicates an electrical item's ingress protection - the level of protection that the enclosure of an electrical item provides against the entry of foreign objects and moisture. We've talked about this on the blog before, but all this talk of Hurricane (or Superstorm) Sandy has got us thinking about how we know whether an item is weather-resistant or not. The IP RatingThe IP Code is known in the UK as BS EN 60529: 1992: Specification for degrees of protection provided by enclosures. It measures two factors: the level of dust intake and water intake an enclosure allows without harming the electricals within. In a previous post we outlined what those ratings mean: But how do we know that an enclosure meets these requirements? There are companies that carry out rigorous tests by simulating the conditions above using specialist equipment such as nozzles of specific jets and dust chambers. Some representative testing measures are listed in the tables below, using information from a couple of different sources. Test Procedures: Foreign Objects Test Procedures: Moisture  So how do we know if a bathroom light or an outdoor light fitting is fit for purpose? The answer is, simply: manufacturers hire people to simulate bathrooms and bad weather.IP Rated Lights at Sparks