LED Wall Lights

In today's LED lighting news, NASA has announced a plan to test colour-changing LED lights on the International Space Station. This test, due to take place in 2016, will see the space agency swap one of the ISS's existing fluorescent panels with a solid-state lighting module. The module changes colour from blue to red (with an intermediate white stage), and this will help combat insomnia - which can make depression and illness more likely. This news is simultaneously the most and least science-fictiony news item we've ever read. You might be wondering to yourself: how does that work? Well, it turns out colour temperature is a strange thing, but a relatively important one for the body clock. The Effects of Colour Temperature on Your Body Clock Colour temperature is based on the heat of an ideal black body radiator at its surface, measured in the SI base unit of thermodynamic temperature: the kelvin (K). If you've ever visited a blacksmith or a glassblower, you might have watched them heat a pair of tongs in the fire. The tongs change colour as they warm up, glowing red at first, then turning white as they get even hotter and eventually into a colour closer to blue. The red shades are known as the "warmer" colour temperatures, and the blue shades are the "cooler" ones. It's upside down and reflects perception more than reality. Forgive us for stating the obvious, but the sky is blue during the day - please hold your jokes until the end of the post - and studies indicate that light at this colour temperature promotes wakefulness. The theory goes that over the years humans have evolved to be more alert and awake during the day by producing the hormone melatonin - which wakes us up - when we see that blue light. That's a simplification; the BBC explains the effect much better than we can. Basically, though: blue light promotes wakefulness, and by reversing that effect, NASA hopes to induce sleep. Bringing NASA's Ideas Down to Earth Back down on Earth, domestic lightbulbs are sold in three categories. In order of colour temperature from lowest to highest: we have warm white, neutral white, and cool white. That's the range from ~3000 K to ~6000 K, although individual manufacturers differ. How do we apply NASA's knowledge to the home? The colour temperature of light fittings has been shown to have measurable effects on the human body. There must be some people in our readership who have trouble waking up in the mornings. If you're very imaginative, you might have considered rigging a complicated lighting/timer switch system, but there are easier ways, we think. Simply install different lights around the house. Neutral and cooler whites could be installed in the bathroom, where the shade might help wake you up.Bathroom LED LIghts at Sparks In the bedroom, warmer fittings might be more useful. However, there's not much evidence that this will actually work on a grand scale - any effects would likely be minimal, just a little boost to the natural order - and the best way to be awake during the day is just to get enough sleep. If you're having trouble falling asleep, a GP will be more helpful than this blog post. What do you think about NASA's plan? Will it work for astronauts who don't usually get the benefit of a normal day-night cycle? Would it work at home?

The shortlist for the biggest literary prize in the UK, the Man Booker Prize, was released on Tuesday, and none of us at Sparks Electrical has read any of the books. Sure, we've heard good things about Will Self's Umbrella; Hilary Mantel's latest offering Bring Out the Bodies appeals to our love for that legendary beardyman Henry VIII; and while we can't claim to know what The Teleportation Accident is about, we're enamoured by the title alone... (Further investigation reveals that The Teleportation Accident is not about an actual teleportation accident. Oh well.) We like to think that our customers come to us for "guidance in life" as well as in lighting and electrical devices, and we are completely in support of anyone who wants to engage in cultural pursuits. But surely no person can finish six books in a month just by reading on the commute. That's only a couple of hours of reading a day, at most, and some of those novels are long. The spirit is willing, but we're almost halfway through September and there are less and less hours of sunlight in the day.Note: Some of the light fittings below may no longer be available; see the full range of LED wall lamps available on our website. The Solution: Read While in Bed! Luckily, we have a solution. Right here in our showroom, we have an excellent selection of lamps to help you read while in bed. Yes! You can make your way through that shortlist even though it's dark outside! Technology is amazing! The Monaco 3W Flexible bedhead light is energy-conscious, yes, and affordable, but it's also very stylish. The LED spotlight is much more powerful than its 3-watt power might suggest, and it doesn't emit any heat. Plus: you can bend it in almost any direction. The power supply is included in the base, and even if you accidentally left it on, the light would stay on for more than three years. One of the reasons we like this adjustable halogen swing light is because it looks a little like a flying saucer. Yet there's a lot more to like about it: this fitting comes with a dimmer switch, so you can turn down the light if your late nights are annoying your other half, and it gives off a lovely diffused light that reduces eye strain. And it looks like a flying saucer! There are two spotlights on this LED spotbar, which provides a neat answer to the question "Could you move that light a little bit over here, dear, I also need some light to read this book!" Get this fitted over the headboard and you will never have to grudgingly share a good spot of light ever again. We particularly like this Park Lane wall lamp with LED spotlight (part of an entire Park Lane range, actually) for its psuedo-retro style as well as for its range of function: on one wall-mounted device there's a lamp to light up the room, a flexible spotlight to read Narcopolis by (for instance). All of these reading lights are available online or at our showroom in Archway, North London. Here's a little more guidance for you: you should definitely come down, take a look around, and tell us what you thought of The Teleportation Accident.Best LED Wall Lights at Sparks

