The most obvious application, and one in wide use today, is to turn on outdoor floodlights when anyone approaches within the sensor’s range. Studies confirm common sense that a well-lit home is less vulnerable to a home invader than one that has large dark areas near points of entry.

Adding motion sensors and/or motion sensor lights is an effective way to solve that problem. They trigger the lights on approach, which has two advantages. A light that comes on unexpectedly tends to startle the unwanted visitor. That provides extra motivation to change their plans and move on to an easier target. Homeowners also save money on electricity by not having high-wattage bulbs burn all night long when and where they’re not really needed.

That goal can be accomplished with separate motion sensors that are connected to a whole system, one that includes lights, a horn or other security components. Or, as is the case in many fixtures, the motion sensor can be integrated into the lamp housing itself. Both are effective, though in some cases separate motion sensors have a greater range and angle of coverage.

But security isn’t the only reason that motion sensors can be a huge benefit. They can supply extra safety and convenience, as well.

You pull up into the driveway or walk outside on a dark night. You can’t see a thing. That toy or bicycle is just waiting there for you to step on. That low garden fence you always forget about is ripe for bumping into. Motion sensors can turn on the lights at your approach and prevent accidents.

They can also make it much easier to turn on the lights when you just need a brief light. You don’t have to be near the switch, you just approach or wave an arm and on pop the lights. Now you can find your keys, put away that pesky toy or just make it into the house without any trouble.

Many of the same considerations apply to indoor motion sensors, too. But indoor sensors come in an even wider variety of types and styles.

Existing wall switches or outlets can easily be converted to contain motion sensors. That makes it very easy to have a system that turns on the light when you enter, then turns it off when you leave.

Motion sensors can be integrated with hallway lamp sconces to provide illumination when you enter. You save electricity and bulb life by having the light not on when you’re not there.

Look into the full range of motion sensors available: wireless, infrared, ultrasonic, weatherproof and many more.

Dimmer switches today come in a variety of styles, but two are still the most common: round and slide. They both work essentially the same way. They change the resistance of the circuit, altering the amount of current applied to the bulb.

That fact introduces the first possible problem. If the switch controls a fixture with a fluorescent bulb, ensure it’s the type that can be dimmed. In years past, no fluorescent was capable, but the situation has changed in recent years. Many CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lights), often used to replace incandescents today, can be dimmed within 80-20% of their normal output.

Once you’re ready to go, the process is usually simple.

First, TURN OFF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER that controls the electrical supply that includes that switch. Never rely only on using gloves or ‘being careful’ to change a switch, though those are both good habits. Make sure you have the right one. Then make doubly sure by using a volt-amp meter to test that there really is no current at the switch.

It only takes 2/10ths of an amp to kill or do serious harm. Moist or salty hands can easily lower the body’s resistance so that it takes only a few dozen volts to push it through you. Amps measure the amount of current, voltage is a measure of how ‘hard’ that current is pushed through the circuit. Watts = Volts x Amps.

From there on, the task is usually simplicity itself. Just unscrew the screws holding the faceplate on. Remove it and, with gloves on, pull the switch gently out of the hole. It will be attached by thick, difficult to move wires. Avoid yanking anything loose.

Then, unscrew the large wires from the old switch. Sometimes it’s possible to just unscrew a plastic cap holding two thick wires together. More often, the thick copper wire will be attached to the switch by being looped around a screw post. Loosen the screw and slide the loop off the post.

Be sure to keep straight which wire was attached to which post. In many homes, the color coding is non-standard. It may differ from house to house. Though red and green or white and black are common colors for ‘hot’ and ‘ground’ the scheme is not universally respected.

Examine your dimmer switch or the directions it came with. Put the appropriate wires onto the appropriate terminals on the back. Wiring the switch backwards may allow it to still work, but it generates confusion. Down is typically lower, or less current. Ditto counter-clockwise is usually off. Getting them backwards is inconvenient, even when it still works.

Ensure that the wires are well separated, then turn the circuit breaker back on to test the switch. Make sure to keep your hands away from the wires. When the test is successful, turn off the circuit breaker and replace the whole assembly. Make sure no bare piece of wire touches another.

