Month: April 2021

Choosing interior lighting options for your home could seem like an easy thing to do.
Have you ever been to a lighting showroom and seen the thousands of options?
When faced with all the different lighting options, you need to understand a little bit about what you need for your home so you do not end up with a space that is not suitable for the purpose you had planned.

The Goal Of Lighting Any Room Is To Make It Suitable For Its Planned Use. 

So before you begin, you need to ask yourself the question:

What are you using the space for, or what will you be doing?

Think about how you will use the room throughout the day and let the lighting work for you. 

Since living rooms tend to have various uses, add different lighting options in your living room and make it easy to control the light levels.

Understanding the basic types of lighting and how and when to layer them is the most important aspect of lighting your home. 

There are three basic lighting types that you should keep in mind:

   Ambient or General lighting

    Task lighting

    Accent lighting

Ambient or General Lighting

Ambient lighting is the general level of light in a room. 

It provides general illumination to a room and allows you to move and see safely. 

It is usually created by the first light switch you turn on when you enter a room, and it’s the light that is left on most of the time. It is the perfect place to use energy-efficient LED bulbs

It is the foundation for all interior lighting.

Although you can use individual fixtures such as floor lamps or table lamps, ambient light is typically created with overhead fixtures, such as:

•     Recessed lighting
•     Track lighting
•     Chandeliers
•     Ceiling fans
•     Area lights

When choosing light bulbs for your room lighting, think in terms of lumens, not watts. 

Oldstyle bulbs measure the brightness in watts, which is actually a measure of energy consumption. 

With the wide usage of energy-efficient bulbs like CFLs and LEDs, lumens are a more accurate brightness measure.

Choosing The Right Lights For Your Space

Suspended Lighting or Pendant lighting is ideal for higher ceilings or for hanging over islands or dining areas. 

Ensure pendant lights are no lower than 75cm (30 inches) from a benchtop or table. They can block your view or be an obstruction.

When choosing pendant lights, consider the size of your space. 

For smaller rooms, opt for smaller, lighter pendant lights. 

Larger spaces can handle more significant and dramatic lighting fixtures.

If extra light is needed, you can add other light sources.

It Is OK To Choose Bulbs With A Lower Lumen Output

When it is for general lighting, the room lighting does not need to be as bright and focused as Task or Accent lighting.

Your electrician will be able to help you calculate what lumen output you will need to light up a room. 

A single light fitting maybe be sufficient with the correct lightbulb. 

You can add extra light fittings or even go for recessed downlights for a more even spread of ambient lighting.

If you are considering recessed lighting, you should aim for approximately one fixture per 4 square feet of ceiling.

Task Lighting Adds Extra Light When Needed

Think about when you are doing an activity that requires extra light.

It can be reading in bed, food prep in the kitchen, craft activities or doing your makeup in the bathroom.  

Task lighting is to help you do a task. 

This type of lighting is localized and can come from various sources, such as spotlights, recessed lights or desk lamps and table lamps.

Consider These Tips For Task Lighting:

Brightness is crucial, but it shouldn’t illuminate the entire room.

Look for adjustability. Opt for fixtures and lamps that can be dimmed (or install a dimmer switch), as well as positionable fixtures such as movable arms that can be moved as needed.

Consider The Colour Of The Light. 

Warmer bulbs are ideal for reading, especially at night. In comparison, cooler bulbs around your bathroom mirror will give you realistic daylight, so your makeup looks great in natural light.

Placement matters. Desk lamps and table lamps should be adjustable and pointed downward, so the light is focused on the task at hand and not in your eyes. They should also be placed on the side of your workstation to avoid glare and limit shadows.

Accent Lighting Or Feature Lighting

Where to use accent lighting

    To draw attention to artwork or plants

    To highlight architectural elements

    As decorative lighting

Accent lighting, also known as directional lighting, aims to create a focal point.

Typically it is used to draw attention to a specific feature, such as a piece of art or a plant, or highlight architectural elements such as wall textures decorative coving.

Adequate accent lighting draws the eye to the desired feature without drawing attention to the type of lighting. 

This is often accomplished with spotlights, wall sconces or recessed lighting. 

To effectively attract attention, accent lighting should direct at least three times as much light to the focal point as to the rest of the room.

When it comes to accent lighting, it’s okay to focus on form rather than function. 

Don’t forget about natural light. 

Perhaps your room is brightly lit by natural light during the day, so you underestimate the amount of ambient light you need at night.

You can use dimmers to add more flexibility to your room’s lighting.

