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.

Some home improvement projects, such as light plumbing and remodeling, lend themselves to DIY pretty easily. Larger jobs usually require highly specialized training and should only be done by a professional. This is especially true of electrical work, which is both difficult and potentially very dangerous.

What this means, of course, is you have to find a contractor you can trust! To choose a reliable contractor, it’s essential to find someone who is:

We’ll go into more detail on these:

The two most important aspects of any electrical job are safety and electrical system reliability.

Just as important as their technical skill is the electrician’s reputation. Search the internet for reviews, or ask friends and neighbors if the electrician you’re hiring does a good job and is fairly priced. It’s easy to be swindled by companies who offer rock bottom prices but deliver rock bottom service – you need to find a company that will do the job right for a reasonable budget.

Every electrical job is different, and if your electrician doesn’t know how to accommodate your particular needs, you could be in trouble. Make sure you find a contractor who has the experience and the know-how to do your specific job correctly the first time.

Finally, ask about the contractor’s warranty and insurance – and make sure you get it in writing. Does the electrician guarantee the work will meet code requirements? Will the company correct work that does not meet applicable standards? Insist on getting a written estimate as well as a copy of the contractor’s insurance certificate. Make sure your proposal or contract specifies that the work to be performed will comply with the NEC and NEIS.

If you need electrical service in Maryland, DC or Northern Virginia, the choice is clear – Kolb Electric! We have been providing electrical service throughout the area since 1925 and are the experts in our field. Don’t wait – call today!

If you are big on decking your home out for the holidays, now is the time to start thinking about your holiday decorating needs. October through January is a big season for outdoor decorating. Going big with lots of lights, inflatable snowmen or a scary scene all require the services of an electrician in Pasadena. It can be a lot of fun to have the best decorated house on the block, but it requires a lot of electricity to run all of the lights, air machines and moving figures. The team at The Electric Connection is ready to help you get your home ready for the best holiday display on the block.

All of those lights require a lot of outlets. Running extension cords across the lawn can be a bit of an eyesore as well as a safety hazard. Extension cords can get damaged by heavy foot traffic or be tripped over. If you can avoid using a lot of extension cords, it is a good thing. Your Pasadena electrician can help you do just that by installing multiple outdoor outlets around the yard and the house. This will allow you to plug your lights and decorations directly into an outlet without worrying about an extension cord. It will look better and be safer.

For those who like to go big, you have probably run into tripping breakers when somebody in the house wanted to use the microwave or run the furnace. If you have to sit in the dark inside the house while your light display is running outside, you probably need to call an electrician. Pasadena homeowners who do elaborate light displays should consider having an additional panel or dedicated breaker to run the lights. This ensures your lights will always be on—inside and out. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your holiday home lighting upgrade.

Christmas, Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day, Independence Day and even Halloween … No holiday is immune to the spell of twinkling of lights. Since July 2009, we’ve written over 600 blog posts. It comes as no surprise that a large majority of them have centered around a holiday. If you are one of the many folks hauling out holiday lights this weekend, you’ll appreciate this round-up of 6 Popular Holiday Lighting How-To Blog Posts that we’ve accumulated throughout the years.

1.

energy-efficient LEDs. If that’s not enough to convince you, this blog post from 2011 gives even more statistics on the benefits of upgrading your holiday string lights. (Update 2015: This blog post is now part of Winning the Battle on Christmas Lights: Artificial Trees

4. Lights for a Holiday-Ready Home

6. Follow Pegasus Lighting’s board Inspiration | Holiday Lighting on Pinterest.