Done!

Newer and newer technologies are being developed while older technologies are either being modified and adapted to the constantly changing times or are being declared obsolete.

In the blink of an eye what is the rage today can be turned to the forgotten tomorrow. In this scenario, with science and technology galloping ahead at the speed of light, one of the most popular technologies to take over the market recently is that of the wireless instruments.

Wireless communication is an extremely useful technology which deviates into various branches, including that of a wireless lighting control system. Wireless systems are those which elementarily allow for the transfer and transportation of information and material over distances without relying upon electrical wires or any other conductors.

This helps in increasing efficiency and effectiveness by reducing the dependency on electric conductors. Wireless devices work on the system of electromagnetic waves.

Wireless lighting control devices allow one to manipulate the lighting system depending upon one’s wishes without having to undertake unnecessary trips to the switches every now and then. The basic advantage of using wireless devices is that they allow for actions over a long or short distance without having to depend upon a complicated electrical wiring system.

It is entirely convenient to be able to manipulate the lights without having to get up every now and then and also efficient and aesthetically appealing as there are no wires or conductors attached all over the house. Simply using a remote to control the lighting system is indeed an attractive option. Wireless technology does not make use of the conventional lighting systems. Instead, in place of an elaborate system of wires and plugs and sockets, wireless technologies call for the use of other forms of energy for conveying the electric signal.

For example, in the place of electrical wires, infrared light, laser light, acoustic energy and radio frequency are used in order to transport the information signal. Using a wireless lighting control system offers the customer a variety of advantages. We have discussed some of these advantages here in this article. For example, using a wireless lighting control system allows you to cover functions over a distance which more often than not will exceed the capability of a conventional system made of electric cables.

Another benefit is that incase of a power failure when the main power system stops operating, the wireless systems can still be used. Also, it allows for steady functioning in areas where using conventional cable wires is impractical or financially not feasible.

The first part is the lamp which acts as the source of the light. The second part of the unit is the reflector which is used for directing the light. The next part is the aperture which can be used with or without a lens.

Following the aperture is the outer shell which acts as a casing for the lamp and is used for the purposes of alignment and safeguard. The last two parts of the unit are an electrical ballast, which depends upon the needs of the user and of course, the connection to an electric power source.

Light fixtures are available in various assortments which range according to the needs of the user and the functions to be served by the appliance. Light fixtures are being utilized in a plethora of industries, ranging from those of medicine and marine research to the automotive and aerospace industries.

In this article we shall discuss some of the light fixtures which are available commercially. The portable table lamps which have become immensely popular for both domestic and professional use are an example of light fixtures. Chandeliers are another kind of light fixture.

Chandeliers have are very popular as they fulfill a double purpose. They serve the purpose of illumination while also adding an elegant sense of aesthetics to the surroundings in which they are placed. Pendant lights are akin to chandeliers as they to combine the concept of functionality and beauty.

Pendant lights are light fixtures which are suspended from the ceiling via the means of a durable but attractive chain. An extremely effective form of light fixtures is that of emergency lights. Emergency lights work as a backup system in the case of power failure.

These lights work on the basis of energy stored in a battery or on the basis of an electrical circuit which can get activated in the even of failure of the main source of power supply. Warehouses and industrial factories make use of strip lights or industrial lights which are a long line of fluorescent lights in a row, used to illuminate a long stretch of area.

Light fixtures are also used in outdoor lighting. They are used to provide light on walkways, driveways and parking lots. For the purpose of lighting up pathways lights are fixed at low levels close to the ground. To illuminate the areas under kitchen and bathroom cabinets, fixtures called under cabinet lights are used. Another example of light fixtures is Bollards which are a kind of lighting used specifically for architectural purposes.

These lights are built as short units that are mounted on the ground. Bollards are used to generate illumination which is cut off and provides light on specific regions of pathways and walkways and staircases.

In the United States it was the efforts of the acclaimed inventor Benjamin Franklin that resulted in the system of street lights to be used in the United States for the first time.

