Montparnasse Bronze Pendant with Clear Glass for Exterior Lighting IP44 using 12W ES/E27 LED lamp, Astro 1096010

It's raining. This is not abnormal here in the UK, especially during this time of the year, but this changes everything. Less time spent outside, more time spent indoors, and if possible, minimise the trips through the rain. Take the bus, drive, or take the train, so that your day won't be ruined by the rain. That is, unless you love rain and you're a hardcore outdoors person, in which case go for it! When it rains outside and we have a wet and humid weather we need to be extra careful with what kind of lighting we use outdoors. There's such a thing as IP rating, the international protection rating, which says what kind of lights can be used outdoors (especially in this country!). IP44 rated light fittings are good for wall ligthing (especially if they are covered by a roof extention or something), but it is best for a light fitting to be IP65 rated, that is, to be waterproof and sealed for any dust and water particles. So what kind of of light fittings can you use outdoors when it rains and there's such a wet weather? Waterproof Wall Lights for Outdoor Lighting There is a wide range of wall lights, but not all can be used outdoors; it is recommended to install a wall fitting that is at least IP44 rated so that water would not reach the electricals, or even an IP65 or IP67 waterproof fitting (to be more secure). Also, depending on where do you want to mount the light fitting - whether by the entrance of the house, the side wall of the house, behind the house, on the garden wall, etc - all kinds of fittings are suitable. Take a look at the V405 Verona IP54 round lights in silver or black, or at the Astro Lighting IP67 rated Beam one / two LED wall lights. For a more traditional look light fittings by the door entrance, why not try the Homefield wall lights in black, bronze, or nickel (a finish for every taste!) from Astro Lighting. All Garden Lights need to be Rainproof! Whether to light up the entrance or the pathway, shed light on a statue or area of the garden, or simply indicate which way the exit of the garden, all the garden lights need to be rainproof, that is, completely IP65 or more rated. Water just cannot - and should not - reach the electrical circuit. You can use some really nice LED deck lights and LED step lights for highlighting the side of the house, the pathway, or just for design; most of them come with the driver included and they offer a discreet light when needed (and with the shorter daylight these are very much needed!). And don't forget about the spike lights and the floodlights, much needed and very useful either for alerting of the intruders or highlighting the facade! Exterior Ceiling Lights - Stylish and IP-Rated The ceiling lights used outdoors are mainly under some sort of a cover, either a roof or a porch; this allows them to be not only stylish but also have a lower IP rating. Unless the exterior ceiling lights are under direct rain or contact with water, you can safely use IP44 or even IP23-rated pendant lights or ceiling-mounted lights under the right cover. This allows you to choose from a wide range of traditional ceiling lights like the Montparnasse pendants, Calvi suspension lamps, and Galatea bronze pendants, just to name a few. Many of them now use LED lamps, and so you can save energy (and money) when leaving the porch light on until midnight or so! Of course, you can fit these with a PIR sensor, and they will come on only when someone is actually using that area... Installing Waterproof Lights for Outdoor Always remember: never DIY when it comes to installing light fittings, whether indoor or outdoor. Always use a registered electrician to install or replace outdoor lights, whether wall, ceiling, ground, spike, post, recessed, or flood lights. Also, never assume that a particular light fitting can take LED lamps - always check with the manufacturer's specifications, and make sure the LED lamps fit that light fitting. For any other inquiries regarding our wide range of exterior lights which can be used in rainy weather, don't hesitate to contact us at Sparks - or simply visit our showroom in N19 5SE, Archway, North London, UK.

There's a long weekend ahead, and we would like to present a light reading with a range of cheerful pictures. On our website you can see a wide range of outdoor lights and ceiling lights from Sparks Direct, but what if we combine the two? We took a walk through our showroom, checked out our website, and asked our customers to find out what are the top five outdoor traditional ceiling lamps, and here's what we came up with! With a traditional style, these fittings are just what you would expect when you speak of an outdoor pendant, an outdoor ceiling hanging light, or an exterior lantern. The LEDS-C4 Galatea Outdoor Pendant in Bronze This is an LX200 bronze hanging lantern, IP23 rated and taking max. 1 x 100W E27. Traditional style hanging pendant for outdoors (under the roof, not in the rain). Edipo Outdoor Bronze Hanging Lantern This LEDS-C4 LX195 pendant light for outdoors is a hanging lantern in bronze, IP23 rated and taking max. 1 x 100W E27 light bulbs. The Nordlux Luxembourg 72805009 Exterior Pendant The NX909 Station outdoor hanging lamp is a Traditional Pendant, part of the stylish Nordlux suspension lamps for exterior use. Black Outdoor Lantern, Traditional Ceiling Light The LX190 Mark outdoor ceiling light comes in a traditional black finish, and it is a LEDS-C4 made Hanging Lantern (IP23 rated, using 1 x 100W E27). Astro Lighting Montparnasse Nickel Outdoor Pendant The AX0671 Montparnasse Pendant Light is ideal for outdoors, having a stylish nickel finish. Hanging pendant for exterior use, you can call it both traditional and modern.

