Light is possibly the most essential element of your home interiors’ design and beauty. It is, arguably, the first thing you should consider when designing your house, room or office. Gone are the days of single hanging pendant lights and uncovered fluorescent lights. Nowadays, diffusers for fluorescent light, more appropriately, decorative light diffusers, which are used to spread the light evenly around the room, have become a very important part of interior design.
But, a decorative light diffuser not only spreads the light throughout the room, it also creates a desired ambiance for just about any function you want. Ambient lighting, provided by decorative light diffusers, creates, just, the right ambience for romance, relaxation and even entertainment; such as when it is used for children’s bedrooms as “fun” nightlights.
Decorative light diffusers can also be functional, especially when used as “feature” lighting, or lights that highlight special features of your home or office that you may want other people to notice; such as special paintings, sculptures or even an attractive piece of furniture.
Diffusers for fluorescent light, however, are best known for their very practical task lighting function. Since diffusers for fluorescent light spreads out the light to the entire room, it practically ensures that you have a full view of the room and can easily see what you’re doing. This is best for when you are cooking in the kitchen, reading a book or a magazine or applying some make-up.
Decorative light diffusers can also be a fantastic feature when paired with other lighting. If done properly and artistically, a decorative light diffuser, paired with other planned decorative lights, can create magic inside a room. These types of combinations are usually found in high-end shops, bars and other establishment which aim to attract many customers. However, artistic combinations with decorative light diffusers can also be used in your home to emphasize and proclaim your individuality.
Good lighting, particularly the right use of diffusers for fluorescent light, can transform your home into a statement. Always remember, when you start to consider redecorating your home, to make your decorative light diffuser a priority.
The merit of using full spectrum lighting and the new natural light fluorescent lights is a move in the right direction for the planet and for your pocketbook. Lighting utilizes approximately 17% of all electricity consumed in the United States. Reducing energy consumption saves money and reduces the amount of emissions that contribute to climate change, acid rain and smog. In fact, upgrading your home lighting system from incandescent lighting is one of the easiest and most cost effective measures you can do to save money in your home and protect the environment.
New developments in fluorescent lighting provide high quality, flicker-free light without the humming and gray colored light associated with older fluorescent bulbs and tubes. High quality phosphors used in contemporary lamps, such as lamps manufactured by Ott-Lite, provide high color quality and electronic ballasts that have eliminated the flicker and hum.
Other than giving us basic illumination, artificial light should meet our needs for visibility, health and safety, mood, comfort, socializing and aesthetic appeal. Since today’s contemporary society spends significant amounts of time indoors, it is important that indoor lighting provide a positive home and office environment. When setting up your own home lighting environment, your consideration of the occupants in the lighted space is needed. For example, as our eyes age they undergo optical and neurological changes that require increased light levels because of the aging eye’s reduced ability to perceive contrast and color saturation.
The Way Electric Lights Work
In incandescent bulbs, electricity heats a wire filament inside a glass bulb causing it to glow and give off light. 90% of the energy used is given off as heat and 10% as light.
In fluorescent lamps the electric ballast alters the electric current flowing between electrodes inside gas filled glass tubes activating the gas to produce Ultraviolet (UV) light. The UV light excites the multi-phosphor coating on the inside of the glass tube and causes it to glow and produce visible light - 60% of the energy used is given off as heat and 40% as light.
Lighting Characteristics
Color Temperature - The relative “color” of a light source expressed in degrees Kelvin. Generally, sources below 3200K are considered “warm” (more yellowish) and those above 4000K are considered “cool” (more bluish). Of course, fluorescent lights are included in the latter.
Therefore, if you want to have an excellent, affordable source of good lighting with accurate color rendering, that will lessen eye strain and improve visibility as your eyes age, change your lighting to full spectrum natural manufactured lights and lamps. The new fluorescents are worth the research, and their benefits can be taken to the bank.