The Kitchen Lighting

The kitchen is the central hub of most homes and families.

We do more than just cook and eat in our kitchens, which means this space needs different lighting types.

A common mistake when planning kitchen lighting is is using a single light or a lighting track. It results in uneven light distribution, with glare and shadows on the countertop.

Flexible lighting is needed with the right placement of lights to help use the space functionality day and night. 

Task and accent lighting help supplement natural light during the day and add general lighting in the evening hours.

The kitchen light is often left on longer than any other lights in the home. Upgrade your lights to energy-efficient bulbs like CFLs or LEDs. They emit less heat, which is perfect for under-cabinet and other Task lighting.

Task lighting provides focused illumination for a work area. 

In the kitchen, this can include the following areas:

•   Countertops
•     Islands
•     Sinks
•     Stovetops
•     Inside cabinets and drawers
•     Under-cabinet lighting

Under-Cabinet Lighting

Is an effective way of creating task lighting and puts light where it’s needed most, without the risk of shadows.

Many surfaces, including granite and marble, are reflective. 

Look for under-cabinet lighting that provides a diffused light source to avoid glare, such as LED strips positioned toward the wall.

Suspended Lighting

Pendant lights can be both decorative and functional in a kitchen. 

They provide ambient light is distributed in all directions, and when properly positioned, these fixtures can also serve as stylish task lighting over spaces like your kitchen island or sink. 

Recessed Lighting

Is excellent for low ceiling heights. If you choose recessed lighting, make sure the lights are close enough to the cabinets to provide a useful layer of light overhead where you will be working. If they are set back from the cabinets, there will be shadows on the benchtops. 

Position the lights about 60cms from the walls so that the light beam’s centre hits the countertop’s edge.

Accent lighting

Accent lighting in your kitchen shows features such as artwork on the wall or a feature on a benchtop like a plant or a fruit bowl 

There are several ways to add accent lighting to your kitchen:

LED light strips under a cupboard or even baseboard lighting 

If you have high ceilings, pendant lights, or wall sconces above the sink, can provide both accent and task lighting.

    

The Living Room

The living room is where family members spend time. 

It’s also usually one of the first rooms you enter. It needs to be well lit while keeping both function and form in mind. 

The room lighting needs to support the activities you do (or want to do) while using the space.

If there is a TV in your living room, avoid placing ceiling lights directly above or in front of the TV,

Use accent lighting that you can dim or easily turn off. 

The lights can be distracting by creating glare and making it difficult to see during dark scenes.

Ambient Light Ideas:

 Use a large central ceiling light such as a stylish chandelier or pendant, If you use multiple light sources, make sure to distribute them evenly to avoid bright areas and harsh shadows. 

Opaque lampshades and frosted glass diffusers can also help balance the lighting.

For entertaining, the proper ambient lighting is essential. Use warm-toned, dimmable bulbs to create an inviting environment that makes your guests feel comfortable and encourages conversation.

Task Lighting

Task lighting creates focused, bright light that allows you to easily see what you’re looking at while providing eye relief. 

For avid readers or crafters, the right light allows you to focus on your activity and avoid eye strain. 

Lamps that are adjustable for brightness and position are the most useful sources of task lighting.

Lamps with dimming options or 3-level dimming options are perfect.

Place task lights at desks, tables used for work or hobbies, and next to your favourite reading chair.

Accent Lighting

Accent lighting helps create more visual interest and highlight important aspects of your living room. 

Highlight artwork, architectural details like textures or decorative mouldings.

Cabinets And Shelves: 

Lighting open shelves or cabinets is a great way to feature the items you want to display, such as china, glassware or other decorative pieces.

 Use fairy lights or LED strips in display cases and on bookshelves to subtly highlight a collection of items, or hang fairy lights around houseplants to create soft pockets of light and an enchanting atmosphere.

To help you plan the lighting of your home, speak to a qualified electrician who is a lighting consultant and passionate about lighting design

 

The Article Interior Lighting Options For Your Home was found on https://limitsofstrategy.com

Helpful Air Conditioning Tips For Maintaining Your AC Unit

Spring is here, and it’s time to get your air conditioning system ready to handle the hard work of summer. When it gets hot, your ac unit is a blessing for sure. No one is comfortable when they are sweltering in the heat. Central air is one thing most of us tend to take for granted until it stops working, and these Air Conditioning Maintenance Tips are sure to help.

