The choice of designs means all outside lighting can now be replaced with the lowest energy option, says Timeguard…
LED lighting should now be the norm, there’s no excuse for fitting energy-guzzling CFL, halogen and even incandescent bulbs in our schools, offices, public buildings or homes.
One of the names you are most likely to hear when you enquire about replacing outdoor lighting with LEDs, is NIGHTeye from Timeguard, the firm that has consistently led the way with its combinations of innovative design and superior quality.
Design
The original ultra-compact pan-and-tilt Timeguard LED NIGHTeyes broke the mould and were a completely new concept in outdoor lighting design. Small and yet remarkably powerful, these floodlights are compact and stylish enough to be used anywhere.
A range of more business-like looking LED floodlights followed, with precision-designed lenses and reflector plates to ensure that the light that is emitted is not only diffused and more pleasing to the eye, but also give more comprehensive coverage for security. The polycarbonate casing and easy wiring make these lights an installers’ favorite. After all, these safety and security lights are likely, by definition, more likely to be in high and relatively inaccessible places!
However, successful as the first NIGHTeyes were, the market soon let it be known that nothing is ever going to displace the original, traditional bulkhead design altogether. So then Timeguard designed new LED bulkhead lights that are compact, strong and attractive, with the same design edge as the original NIGHTeye models. Clever lens diffusers ensure that they emit an even spread light ideal for both safety and security Lighting, making them a direct replacement for old-style bulkheads.
Super slim range
Autumn/Winter 2014 sees the addition of new super slim options to the range. Made from solid die-cast metal with polycarbonate lenses for impact resistance, they are tough enough for industrial and commercial installations and benefit from the even light pattern as do other models in the NIGHTeye range, thanks to the layout of the individual diodes behind the frosted light-diffusing lenses. Schools, colleges, offices and back yards everywhere win all-round: energy saving with faster payback, good looks, good quality and a straightforward installation job to replace old energy-guzzling bulkheads.
Superior light output – diffused and wide beamed
One of the main objections to LED lighting is the quality of light output – the stark white pinpoint beams and overcoming this has been at the heart of the investment and design process behind the Timeguard range from the outset. The layout of the diode array, the lenses that cover them and the precise shape of the back reflector plates all combine to create the right lighting effects: effects that make LEDs a suitable replacement for the gentler incandescent, CFL lighting we are used to. As a rule of thumb, if you can see the ‘naked’ individual diodes behind the glass casing, don’t expect a diffused or particularly pleasant light output.
Another issue with LEDs is tha they emit an unidirectional point of light which, as well as being relatively harsh aesthetically, makes them less useful in in security applications where the whole point is to flood and area with light. Again, Timeguard engineers overcame the challenge, creating wide beam designs to consolidate the firm’s lead in LED for outdoor lighting with floodlight designs that produce bright but diffused light to flood a wide area. It’s worth pointing this out to installers, who have been disappointed by cheaper LED floods that simply emit only the focused beam of light that is the signature of light emitting diodes.
A similar diffusion effect is achieved with the lens design of the Timeguard original LED bulkhead designs and the new low-profile, die cast lamps. It all adds up to a range that is in pole position to keep flying off your shelves. There’s scope to replace thousands of energy-hungry older lights that are still out there, as well as to open up new markets as people see the value of low running costs with products that are guaranteed to last for years. These are products that every installer should keep in mind as an extra opportunity on every job they do – and which should be on you counter in full view where the illustrated packaging tells its own story.
Quality and reliability
While the main advantage of LEDs is cited as their energy efficiency, the quality of light emitted is important too, especially now the technology is being used in our homes and offices. The quality of light emitted by LEDs can vary between the stark glare of a light which is no more than an array of LED ‘dots’ and units with lenses designed to create a more gentle, diffused light, as with the NIGHTeye range.
Of course an LED lamp requires a lot more than the diodes – there is also a driver which needs to be suitable to last the intended life of the product and a heat sink to dissipate the heat produced and the all-important PIR detectors. The quality of these components is as important as that of the diode in building a long-lasting product. For instance, relatively few of the PIRs on the market are actually rated to switch LEDs which, despite their low rating, do generate a significant spike in switching. Some LED lamps do not even have proper cooling fins.
Very cheap is rarely very cheerful. The most economical lighting of all is the lighting made from quality components which can be fitted and forgotten, and that usually means a trusted brand name like Timeguard.
Check out the whole range at www.timeguard.com
