All LED’s Are Not Created Equal

More and more, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Roanoke, Richmond and Charlottesville is being asked about LED lighting in lieu of traditional landscape lighting which has historically been completed with quartz halogen bulbs.

LED offers several advantages, mostly dealing with energy consumption and longer life LEDs as compared to halogen bulbs. The LEDs which we are using are, for the most part, only using 20-30% of the energy required by halogen bulbs.. As examples, we are using 3 watt LEDs as compared to 20 watt quartz halogen. And, 5 or 6 watt LEDs versus 35 watt quartz halogen. As far as the average life of the LEDs, most LEDs are rated for between 30,000 – 50,000 hour average life versus a typical 4,000 hour average life halogen bulb.

 What most consumers don’t understand is that all LEDs are not created equal. Differences exist from manufacturer to manufacturer. These differences pertain to the color of the light output, the amount of illumination produced by the LED (or what we would call lumen output or lumens per watt), the degree spread and beam length of the light produced by the LED, which many times is impacted by the optics used in the manufacturing process, as well as the method or quality of construction of the LED and how well the heat sink protects the driver of the LED. A poorly designed LED will have a much shorter life compared to a well-designed LED due to the heat sink, which disperses the heat away from the driver. We will write about each of these issues in future blogs so stay tuned.

 For now, if you are in the market for LED landscape lighting, work with a true lighting design professional who is particular about creating a natural effect and who truly understands the differences from one LED to another. Or if you are a do-it-yourselfer, do your homework very carefully to make sure you are using only high quality materials that will produce the desired lighting effect.

What To Do When All Your Lights Stop Working

Occasionally, especially after a storm or large amounts of moisture, you may notice that your outdoor lights are not operating as usual. If you ever find yourself in the dark with none of your outdoor lights working, here are some troubleshooting tips to get them going again. Try these steps:

If the outlet where your transformer is plugged in has a GFI (Ground Fault Interrupt), check to see if it has been tripped. Press the TEST button and then the RESET button on the face of the outlet. The RESET button should lock in. If it does, your problem is likely solved. If it doesn’t, keep reading.

If the GFI has not been tripped or will not reset, check power to the outlet. This can be done with a small hairdryer, lamp, etc. Remember that your timer may have a battery backup so that does not necessarily indicate power to the outlet.

If there is no power to the outlet, check your electrical panel box to see if a circuit breaker has tripped.

If the circuits are fine but the outlet has no power, an electrical problem exists and you should call your electrician.

If the outlet has power, your problem may be with your timer. If you have a digital timer, when was the last time you changed your timer’s battery? Keep your timer plugged in and change the battery, if it has one. This may resolve your problem. If not….

Unplug your transformer from the timer and plug the transformer directly into the outlet. Lights will come on immediately. Remember to unplug the transformer from the outlet as lights will remain on until the transformer has been unplugged.

If you are still without lights or you are not sure what else to do, call our office and we will be glad to help you diagnose the problem.

Made In The U.S.A.

Outdoor Lighting Perspectives is very fortunate to have its own low-voltage architectural and landscape lighting manufacturer located in Nashville, TN. Having this facility not only allows us to offer a second-to-none, full 10-year warranty on our fixtures, but also affords us the luxury of having lighting engineers and technical advisors a mere phone call away.  B&B Manufacturing continually provides industry-best landscape lighting products exclusively designed and made for Outdoor Lighting Perspectives Franchises across the U.S. Their fixtures are the cornerstone in designing stunning exterior low-voltage lighting effect.

The majority of our superior garden lighting, architectural accent lighting and landscape lighting products are crafted from copper and brass and are developed by professional lighting design experts to deliver unparalleled performance and aesthetic impact. Although we have access to all brands and types of outdoor lighting fixtures, we primarily choose to use our brand. Of course, the most excellent lighting products are just the beginning.  Outdoor Lighting Perspectives’ lighting design artistry, careful attention to detail and unmatched service all play an integral role in creating unique lighting designs and systems that transform your home and outdoor living space into a true sanctuary.

So if you are considering outdoor landscape or garden lighting, and buying superior, American-made products is important to you, consider looking to Outdoor Lighting Perspectives for your future low-voltage architectural or landscape lighting project.