An air conditioner’s coils, filters, and fins require consistent maintenance for the unit to work efficiently and effectively during its lifetime. Ignoring necessary maintenance ensures a steady decline in air conditioning performance while energy use steadily increases.

By keeping your airconditioning system maintained, you can not only extend the lifespan of the unit, but you’ll also save money on energy while also expanding its lifespan. This in turn will save on costly early replacement. Inadequate maintenance can spell the death of your airconditioning system over time. By allowing your ac filters and coils to get dirty, you can cause the system to not work at peak efficiency. Then the compressor or fans are likely to fail prematurely.

Air conditioners need a bit of love and attention to ensure that the ac unit operates at the highest efficiency. The best time for maintenance is just before you start using the system to cool down the house.

Set out below, we will look at some of the most common air conditioner maintenance tips to keep your home cool and comfy.

AC Maintenance Tip #1 – The Importance of Changing Your Filter

A new filter helps optimize airflow, which keeps the air conditioner running efficiently. This enables you to avoid potentially costly repairs later on. Your basic air filter needs to be changed every 30 days, while the thicker pleated filters typically have a longer lifespan. Noting replacement dates on your calendar will help remind you to change your filters on a regular schedule.

The filter in your HVAC system ought to be changed a minimum of four times a year. If you live in a dusty part of the country or have pets in the house, you may consider changing your filter more frequently. Always make sure that you replace the filter with a new filter that has the same airflow rating. Be mindful of air purifying filters or HEPA filters as they can drastically reduce the airflow in your ac system. Because of the reduced airflow, the indoor coil can freeze.

Locate the filter housing on the indoor furnace/air conditioner. Quite possibly, you might need a screwdriver to turn the latch and open the filter housing door. You then need to remove the old filter and insert the new filter. Be sure to match the airflow direction arrows on the filter with the arrows on the unit. Close and latch the door.

AC Maintenance Tip #2 – Clean your condenser

Important: Shut Off Power First!

Because there is high risk of working around electrical power. And the fact that the air-conditioner’s parts move and can be dangerous, it’s essential to turn off power to the system entirely. On the exterior condenser/compressor, search for an outside shut-off box near the device or turn the power off at the breaker box.

Another essential maintenance step is to keep your condenser cleaned. A thorough spray with the garden hose once a year or more often if needed will help dislodge grass clippings, leaves, dirt, and other debris to improve airflow. Although these ac units are designed for outdoor installation and most can handle a spray from the hose, be sure to check your owner’s manual first or consult an HVAC professional. It is most vital to turn off the power at the circuit panel before cleaning. And leave it off for at least half an hour after you’re done. Rain doesn’t typically wet the fan motor inside the condenser, but the hose spray might. Don’t try to clean your condenser with a brush. The the fins are easily bent. Bending the fins impedes airflow and reduces efficiency.

Remove All Visible Debris From The AC Unit

Remove the fan cage on the outer condenser/compressor unit. Using a wrench or screwdriver, remove the fasteners and lift the enclosure or fan grille off the top of the ac unit. Clear out all accumulated leaves and other debris from the interior by hand or with a wet/dry vacuum.
On the exterior condenser/compressor, open and remove the fan cage from the unit. Also, while using a screwdriver or wrench, remove the fasteners as well and lift the fan grill or cage away from the top part of the ac unit. This action can be done by hand or with a wet/dry vacuum cleaner. This will remove all leaves and various other caked-on debris from the interior.

Clean And Straighten Bent Fins

Take off the outer covers and use the brush attachment on a shop vac to eliminate all caked dirt. Then, spray a gentle stream of water from your garden hose; spray the water through the fins from the inside out to eliminate any built-up dirt or debris in between the fins. Never use a pressure washer because extreme pressure can harm the fins. If the fins are filthy, utilize a commercially available fin cleaning spray (offered by your local home-improvement store; (read and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Aligning The Fins

Bent fins can significantly decrease the efficiency of your ac unit. Considering that any decrease in airflow via the fins can reduce efficiency, it is crucial to carefully straighten bent fins using a butter knife or a readily available fin-straightening device. Be very gentle so that the tubing embedded within the fins is not damaged.

AC Maintenance Tip #3 – Keep Area Around Air Conditioner Condenser Clean

Keep the surrounding area around the condenser clear of weeds and keep lawn furniture and other items at least a few feet away. This will promote good circulation around the unit and allow easy access for service personnel.