Understanding how fluorescent light tubes work begins with a basic understanding of how light is produced. The basic unit of light is the light photon, which is released by an atom when its electrons become energized. As you may know, electrons are negatively charged particles that orbit around an atom’s positively charged nucleus. Electrons have different levels of energy, and move when energy is gained or lost by the atom. When heat passes energy to an atom, electrons quickly shift to another orbital, and almost instantaneously jump back to their original positions. As the return jump takes place, extra energy can be released in the form of a light photon, thus creating light.
We have all heard that fluorescent bulbs are more efficient than incandescent ones, but why? Fluorescent bulbs utilize a more energy efficient process of producing the light that we see. The main difference between incandescent lighting and fluorescent lighting is in the process of stimulating the atoms. Incandescent light bulbs excite atoms through the introduction of heat, resulting in an excess of unused heat energy. Fluorescent light bulbs, on the other hand, utilize a chemical reaction to excite atoms without the same excess heat energy. Both types of bulbs create ultraviolet light, which is not visible to humans. But only fluorescent bulbs utilize a substance that converts the ultraviolet light to visible light, resulting in less wasted energy.
An ordinary fluorescent lamp is a tube shaped glass shell with an electrode on each end for connecting to the electrical source. Phosphor powder lines the inside of the tube, and a small amount of mercury and an inert gas are contained within it. When current flows to and between the electrodes, electrons travel the length of the tube, creating energy that converts part of the mercury to a gas. As some of the moving atoms and electrons make contact with the mercury atoms, electrons become excited, jump to a new orbital, and emit light photons as they return to the original orbital.
However, the light created by this chemical reaction is mostly in the ultraviolet range, which again is not comprehended by the human eye. The phosphor powder lining the fluorescent lamp serves the important purpose of converting the light to visible light. When the light photons created from the chemical reaction collide with a phosphor, the energy excites the phosphor’s electrons, thus emitting visible light. Phosphors are the reason for the white light we typically see from fluorescent lights.
The popularity of fluorescent lighting is on the rise as consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and are looking for energy saving solutions. Once widespread mainly in large office buildings and schools, the fluorescent bulb is now manufactured with a standard bulb base making it compatible with more common home light fixtures.
About the Author: John Billington is the president and CEO of Five Rivers Inc., a leading online provider of home lighting, bathroom lighting and decor. For more information, please visit www.fiverivers.com.
The need to save energy led to the imvention of fluorescent light fixtures. Their invention brought the much needed relief to curb the problem of polluting to the environment. Their introduction was indeed a turning point that society needed, to turn a new page. The use of fluorescent light fixtures is prefered over other lighting systems available.
The fixturers are very efficient and you are now able to save money significantly in your home. They came in to replace incandescent bulbs which were far from ideal. The fluorescent light fixtures and bulbs go a long way in saving energy. It has been found that they save energy to cover another ten million houses every year.
You may not be able to make out the difference between the current and the traditional fixtures. This is because the light intensity is more or less the same. The only difference will be reduced heat emissions and the lower bills you will continue to recieve. You can use the fixtures for decoration and lighting.
You can also get the light fixtures for practical purposes where you focus on how they are going to serve you. Taking care of the light shade you want for the lamps is of paramout importance. You can go for soft white light but, if you prefer the cooler shades, they are also available.
A great advantage that comes with this light furnishings is life span. They are designed to stay for a dozen years. This will be very helpful to you and, you will like what the fixtures have to offer. They come with a very high replacement range and they need to be disposed off in an environmentally friendly way.
The American dream involves having to build your own perfect little family, live in your huge house, drive your own car and have a well paying career. These hopes and wishes may not be true for all people, unfortunately, but there is no doubt that the most important one of all is to have your own house. Every individual has to live somewhere. That is why a lot of home owners beautify their house the best way they could for this might be the biggest investment they could ever own in their lifetime.
In order to make your home stand out, you need to have adequate lighting. Lighting sets the mood of the rooms. A well lit room adds joy to the people inside it. If you need to do some activities, you can see very well whatever project you are doing if adequate lighting is present.