We used to rely on trusty halogen lamps or classical incandescent lamps, but their time is over; we now need to choose the light colour temperature that we need for our LED lamps. The GU10 halogen lamps and the E27 or E14 incandescent bulbs used to be quite simple to use and replace, and their price has gone down after a while. But we are now in a new age, the age of energy saving, the age in which we use LED lamps to save not just on the electricity bill but also save the planet. However, the LED lamps do not all offer the same light colour: they now can be programmed or set to offer a particular kind of colour in a chart of light colour temperature. What are the Light Colour Temperatures for LED Lamps?If you want to change your old halogen or incandescent lamp and wanted to get a like-for-like replacement, you may be surprised to find out that such lamps are no longer for sale. What you will discover, however, is that there are energy-saving alternatives to these high-energy-consumption bulbs. There is a LED lamp that can replace the GU10 halogen lamp, and there's an E14 (small Edison Screw) and E27 (large Edison Screw) LED lamp to replace the incandescent lamps. But this time you need to choose both the light colour temperature and the wattage. Here are the most popular light colour temperatures for LED lamps:Warm white light: from 2000K to 3000KNeutral white light: from 4000K to 4500KDaylight white: 6000K - 6500KThe Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) is measured in degrees Kelvin - from 1000K to 10.000K. The lower the Kelvin temperature is, the warmer the light is, and the higher number of Kelvins, the brighter/whiter it is. For example, the candle lamp from 10 years ago offered a colour temperature of approx. 2000K, a halogen lamp would offer either 3000K (when it was yellowish) or 4000K (when it was blueish), and the sunlight offers approx. 6000K light. The higher the colour temperature of a LED lamp, the whiter the light appears. Note: Philips calls warm white around 2700K, neutral white around 4000K, and cool white at 5000K or more. Also, via Wikipedia, we see an enriched version of the categorization of the different lighting colour temperatures. The question is, what is the light colour temperature you need for your lamp?LED Lamps Colour Temperatures and Where to Use ThemIt can be confusing where to use a cool white lamp and where to use daylight or a warm white lamp. This didn't use to be a problem, but now the home user and office worker alike are put in front of the dilemma of choosing the light colour temperature for the setting he's in.There's a variety of colour temperatures, and as the households and offices are switched to LED, the colour temperature has to be just right. We need to identify the correlated colour temperature (also called, CCT) of the existing light bulbs and find the LED alternative, the perfect replacement. Based on the room where you need to change the lamp, there are recommended correlated light colour temperatures for the LED lamps. Remember, the colour temperature of the lamps you use has an important impact on the way we feel and the functionality of the space we use and the activities we perform there. Where should we use Warm White LED Lamps?Warm white light refers to CCT of 2000K - 3000K, and it is more relaxing, calming, and inviting. It is recommended to use warm white LED lamps in locations such as the bedroom, the bathroomthe dining roomthe living room decorative lightinghospitality ambient lightingBuy the Montparnasse bronze pendantWherever we need to create a warm, inviting glow, we should use a warm white LED lamp. In the bedroom, for example, we should always use warm white light, because the cool white light can disrupt our circadian rhythm and can negatively affect the quality of our sleep. In the bathroom, similarly, when we use a warm white light, warmer tones are more flattering and relaxing. When it comes to the dining room lighting, it is recommended not only to use warm white lights but also dimmable lamps, so that you can adjust the lighting as appropriate. Similarly, in hospitality lighting and decorative lighting, warmer light colours are recommended. Light fittings that use warm white light are table lamps, floor lamps, pendants, chandeliers, and downlights. Cool White LED Lamps: where to use them and why?The cool white LED lamps, or the cool white colour temperature is recommended in settings where we need to stay alert and focused. At the office, for example, it is recommended to use cooler temperatures, since we need to focus on work and concentrate on the tasks at hand. Similarly, in the kitchen, we can use cool white light to help us stay awake while making breakfast or dinner.Buy IP66 Tough Shell LED bulkheads Sometimes even in the bathroom, you can use a cool white light to keep you alert in the morning. Some of the locations where cool white LED lamps are recommended are office/work environments, accent lightingbathroom lightingbasement lightingtask lighting garage lightingPlease bear in mind, however, that the correlated colour temperature you need depends on the task or activity to be performed, so if you need to stay more alert in the bathroom, then cool white light can be used, but if you just want a relaxing atmosphere in the bathroom, the warm white light is recommended. Here is an example of a cool white LED lamp and a cool white LED fitting.Daylight LED Light Bulbs and where to Use themThe daylight colour in LED lamps is >5000K, basically 6000K and 6500K. Such lamps emit colour similar to the sunlight, a colour that is not just yellowish (warm white) or blueish (cool white) but whiteish (daylight).Buy IP65 7W Firestay LED CCT downlight Locations, where daylight colour temperature can be used, are security lightinggarages lighting display areas - display lightingtask lighting. The LED flood lights used as security lighting outdoor can offer daylight CCT, shining a bright sun-like light to light the path or expose the intruders. Similarly, if you want to highlight a display or shed light in the garage, you can use daylight LED lamps. Such light is crisp and invigorating, and many task light fittings and security lights use it. They are the preferred light colour temperature in industrial and commercial settings and applications. ConclusionOne of the most common questions we have been asked at Sparks for the past few years, as we make the transition from halogen and incandescent lamps to LED lamps, is what colour temperature the LED lamps should be. As LED technology is developing, there are more and more options for the increasing number of settings, scenes, activities, and tasks. To find out more about what kind of colour temperature you need for your LED lamps, you can give us a call or contact us via email. Note: we now have CCT lamps where you can choose the LED colour temperature before installing it, and if you change your mind later, you can change it again. See these CCT lights here.