Many people plant shrubs around their condenser to hide it from view and help it blend into the landscaping. Growing plants around the condenser can be a great idea. However, if you decide to have shrubs around your condenser, keep them trimmed back so that you have at least a couple of feet of clearance around the unit on all sides. Your air conditioning unit has to breathe freely to operate at maximum efficiency. But properly positioned shrubbery serves more than a decorative function. It can also shade the condenser from the hot sun to protect the finish, improve efficiency and even help prolong the life of the unit. Evergreen shrubs are best for this purpose because they don’t lose their leaves in the winter.

Advanced Planning Is A Great Air Conditioning Tip

If you’re going to plant new shrubs, look into the future and keep the mature size in mind as you determine planning locations, and remember to leave enough space in the back of the unit for accessibility. Do you have pets that spend a lot of time in the yard around the condenser? If so, it is recommended by experts to install a protective fence around the unit. Protective fencing will help keep both your pet and your condenser safe. Choose a fencing material that won’t impede airflow. And be sure to include a gate and leave enough clearance around the unit for accessibility.

If you cover the condenser in the winter to help keep it clean, the best way to go is to only the top of the unit to allow for adequate airflow through the sides, thereby preventing moisture buildup, which can damage the unit. Be sure to remember to remove the cover before you turn on the air-conditioner in the spring. It’s also crucial to be sure your outdoor unit is indeed an air conditioning condenser and not a heat pump because you should never cover a heat pump.

Check The Level Of The AC Pad

If the condenser unit is out of level, it can cause the condenser to fail earlier than its natural life span.

Over time, the platform upon which the condenser unit sits can begin to lean as the soil settles beneath it.

Check the condenser for levelness and use rot-resistant shims to bring it back to the proper height. But, if you have a heat pump system, it’s okay if the pad slopes slightly away from the foundation of the house to allow for defrosting in the winter.

Clean A Plugged Evaporator Drain

Inside your home, warm, moist air from your residence’s inside is circulated through the evaporator coil. The cold coil takes in warmth from the air, cooling it before the air is flowing back into your home. The moisture buildup in the air condenses on the evaporator coil’s surface as liquid water, trickling right into a pan below. The water moves into a drainpipe tube that is generally routed right into a cellar floor drainpipe, utility sink, or outdoors from the pan.

With time, mold and algae can accumulate and also potentially clog up the drain hose. If the drain is either flowing slowly or not flowing at all, it will need to be unclogged. A clogged drain can either trigger damages by spilling out all over the floor or, if the unit is equipped with a drain float, cause the system to quit cooling to avoid flooding.

Locate Drain Line Exit

First things first! You will need to locate where the drain line leaves the evaporator coil enclosure. Under normal circumstances, the drain is usually a one-inch PVC pipe. Follow it to the end of the pipe, where it drains out. Most times, the line drains outside near the condenser unit. In other circumstances, it can drain into a floor drain in the basement or a utility sink or, in the case of a unit located in an attic, down an outside wall.

When you have found the drain line location, use a wet/dry vacuum to clear out the drain. Be sure to take out the paper filter from the wet/dry vacuum so as not to wreck the filter. Hold the tube of the wet/dry vacuum to the end of the drain line. You can utilize duct tape or hold a cloth around the gaps. Then turn on the vacuum cleaner for a couple of minutes, then turn it off. This process will remove the drain of any growing organic matter.

Maintenance Tips For Central Air Conditioning Systems

While these simple DIY steps will help keep your AC system in top running shape, keep in mind that there are upkeep things, some maintenance tasks that just a qualified HVAC technician will certainly have the ability to do. For example, a slow leak in the refrigerant line in your air conditioner system can result in costly compressor failure. However, your average homeowner does not have the equipment or necessary skills essential to inspect the refrigerant levels properly.

Clean Air Ducts Are Essential

Also, the importance of clean ac ducts and proper airflow cannot be overstated. These are essential to a well-functioning system, but most homeowners lack the necessary skills, tools, and equipment for the work. The bottom line takeaway? While some airconditioning recommendations are twice a year, a savvy homeowner can do simple tasks and maintenance. However, it’s still essential to have an a/c specialist technician inspect the system periodically. The recommendation by experts is twice a year: Spring and Fall.

A professional inspection also helps to catch and to resolve most minor problems before they have a chance to morph into a significant and expensive ordeal.
These ac maintenance tips will help you keep your air conditioner at peak operating condition!

These helpful air conditioning maintenance tips have been provided by Blake Heating and Cooling Griffin GA

The Article Air Conditioning Maintenance Tips From Expert Technicians was found on https://limitsofstrategy.com