The step lights should all be LED lights! Low energy consumption combined with high-intensity light or diffused light - what more do you need for a recessed light? We have recently added to our online catalog two LED recessed lights for interior/exterior use - one is rectangular and the other is square. Ideal for discreet lighting along the corridor, along pathways outdoors, around the house, up the staircase on the wall or the step, or anywhere you need small-size LED lights for recess mounting. The IP54 rating allows these LED fittings to be used indoors (including the bathroom) and outdoors (water and dust-resistant). The STEPQ is a small-size square LED step light - max. 70 x 70 mm and a cutout of max. 66 x 66mm, and the STEPR is a rectangular LED recessed light - max. 110 x 45mm and a cutout of max. 101 x 37mm. The salient features of this LED spotlight are its minimal energy consumption, low emission of heat, and its lifespan of more than 50000 hours. STEPR Rectangular 1W LED Step Light - energy-saving recessed light This fitting is a rectangular 1W LED step light for interior and exterior - stainless steel IP54 4000K LED. Read more via, New Rectangular LED Lights. STEPQ Square 0.8W LED recessed light - energy-saving step light This fitting is a square 0.8W LED step light for interior and exterior - stainless steel IP54 4000K LED. Note: this fitting is no longer available, but there's a wide range of similar square, round, or rectangular LED recessed lights via this link.Step LED Lights at Sparks

There are all kinds of light fittings out there, and even when it comes to the new LED lights it is the same - there are many types of LED lights! Recently we have added to our website several LED recessed lights, fully IP67 rated, small in size, recessed, ideal for outdoor mounting!Note: Some or all of these LED lights may not be available at Sparks; the latest LED wall lights at Sparks are here. These also come with steel springs for quick and easy insertion in the walls or panels, false ceilings, etc. Below you can find a list of some cool places and applications you can install these recessed LED lights. Small in size and super energy saving - only 1W, LED light - these fittings are ideal to be installed in groups (at least 0.5m distance between them) for offering light either outdoors or in the bathroom, in the shower, or where you need them. The below applications are only some of the many ways you can use these energy-saving fittings. Miami LED Light, IP67 rated 1W LED in warm white / cool white Ideal for anywhere indoors or outdoors, the Miami LED recessed light is suited to all domestic, commercial, and contract installations - thanks to its compact size and recess depth of just 16mm! 1W LED lamp available in cool white or warm white at Sparks. Buy online the Miami 1W recessed LED lights. Londra Square LED recessed Light, 1W LED IP67 spotlight The Londra square recessed LED lights are small-size fittings - 1W LED spots, super energy saving, ideal for indoor and outdoor use. They also come in warm white or cool white - ideal for domestic applications, commercial use, or contract installations. Read more about the Londra LED recessed lights or buy them online at Sparks. Treviso Recessed LED light, 1W IP67 round LED spotlight The Treviso 1W LED round spotlight can be installed indoors or outdoors - in the kitchen, in the bathroom, in the living room, or as outdoor wall lights. Recessed fittings with a full IP67 rating, the Treviso LED spot lights are ideal for walls, ceilings, plaster separation walls, etc. You can buy the Treviso 1W LED round recessed lights at Sparks. Update: these LED recessed lights - though very popular - are no longer available at Sparks; however, there's a wide range of round, rectangular, or square LED step lights / LED recessed lights on our website here.Best Wall LED Lamps at Sparks