It would be nice if everyone had the money to decorate their house whatever way they choose, however, that is not the reality. Economic crisis even made the budget of a lot of homeowners even smaller. Decorating the house needs creativity in order to beautify it without spending too much.
This is where fluorescent light panels come into use. Do you know that it is the lighting, not the furniture inside a room, which can make or break the overall ambiance? Even if you still have your old curtains, your old carpet or your old living room set, you can add character to the room just by adding fluorescent light panels. It is an inexpensive way to add style and comfort to your home.
There are a lot of fluorescent light panel styles, designs, sizes and shapes to choose from. Remember that you should choose the one that will complement the existing design of your home. Place them in different areas of the house and even focus on some prominent decorative piece if you want to.
In your next home planning session with the family, suggest the use of fluorescent light panels. Not only is it affordable, it adds elegance to any room as well.
Majority of our lives we spend in work. More often our work defines us, the eight hour work dominates the way we think, our lifestyle and how we make our decision. It also influences us, in more ways than one, in more ways than we can ever imagine.
For instance, if we hate the work that we are doing every single day chances are we would act as if the whole world is pressing us down. We won’t see every mistake as a wonderful learning experience, we would see it as a disgrace and another reason to quit.
Moreover, if our workplace is not that pleasing too it would affect the way that we see our jobs. If it is hot, for example, we would be crankier than ever. All the more, if a tall pile of paper works greet us good morning everyday.
Employers also suffer a great deal if they can’t provide a decent workspace for their employees. It would affect the work ethics and productivity level of the employee if your office is not at all pleasing. For instance, if your office has an insufficient, or too much, lighting, there is a big chance that your employee could not work efficiently simply because she can’t see clearly what she is doing. This can be quickly fixed using light diffuser panels.
Considering how to illuminate all the area in the workshop where you intend to do the actual work is very important. For instance, if you place the workbench near a window, it will aid in lighting the work area during the daylight hours. You also might be interested to have a curtain or shade that can be drawn to block or direct sunlight. If, at the same time, you have glaring fluorescent lights, you can fit it with light diffuser panel to subdue the glare.
But have you ever given a thought of using natural light in the morning? Well, fluorescent light diffuser panel could do the trick. These light diffuser panels are designed to reduce harsh glare from sterile existing fluorescent lighting. The effect of having the sky painted right in your office’s ceiling through light diffuser panel is also a good way to elicit positive aura and eventually productivity from your employees.
With this, always consider the adequate amount of time when choosing how you are going light your workspace. Remember that working in dim or inadequate lighting is just courting trouble and losses eventually.
As the Baby Boom Generation joins the ranks of our growing elderly population, we should consider how lighting their environment will affect their quality of life. By the time we reach age 65 we need three times the amount of light to see with the same acuity of a 20 to 30 year old. Each year a new layer of cells forms on the lens of the eye. As this layer becomes progressively thicker we require higher levels of light to penetrate to the back of the retina. According to new Dutch study published in the Journal of American Medicine, higher light levels can reduce the affects of dementia in older adults.
A correlation exists between how much light we absorb and how much melatonin our body produces. Melatonin is a hormone that is produced while we are sleeping and is essential in the regulation of our circadian rhythm. The body uses light levels to differentiate between daytime and nighttime. When this light level is reduced by an absence of light during the daytime hours, the production of melatonin is affected and results in a disruption to the circadian rhythm. This causes a change in sleep patterns which has been shown to be a factor in early onset dementia. As we age, we tend to spend less time outdoors and more time indoors in artificial light, thus affecting melatonin production. At a time when the human body needs more light we effectively reduce the available light by spending more time indoors.