Benjamin Franklin was the postmaster of Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania, and for this reason, most people regard Philadelphia to be the origin of the concept of street lighting in the United States. In the colonial era, the street lights comprised of a glass vessel which contained a lighted candle.

The glass structure did not allow the blowing wind to blow out the candle flame. The street lamps as designed by Benjamin Franklin were four sided, constructed out of four separate panels of glass. This was an efficient design, especially in the context of damage caused to the lamps, for incase any of the glass panes broke, it was not necessary to reconstruct the entire lamp, as simply replacing one pane would be enough.

In the year of 1792, William Murdoch invented the gas lights. After this invention, gas began being used to light the street lamps in the cities of Britain. Following this development, in the year of 1816, the streets of Baltimore in the United States began using gas lighting for illuminating the pathways as well. The concept of gas lighting for powering street lamps became extremely popular, and in some places in the United States of America one can still view gas lamps on the streets sometimes.

With the invention of Thomas Edison, light bulbs began being incorporated as a part of street lighting as well. Cleveland in Ohio in the year of 1879 became the first city to make use of an electric lighting system to illuminate the street ways. Due to the safety hazards posed by fire based street lights, their popularity began decreasing and by the onset of the 20th century people began searching for newer, more effective and secure methods of street lighting.

In the period of the 1930s and the 1940s, with a flourishing automobile industry, the usage of incandescent and fluorescent street lights became extremely well-liked and popular. In New York City, the massive number of lights used to light up the Broadway theaters became an attraction of sorts and earned the moniker of “The Great White Way”, a fitting tribute to the brilliant theater marquees lining the streets.

In the industry of street lighting there were two chief competitors, the Westinghouse Company and General Electric. There are several categories of luminaires that are used. One of these categories is the Unistyle Lumnaires which are recognized by their vaulted and arched apex and a front end which slopes forward. A very popular category of luminaires is the Silverline Luminaire. They have been remodeled and adapted to modern usage, and one of the new characteristics is a light grey coloring. They are also referred to as Greyliners.

Light dimmers are used to alter and manipulate the level of brightness of light. It is possible to change according to will the intensity of the light being produced by the light source by altering the levels of total power being provided to the lighting appliance being used.
This can be done by periodically increasing or decreasing the RMS voltage of the power supply to the lighting appliance. While such devices which can bring about a change in the voltage can be used for a number of purposes, in general, light dimmers are used for simply directing the brightness and intensity of the light being produced by the lighting appliance.

Depending upon the function to be served by the light dimmer, the size of the dimmer can vary drastically. For domestic purposes and usage in small capacities, the size of the dimmer is of the average light switchboard. However in larger settings such as those of theatres, the light dimmers are bigger and more complex.

In the earlier technologies, dimmers had a manual operation system which resulted in a limited amount of control over the light intensity manipulation possible. With the coming of modern digital units of light dimmers, this problem has been rectified and complete control over the intensity of light being emitted can be achieved.

Original light dimmers were created with potentiometers and variable resistors. In contrast, the modern light dimmers are manufactured from silicon controlled rectifiers. The disadvantage of variable resistors was that they would distribute the power through heat energy and thus the level of efficiency would be exceedingly low, in the range of 0.5.
However, the modern day light dimmers, made of silicon controlled rectifiers do not heat up, hence there is little loss of energy and this leads to increased levels of efficiency which are recorded to be in the range close to 1.0.

In earlier times the light dimmers were administered through large control panels by the means of manual manipulation. This could only be achieved if the entire quantity of power being used was directed through the lighting control location.

This was an unfavorable set up as it was not only tiresome and inopportune but it also posed a dangerous threat from the copious amounts of electric power being concentrated in one region.

The danger was amplified by the numerous electrical channels and the high power and increased voltage of the lights in use. It was with the coming of the thyristor light dimmers that the concept of analog remote control systems for the light dimmers became possible.

The heavy power load wire systems from the earlier dimmer systems were replaced with smaller cables that carried lower levels of electric current and thus posed lesser danger. The principle of potential division being used was replaced by the method of switching techniques which minimized the wastage of power and energy.

Dimmers can be of various kinds, and the history of light dimmers involves various creations and developments, failures and successes.