Be well,

Amy

In Landscape Lighting, You Get What You Pay For…

Some years ago, I met someone who was trying to sell me their services. They used the phrase,  “If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”.  In the landscape lighting business, this statement is very appropriate.  Time and time again, we see projects done by homeowners, irrigation companies, landscapers and some who pretend to be in the outdoor lighting business who have little (if any) skills in landscape lighting design, and the design they did for the customer (if they did one) shows it. Not only is poor design common (i.e., lighting up the wrong objects), but poor quality landscape lighting fixtures are also prevalent. Also quite common is the end result of having a yellow light output in lieu of white light output, which is due to either improper transformer selection and/or improper wiring, which causes a voltage drop. The trouble is, most of the time the homeowner or consumer does not know the difference between good or bad quality when it comes to landscape lighting.

Cheaper fixtures, which are either painted or copper-dipped aluminum can be purchased, but they will peel or fade long-term, as opposed to real solid copper or solid brass fixtures, which do not. Improper bulb usage will also cause problems and/or poor result. MR-16 bulbs being used to light certain objects as opposed to PAR 36 bulbs. 5,000 degree Kelvin LEDS (cold bluish light) in lieu of 3,000 degree Kelvin (warm white light) LEDs. Path lights using wedge-shaped bulbs (socket problems and many times lower-life incandescent) versus halogen bi-pins. All of the cheaper versions lead to longer term problems and a lot more maintenance and cost for the homeowner in the long run.

I use the analogy all the time,  that there is a big difference in price between a BMW 7 series and a Chevy Impala. Both are good automobiles that will get you to wherever you’re going in the same amount of time. But the quality of the BMW, the drive, the comfort, the finish, the status, all warrant a much higher price than the Chevy.

Consider this if you are thinking of having a garden lighting or landscape lighting system installed: “The bitter taste of poor quality lingers far longer than the initial sweetness of the cheaper price”.  And so it is the case in most things. Cheap vs. more expensive: you decide. But remember, you get what you pay for.

Clay Johnston Addresses Roslyn Hill Garden Club

Clay Johnston, owner of Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Richmond, Roanoke and Charlottesville spoke to the members of the Roslyn Hill Garden Club of Richmond, Virginia, on Tuesday evening, May 3, 2011.

The presentation entitled “Landscape Lighting Options, Design and Installation Considerations” covered a variety of topics, such as, why do outdoor lighting?, what objects to light, different low-voltage, line-voltage, solar and LED power alternatives. Clay also talked about professional lighting techniques including up-lighting, down-lighting, architectural accent lighting, landscape lighting and installation considerations which must be factored into any outdoor lighting or garden lighting project.

 Clay Johnston is available to speak to different garden clubs and professional associations regarding landscape lighting and architectural accent lighting. He also offers a 1-hour seminar which qualifies for continuing education credit for Interior Designers associated with the Virginia Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) as well as for Landscape Architects associated with the Virginia Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (Virginia ASLA).

So You Think You’re an Outdoor Lighting Designer?

As a prospective home buyer, I have visited several “for sale by owner” homes in my local town. As I approached the front door of one such home, I immediately noticed some small, misplaced and misaligned low-voltage lighting fixtures scattered in various areas (I can’t help noticing the lights – kind of like a dentist checking out your teeth during a social conversation. We just can’t help it.) The quaint and well-maintained home was perfect for a small family. My initial thought was, “If I were to purchase this house, my first project will be to remove these outdoor lighting fixtures. No amount of realignment or readjustment could possibly fix this mess.” I smiled and kept my thoughts to myself as the delightful homeowner began to take me around the property and point out these very lights, explaining how wonderful the house looked at night with the low-voltage outdoor lighting he installed himself. I politely agreed with him, saying indeed the right outdoor lighting can make a very big difference in the nighttime appearance of a home. He then happened to ask me what I did for a living. Smiling sweetly, I told him “I am the Vice President of Operations for Outdoor Lighting Perspectives. We design, install and service landscape and architectural accent outdoor lighting”. With that, this proud do-it-yourselfer hastily began apologizing for these lights he had been so proud to show me, saying, “Well, I’m sure this isn’t nearly as nice as what you do. I just did this myself”. 