The Dutch study looked at 189 residents of 12 assisted living facilities, 87 percent of whom had been diagnosed with dementia over a five year period. In all the facilities, the lights were brightest between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. In half of the facilities,new higher wattage lights were installed. The new lighting produced light of 1000 lux, a measurement of light output equivalent to 93 foot-candles, or about 50 percent more than the level recommended for open office lighting. In the remaining 6 facilities, indoor lighting produced 300 lux equivalent to 30 foot-candles or the amount of light recommended for residential living spaces. In addition, one group was given 2.5 milligrams of melatonin each evening, while the other group received a placebo. The study revealed the higher light levels alone were enough to cause positive effects in the patients. The 1000 lux lighting reduced cognitive decline by 5 percent, reduced symptoms of depression by 19 percent and reduced physical function decline by 53 percent. Of those who took the melatonin, 25 had more uninterrupted sleep, although those who just took the melatonin and weren’t exposed to the higher lighting levels showed more signs of withdrawal and depression. The residents who experienced the higher light levels and took the melatonin increased their sleep efficiency by 3.5 percent, reduced nocturnal restlessness by 9 percent and reduced agitated behavior by 9 percent. This research revealed that the same results occurred in the residents exposed to the higher light levels as occurred in patients who are prescribed a popular class of drugs used to treat Alzheimer’s.
It is apparent from these studies that increasing the light levels in the living environments of the elderly can have a positive impact on their quality of life and perhaps reduce their dependency on expensive drugs. While striving to increase the light levels it is important to consider the type of lighting that will achieve the best result. Careful attention must be paid to creating high light levels without glare. Glare can be especially jarring to older eyes. The building up of layers of cells on the lenses causes a scattering of the light, increasing susceptibility to glare. Glasses and contacts also contribute to the glare problem.
The resulting thickening of the lenses also causes the eyes to register more amber which changes the ability to perceive color correctly. Amber absorbs blueish and purple colors, so the older we get, the less blue we see. This makes it important for older people to have a light source strong in the blue range. Using cool fluorescent lamps and LED’s will provide this blue light source. Select fluorescent bulbs at least 4100 k and LED’s that have not been manufactured to achieve warmer colors. Use a good quality fluorescent bulb with a high color rendering index to aide in the color recognition. Using an inexpensive daylight bulb with a low CRI will only worsen the color recognition problem.
When planning the lighting for the space, consider the different types of fluorescent lighting. One recommended application is to use linear fluorescent strips mounted in coves located near the ceiling. This in effect turns the entire ceiling into a light reflector creating glare free indirect, evenly distributed light. The ceiling must be white in order for this technique to be effective. Surface mounted fixtures may be used if covered by white diffusers to eliminate glare. The number of bulbs and wattage required is dependant on the room size, color of walls, floors and the reflective properties of those surfaces. Keep in mind that 3 times the recommended light level is the goal. Supplement the ceiling light with lighting over the cabinets and under the cabinets in kitchens. Use the same fluorescent color throughout. If possible the counter tops should be constructed from a light material finished in a matte finish. Avoid dark, high gloss counter-topsfor maximum lighting efficiency in areas occupied by the elderly.
In bathrooms use shielded fluorescent lighting mounted on the wall on either side of the vanity or sink mirror spaced 30″ apart. This will provide evenly distributed light with no glare on the face. If the bathroom is equipped with a long solid mirror, mount the lights on the mirror. Additional ceiling lighting should be provided throughout the bathroom to adequately illuminate all areas and provide good light for personal grooming and safety. Since older adults get up frequently in the night to use the bathroom, use amber colored nightlights to help them find their way safely. The amber color will not disturb the sleep cycle and interfere with their ability to return to sleep. While night lighting should be provided, it should be kept to as low a wattage as possible while still providing a safe path of light. In the bathroom provide a night light that can be left on all night or operated by a motion switch. Make sure this light is of a low wattage as well. Introducing bright light to soon can cause temporary blindness in older eyes and lead to disorientation. Older eyes take longer to adjust to changing light levels. There are low level LED’s that can be installed in door frames or used at the floor to create a safe path of light throughout a living space.
