Maintenance Factor

Illumination Systems are designed to fulfill the required lighting level at the end of an operation term and not at day one of the new installation. The luminous flux of the system is going down over lifetime. This is a normal process, no product is lasting forever but the required illuminance levels should not be depreciated at any time. If a lighting system is setup, the maintenance plan has to be fixed too. So the facility managers know how often to clean the room, the luminaries and how frequently to change lamps. A reasonable time needs to be found between maintenance and operating hours, as maintenance cycles are connected to costs. The longer the operation time without maintenance, the more luminaries need to be installed to guarantee the required illumination level at the end of the term. The more frequent the maintenance cycles, the higher the maintenance factor, but also the related costs for the facility service.

Which Points are influencing the Maintenance Factor? Different factors influence the decrease in lighting level like the soiling of the room surfaces, the soiling of the luminaries, depreciation of luminous flux by the light sources or lamps failure.

Room Surface Maintenance Factor: The room surface maintenance factor is the ratio of the room surfaces reflectance before and after cleaning. It is the reduction of the lighting level according to soiling of the room. Luminaire Maintenance Factor: The luminarie maintenance factor is the ration of the luminaries luminous flux before and after cleaning. It depends on the luminarie construction and design (open housing or closed one) as well as on environmental conditions (dirty or clean). Lamp Lumen Maintenance Factor: The lamp lumen maintenance factor is the ration of luminous flux at a specific time compared to a new lamp. It is describing the aging of the lamp or the reduction of light intensity over time. Manufacturers offer comprehensive tables about their lamps luminous flux behavior. Lamp Survival Factor: The lamp survival factor depends on the service lifetime of a lamp. Some lamp lifetimes are reduced by frequent switching. The lamp manufacturers provide tables indicating the lamp survival factor. If a lamp is not working any more, the decision for immediate replacement or group replacement needs to be taken. If the lamp is replaced immediately (mostly in areas where the luminaire is easily reachable) the LSF can be set 1. On the other hand, the decision could be to replace lamps in special terms or group-wise. This could be the case in huge halls, where machines need to be stopped to reach the luminaires.

A maintenance factor of 0.8 shows, that the new lighting system needs to be over driven by 25% not to undercut the minimum required illumination level after 10 years. LED lighting systems are flexible and easy to connect to control systems. The installed load will provide efficient luminous flux at the end of the operation time but the energy that is “over” in the beginning can be saved. The new installation would illuminate an area with required 300lx by about 450lx. The energy can be saved by lighting management systems that are regulating the power concerning the luminous flux depreciation. HID lamps are not easy to control. The energy load that is “over” in the beginning is wasted. No change to save it.

Conclusion: Think carefully when setting up a lighting installations maintenance plan. This starts already with the choice for the light source. LED Modules are efficient, likely not failing and offer long lifetimes between 50,000h and 100,000h. The control possibilities are comprehensive. The luminaries overload, that needs to be installed to guarantee the end of lifetime illuminance levels, can be saved by light management systems. Regarding all the mentioned points, LED is the competing light source. The features are dominant over traditional light sources. Take the chance and install or renew your lighting system by  energy efficient LED light sources and luminaries. If you have further questions please contact the lighting experts at MyLEDLightingGuide.com and discuss products as well as solutions.

Access Lighting is a family owned and operated business committed to providing an extensive inventory of affordable lighting with an outstanding selection of bath vanity lights, kitchen fixtures, foyer and hallway lights, reading lamps, pendants and decorative wall sconces.

Experience the magic of modern design, a fusion of classic shapes, eternal materials and elegant finish options.

Visit a Capitol Lighting showroom or shop online at 1800lighting.com to view the latest innovations and enjoy promotional values on spectacular lighting and home accents from Access.

TOP PICS INCLUDE:

“Viper” indoor spot light

“Prizm” semi flush fixture

“Comet” indoor spot light

“Iron” bath vanity light

“Chimes” LED ceiling fixture

“Argon” ceiling pendant

“Safari” ceiling pendant

Furnish your entire home with the finest illumination from Access Lighting.  From ceiling fixtures and wall lighting, energy-efficient outdoor lighting to outstanding pendants with Italian Art Glass, the latest styles from Access are available at Capitol Lighting.  Transform your home with eco-friendly lighting designs and take advantage of Earth Month savings  and the guaranteed lowest prices at 1800lighting.com!