If you are a DIY’er, I have a few tips to guide you in the process of installing low voltage landscape and/or architectural lighting. Do-It-Yourselfers tend to make 3 critical errors in their lighting projects. Most people are oblivious to design technique and fixture placement. Proper light/fixture placement and adjustment has a direct influence on the visual effect. DIY homeowners also have little or no understanding of the photometrics of the bulbs or fixtures. This knowledge is crucial when designing an outdoor lighting system. Often, homeowners purchase fixtures based on their appearance rather than the effect the light creates. Kind of like buying a car that looks pretty on the outside but doesn’t really run. Lastly, most people are unaware of voltage drop and the effect this has on light output. Proper transformer selection and wiring minimizes this obstacle. It also enables the homeowner compensation for voltage drop and allows appropriate light output.  All of these factors combined have a dramatic impact on the success or failure of a finished low voltage outdoor lighting project.

 Please contact us if you consider yourself “handy” and would like additional information on how we can help you “Do It Yourself with Our Help”.  You’ll be glad you did!

Be Well,

Amy

Do-It-Yourself Landscape Lighting: DIY With Our Professional Assistance – New from Outdoor Lighting Perspectives

Many folks who find us on the internet and who are handy enjoy saving money by Do-It-Yourself projects. Outdoor Lighting Perspectives will launch a new service to help the Do-It-Yourselfer to do a landscape lighting project right and in a professional manner. We call it “Do-It-Yourself Landscape Lighting with Our Professional Assistance”.

So how does this work? The handy consumer contacts us and emails us a photo of the area he or she wishes to light. We analyze the photo, come up with a professional design and plan, mock up the photo with our software to show a depiction of the finished lighting project. Included in with the service is a complete specification of top quality, professional-grade outdoor lighting products, a lighting and wiring plan, a D-I-Y Landscape Lighting Manual, and an instructional DVD. And if you buy the fixtures from us, the design and all of the above materials are absolutely Free.

Our professional assistance helps the Do-It-Yourselfer avoid the following common mistakes:

1. Improper Fixture Selection
2. Little or no understanding of the photo metrics of bulbs and how different bulbs produce different lighting effects.
3. Incorrect fixture placement – lights light up the wrong areas or objects.
4. Inadequate lighting of objects – lighting up only trunks of trees in lieu of tree canopies or lighting up of windows on the home in lieu of the architectural features of the home.
5. Voltage Drop – fixtures running between 5-9v in lieu of 11-12v producing inadequate and/or yellow-colored light output.
6. Consumer thinks they know what it’s going to look like but in reality, they don’t really know.

We can help you to take all the guess work out of landscape lighting or architectural accent lighting projects, resulting in a more professional end result with a substantially better lighting effect, avoiding some of the mistakes shown here, where the homes are poorly lit due to improper fixture selection, or improper number or placement of fixtures.

Good Boss Rules

Over the past 7 years, I have worked at Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Southern VA, both as a lighting designer and trade alliance manager. I’ve designed low voltage outdoor lighting systems for homes, patio’s, decks, landscapes and hardscapes (trees, walkways, fire pits, pools, water features, etc), docks, statues and virtually everything in between! I’ve established working relationships with some of the best landscape architects, architects and builders in the business and have the pleasure of consulting with them on outdoor lighting systems for architectural and landscape projects of various sizes and complexities. In my current position as VP of Operations/Lighting Design, I manage the day-to-day operations of the company and am directly responsible for supervision of our installation and maintenance crew. In this capacity, I’ve made a few rules to better myself as a boss.