Often an elderly person will have a favorite chandelier and lamps that they will want to use in their living space. These fixtures can be fitted with frosted light bulbs and soft fabric shades to eliminate glare and used as decorative accents in the room. Fit the table or floor lamps with compact fluorescent bulbs, the highest wattage they can physically hold. Replacement harps and shades can be used to allow for the larger size, higher wattage bulbs. These bulbs burn much cooler than their incandescent couterparts so you can use a higher wattage than recommended because heat is not an issue in the lamp.
Due to the advances in lighting technology and research, it is possible to enhance the quality of life of our senior adults by making simple changes in the lighting of their environments reducing the occurrence and severity of dementia. This is something we can all do for our elderly clients or loved ones.
For additional information on lighting and lighting solutions , visit www.yourlightsite.com.
Fluorescent Lighting Fixtures are more energy efficient compared to other fixtures. Fluorescent bulbs, in these fixtures, use gas discharge and electricity to produces light. The secret is the mercury found inside the bulb. The mercury vaporizes, producing ultraviolet light in a phosphorous surrounding.
Some bulbs, particularly the incandescent, rely on heat reaction to give off the illumination. They use more energy and quickly become hot. Fluorescent bulbs are an energy efficient light source that is recommended by most engineers and lighting consultants.
These bulbs are also used in many light fixtures because fluorescent light converts more efficiently into visible light than other bulbs. Fluorescent bulbs have 22%. Luminous efficacy and Incandescent bulbs have 10%.
Admittedly, the cost of fluorescent light bulbs is three times higher than most bulbs; however, its long-term benefits far outweigh the financial issue. One way to check your cost is by looking on your electric bill. Look at your bill before you install fluorescents and then after.
Fluorescent lighting fixtures optimizes energy input so that only less is used for maximum brightness. If you have been using incandescent bulbs for your interior lighting for quite some time, you will notice that your electric bill will be quite high. By switching to fluorescent, you are making a big step to have energy efficient light.
In addition, a fluorescent tube can last up to six times longer, compared to other bulbs, making it ideal for rooms that require longer hours of continuous light. Further, it will not burn out from continuous on and off switching.
If the room gets hot quickly, or is sensitive to heat, then fluorescent lighting fixture is ideal because it produces less heat. Since it produces less pollution from heat emissions, this helps to reduce the pollution of the environment.
Incandescent bulbs produce high amount of heat which merges into the atmosphere, aggravating global warming. Fluorescent therefore should be globally used for the sake of our planet.
The new designs of fluorescent fixtures, fluorescent lamps and recessed fluorescent lighting are effective in creating light moods; however, they come with more expensive prices. Today, as technology advances, you have more attractive interior lighting designs. These designs are available as recessed lighting, wall lighting, kitchen lighting, and ceiling lighting.
One of the best choices you can get is dimmable fluorescent fixture. It has the capacity to customize the brightness of the light with its dimmer switch. This is an added advantage on your part because the dimmer the light is, the more energy efficient it is, giving you more savings.
If you are a business owner, you can get more return on your investments by using a fluorescent lighting fixture. This is particularly helpful if your business is a restaurant or a bar that requires several types of lighting systems. Or, even if you have a commercial office, paying less for your electricity is truly rewarding.
The fluorescent tube is the best source of cost-efficient and energy efficient light. Whether you are planning to renovate any part of your house, or buying a new house, switching to fluorescent lighting fixtures can bring benefits to you and to the environment.
Quality Lighting is one of the basic cornerstones of quality video production. Any picture, video images included, are really nothing BUT light, so how your light looks will largely determine how your shot looks.
One of the newest ways to light your video production is to use the new, energy-efficient bulbs known as compact fluorescent lights. I believe there are many reasons why compact flo will soon become the bulb of choice in video making.
Compact Fluorescent lights (compact flo as they are nicknamed) are becoming popular as the new “green” way to light your home. You can find the bulbs almost everywhere now. Even before home use of compact fluorescent bulbs became popular, compact flo were being used more and more in video production. They have several distinct advantages over traditional video lights. The advantages add up to saving money and having an easier time during production.
