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Many homeowners
today don't really know what it takes to produce a complete lighting portrait. There are hundreds of manufacturers that build
low voltage lighting equipment, the product may be good but no one tells the homeowner how to paint a picture using light.
They may give you some breif directions on how to wire everything up, and chances are that's incorrect. Even some lighting
contractors don't realize what it takes to design and install a good lighting project.
A good rule of thumb is
"more light is less light". The human eye is always drawn to the brightest object. When lights are scattered through
out the landscape it can cause "HOT SPOTS" which cause the iris of the eye to expand or contract. Uneven lighting
and black holes are the main culprit of this. By producing a uniform layout of light this will create an easiness on the eye
causing it not to tire as quickly. A soft, cohesive transition of light is the key.
Drive through you neigborhood
and you will find all types of outdoor lighting, I call it outdoor lighting because that is just what it is. No visual transition.
You'll see a tree up lit on one side of the property, 5 or 6 path lights all in a row on the sidewalk or driveway and maybe
some lights shining down from a tree or two. Now look and see if you can see the source of the light. I'm referring to the
light bulb. These are hot spots and draw the eye to them causing discomfort. In a true lighting portrait there are no hot
spots. You can't see the light source, just the illumination the light source itself produces thus making it much more easy
on the eye and creating a pleasant picture. A good design will give you this.
Wiring a low voltage system is the
next key. Low voltage means 12 volts. That's all it takes in electricity to produce the same amount of light that a Line Voltage
system produces. A line voltage system is 120 volts. Low voltage has a quicker voltage loss the longer the wire run. Example
of this is if you had a 50-watt low voltage light on a 200 foot wire run of 12-2 gauge wire by the time the electricty gets
to the light fixture you'll only have 9.3 volts. This will light the lamp but it will appear dim. You need at least 10.8 volts
to the lamp to get the full affect. Also if the voltage is too low the lamp will burn out faster and if the voltage is too
high, say 13 volts, the lamp will burn out faster as well. Another important bit of information to a low voltage system, when
properly installed, it will use about 1/3 of the electricty of a conventional line, or 120V system. Low voltage is also safer,
no risk of electrical shock. Perfect for around pools, docks, fountains, waterfalls and any other type of water feature.
We at Sunset Landscape Lighting Inc. take time in our designs. We will come out to your property and set up a lighting
demo, something you can actually see. We use the best in lighting fixtures. These fixtures are made of brass, copper, stainless
steel and or heavy durable composite materials. We also use "multi-tap transformers". This means not only does the
transformer have a 12 lead producing power but also a 13V, 14V all the way up to 22 volts on some of our transformers. This
means we can run a light up 1000 feet or more from the transformer and still produce the correct voltage to the lamp at the
end of that run.
Another feature we use is the "Equalizer Hub System". The wiring system uses less connections,
because the more the connections the more chances are you will have a problem down the road. The "Equalizer Hub System"
along with a regular maintenance schedule, will insure your system will not have any corrosion. Corrosion is like a cancer,
once it is in the wiring system the only way to eliminate is to replace it. This can cost $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
We warranty our wiring system for a LIFETIME. We warranty our fixtures and transformers for a LIFETIME too. That's right,
a LIFETIME! Now we offer LED lighting. The new LED lighting has the
same illumination and brightness as a HALOGEN lamp but uses 1/4 the power to produce the light. An 8.5-watt LED will put out
the same amount of light as a 35-watt HAOLGEN lamp but is much more cost affective. Also the new LED's will last up to
40,000 hours. No need to change out a lamp anymore. In 20 years you just change out the fixture. Savings and long lasting
is now the key for a GREEN future. Call me, Don Kirby, today at 843-290-0642
for a free information package. Visit our national Website at www.IAALL.com. Or just email me at Getlitsunsetinc@aol.com.
TO A BRIGHTER NEW YEAR!
MEMBER: International Academy Of Architectural Landscape Lighting.
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