In my personal experience, there are 2 imperative “good boss rules”. The first is to express interest in my employee’s as people, not just as our installation and service crew. The second rule is to learn technical skills – not by reading about low voltage outdoor lighting, but by actually rolling up my sleeves and working outside alongside the crew. A short story about a recent LED outdoor lighting installation we completed in January of this year:

We (me and “the boys”) worked outside in below freezing temps and 30 mph winds for days installing over 100 LED low voltage lighting fixtures. The working conditions were far less than optimal, but the homeowners of this newly constructed 10,000 square foot home were scheduled to arrive within a few short days. This is what I learned:

I learned that the outdoor lighting fixtures I feel should take 1 hour to install, may actually take 3, 4, 5 or 6. I learned that no matter what the temperature is outside or how frozen the ground, the lighting installation is done right the first time with no shortcuts. I learned that the corner of a shop towel and black electrical tape make good Band-Aid’s and standing on a 20 ft. ladder for 5 hours kills your feet and back. I’ve learned it’s impossible to install gutter mounted outdoor lights or splice wire wearing thick gloves and NEARLY impossible to do it with frozen fingers. I’ve learned the only breaks you take are 20 minutes for lunch and occasionally 5 or 10 minutes in the sun to defrost our frozen bodies. I’ve learned that although you are not college educated, you have sent your children to schools such as UVA, Notre Dame and Syracuse.
 

So, to my awesome Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Southern VA installation and maintenance crew, thank you for being my teacher. I hope I can be a great boss.

Be Well!

Amy

Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Southern Virginia Is About to Launch Energy-Saving Commercial Retro-fit Service

 For years, businesses have used metal halide fixtures, light poles, wall packs to illuminate their properties and products both inside and out. Great examples of this are Car Dealers, Shopping Centers, Hotels, Restaurants, Parking Lots, Hospitals, Country Clubs, Wal-Mart, Home Depot… just look around at night as you drive down a main road in your town. Metal Halide bulbs are in use everywhere, consuming energy and monetary resources.

 Well, some of that is about to change. Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Southern Virginia is about to launch a new service that can literally save businesses thousands of dollars off of their monthly and annual electric bills. How? By retrofitting existing fixtures that use Metal Halide bulbs and ballasts with Induction Florescent bulbs and ballasts. The result? Approximately 50% less energy consumption, as Induction Bulbs last 100,000 hours versus 16,000 hours for Metal Halide, resulting in lower maintenance, better long-term color rendition and far less color drift. And, we have devised an energy savings calculator which computes the energy savings into real dollars and cents for the business owner, clearly making this a “no brainer” business decision. Better yet, we have a financing partner to finance this transition to enable the business owner to get to the pay back quicker.

 Stayed tuned for additional information coming in future blogs on this new and exciting service!

Why In the World Would You Want to Light Up Your House?

This was the question asked by one attendee who stopped briefly at our booth at the RRHBA Home Show last week. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for us, he kept moving. While his question was sarcastic in nature, it was actually a good question.

Architectural accent lighting, also known as “up lighting”, accentuates the beauty of your home, creating attractive curb appeal at night. Perhaps more importantly, it adds to the security of your property. A home that is lit is much less likely to be broken into by an unscrupulous, unexpected visitor at night. Your home is a major investment; why not see it both during the day and evening? Pretty homes become spectacular at night with subtle and elegant architectural accent lighting.

Dark and scary BEFORE Outdoor Lighting

Safer and more secure AFTER installing Outdoor Lighting

 

Landscape lighting illuminating the walkways and driveway improves the safety of these areas and sometimes enhances the visibility of the beautiful landscape bordering the walkways and driveways.

Eliminate trip hazards! Driveways, walkways and paths are not only beautiful but also much safer to walk when they are properly lit.

How about the back yard? Lighting of decks and patio areas, garden lighting and tree scenes, pergolas, arbors, water features and pool areas convert your dark back yard into a beautiful environment to further enjoy the outdoor living spaces during spring, summer and fall evenings. Snow and ice on trees is amazing on up-lit trees in the winter. Think back to the last time you were on vacation in a nice, warm resort. Were the grounds nicely lit enhancing your enjoyment of the evening outdoors? If they weren’t lit, call or email us and let us know where you stayed so we can contact management to correct such a situation.

The beautiful gazebo and surrounding trees become a focal point at night with elegant uplighting.

 

Ambient lighting on trees and walls surrounding this fabulous pool creates an inviting evening setting

Each of our customers has one or more reasons to have us design and install professional landscape and architectural accent lighting. We are sure you may have a couple of the same reasons yourself. Enhance the safety, security and beauty of your home and surrounding property today with outdoor lighting.

Very dark home BEFORE Outdoor Lighting

Same home AFTER installing Outdoor Lighting