Traditional video lights are usually tungsten halogen. They get HOTTER than a firecracker. You can easily burn your fingers on them. I even burned a hole in the wallpaper once when I bounced the light just a little too close to the wall. Oops.
Compact Fluorescent lights on the other hand do not get hot at all. They stay very cool and are much easier on the eyes. That feature, in and of itself, makes me want to buy some. Sitting under tungsten halogen lights is so hot as to be dreadfully uncomfortable. anyone sitting close to them will be sweating up a storm unless the room is very cool.
Plus, if you look directly at the burning light bulb, tungsten halogen are so bright they leave spots. These kind of bulbs heat up the entire room FAST. That leads to having to crank up the air conditioner, assuming it is not a noisy one. If it is noisy, then it stays off so you get better sound and everyone just roasts. No fun! Tungsten halogen produce almost as much heat as they do light!
In addition to staying cool, compact flo lights also use less electricity than any other kind of light bulb. (They don’t waste any energy producing unwanted heat!) That’s one of the biggest things that make them a “green alternative.” Compact fluorescent light bulbs crank out an amazing amount of light for the wattage used compared to other kinds of light bulbs. You can get by with using about half the wattage you might normally need.
The light given off by compact fluorescent is nice, soft and diffused. The ones I have used are all colored balanced in the blue range, similar to sunlight. Standard fluorescent bulbs give off a green light so that is a big difference there. Compact flo would fit right in with sunlight and not mess up the white balancing of your camera like an orange tungsten halogen would.
Every compact flo light bulb I have ever seen is already diffused for you by the addition of white paint to the inside of the glass. That does not mean you never need to add supplemental diffusion but right out of the box you have some nice diffusion.
All-in-all, I think compact fluorescent lights are a fantastic addition to the world of video production equipment. I bet that guy whose wall I burned a hole in would agree.
Thanks for reading Video Production Tips. For more information on lighting and other video production topics, please visit my blog.
Lorraine Grula
Internet Video Gal
Ok so let’s say you have recently been bitten by the aquarium bug. Maybe you had the chance to visit one of the many impressive public aquariums open for view. Or perhaps one of your friends had convinced you of the many benefits of owning one after showing you his remarkable display of aquatic treasures. In any case, the scenario ends the same way, after being confronted by such a magnificent spectacle of nature’s scaly creatures, you make some casual but persistent inquiries and after a few short minutes of mental calculation, you figure that maybe…just maybe you can also afford to have one of these watery wonderlands for your very own.
The question now that begs to be asked is how to go about it? There are almost as many varied aquarium designs out there in the market as there are fish in the sea! That goes without saying of course, but to anyone who is only just beginning to tackle this strange and wonderful pursuit of home aquarium maintenance, the endless options available can be a quite a source of considerable frustration and wrist wringing. You as a future aquarium owner will have to make a careful and thoroughly informed decision as to which design you will go with based on such factors as your budget, the space that you have available in your own home, the presence of any children or pets on the premises and the actual physical condition of the environment where you plan to place your intended purchase. Factors such as: is it too hot or too cold, is it too dusty or are there loud vibrations nearby…all these are things that you will have to take into careful consideration if you wish to ensure the smooth and trouble free operation of your aquarium system. Of course no pursuit that is worth pursuing is totally smooth and trouble free but a bit of careful planning and close consultation with people who are more knowledgeable in this field will go a long way in minimizing any difficulties in aquarium maintenance that you may encounter.
You may want to consider the purchase of something like a Full Aquarium Hood - Recessed with Fluorescent Light. Aquarium lights are of course one of the many more worthwhile enhancements that you can add on to your aquarium system and this one will not only be pretty to look at; it will actually have the added benefit of providing light for living plants as well as serving as an additional light source for the aquarium. Plants are after all of primary necessity in order to make your underwater world as realistic and captivating as possible, and a good aquarium light will help them stay healthy and consequently be able to provide many more months of pleasure and delight. This one comes fully assembled and most anyone should have no trouble setting it up. A full sturdy base will ensure that it stays put where you need it and a white reflector provides considerably more light.