A gas furnace is an economical way to heat your home, and a yearly furnace tune-up is essential to keep your appliance at peak performance. The more efficient your furnace, the less energy it uses. It’s better to get yearly service, while the weather is still warm, than to be faced with no heat on a cold Colorado night. In the long run, you’ll save money with periodic tune-ups. Here are some of the ways an annual visit from a Colorado furnace repair technician can cut down on your costs.

Minimizes Repairs

A furnace tune-up reduces the incidence of repairs. Think of it as preventative medicine for your home. With regular checkups, you nip problems in the bud and avoid costly emergency service. Technicians clean and inspect your appliance. If anything is in need of maintenance, it can be done on the spot or scheduled for later.

Keeps Your Home Safe

Keeping your family safe is even more important than saving money, but sometimes the two things go together. While heating systems are not hazardous under normal conditions, a gas leak in your home leads to dangerous conditions. Evacuating to a hotel, either because of a leak or because of no heat during frigid conditions, is expensive. During a furnace tune-up, a technician will check that the combustion process is precise and safe.

Proper Airflow

The correct airflow is essential to the function of your heating system. If the airflow is faulty because it’s restricted, it puts a strain on the furnace and can shorten the life of your appliance.

Improved Efficiency

A clean, well-maintained furnace performs better than a dirty one. Efficiency leads to less wasted energy, and that translates into lower bills for you.

Maintains the Warranty

Most manufacturers void a warranty if the furnace doesn’t get regular maintenance. Protect your investment by following the manufacturer’s suggestions for tune-ups

Around the world, every city offers something different. Though they all have hustle and bustle, lots of buildings, and usually traffic, when you’re on their streets you would never mistake San Francisco for Cairo, Toronto for Tokyo, or Berlin for Rio de Janeiro. But what about from space? During the day, these cities tend to blend in with their surrounding countryside. However, when lit up at night, it’s easy to see how varied these cities can be.

Is it possible to tell anything about the life and culture of our cities when viewing their lights from above? You might be surprised at how much.

Landmarks

Can you guess which cultural icon jumps out of this landscape?

Now, take a look at this photograph of Denver, a much newer city. The streets are mapped out in a much more orderly, grid-like way, aligned North-South and East-West.

The majority of urban areas in Tokyo use green mercury vapor lamps. Only the most newly built areas glow the standard orange.

Development

When examining a city’s lights from above, you can also learn about development, community growth, and infrastructure. Check out this unique photo of two cities from two countries side-by-side – the border towns Cuidad Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas.

We’ve recently added a new explosion-proof light for use in granaries, paint booths, mills, mines, oil refineries, auto shops, marine vessels, shipyards, and other hazardous locations.

This LED light is listed as UL1598 for wet locations and UL1598A for outdoor marine applications. It is classified as UL844 and meets National Electric Code—NFPA 70, article 500—requirements in the U.S. for Class 1 Division 1 (groups C and D), Class 1 Division 2 (groups A, B, C, and D), and Class 2 Division 2 (groups F and G) hazardous locations. The light fixture meets IECEx Zone 1, 2, 21, and 22 requirements for safe operation around combustible gas and dust.

Designed to replace 320-watt metal-halide (MH) fixtures with comparable output—the 100-watt LED explosion-proof light emits 13,000 lumens of natural white illumination. This weatherproof LED fixture operates within a 100-277V AC range and is built to last five times longer than MH lights.

The durably constructed light has a vibration-resistant anodized aluminum housing that prevents the release of sparks from internal components. The die cast housing is also powder coated for corrosion resistance and has a removable back plate for access to the constant-current driver, which is sealed with a silicone gasket. LEDs are protected by a tempered glass lens.

A conduit is required for installation, and the fixture has two openings for input and output connections. The LED explosion-proof light can be pole mounted or mounted to a wall, floor, or ceiling with its included bracket. A five-year warranty protects against any manufacturer defects or malfunctions.