| Author |
Message |
    
Smarty Jones
Citizen
Username: Birdstone
Post Number: 475
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, March 20, 2006 - 3:45 pm: | 
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I just put in outdoor lighting, but I'm nervous that the lights are shining into Neighbors windows at night, and would liek suggestions for some milder lighting, that's still effective. I definitely want the long-life bulbs (energy efficiency/low maintenance)...anyone have a particular bulb they recommend using? |
HOMMELL
Citizen
Username: Hommell
Post Number: 56
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Monday, March 20, 2006 - 3:48 pm: |
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Is this flood lighting? Have you tried a lower wattage? |
Smarty Jones
Citizen
Username: Birdstone
Post Number: 476
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, March 20, 2006 - 3:51 pm: |
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I was debating between Flood and Spot lighting, so it seemed like Flood was a better option, and went with the Flood light. I had trouble finding a lower wattage outdoor floodlight that was Longlife (which are all low watt to begin with). |
jersey Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 353
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Monday, March 20, 2006 - 10:21 pm: |
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I love the low wattage stuff I bought at Home Depot. It is easy to install and throws some decent light. I bought a giant system for my house in South Orange and it will allow two separate runs of lights to prevent dimming at the ends. It goes on at dusk and you can set it to go off after either 2, 4, 6, or 8 hours, or at dawn. (It senses sunlight.)
It's a tasteful security feature. When I bought the house it was all dark, with motion sensitive lights. It was like a jailhouse.
Plus if a light get's hit with a lawnmower, nobody dies. Floodlights require all kinds of "up-to-code" safety features: bury it more that eighteen inches, and cover it with a conduit, etc. Who needs the hassle?
J.B. |
argon_smythe
Citizen
Username: Argon_smythe
Post Number: 789
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 10:47 am: |
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Man there is nothing worse than a neighbor who thinks it is their job to bring daylight to the block 24x7.
Well that's an exaggeration, of course there are lots of things worse than that.
But anyway, MAJOR KUDOS TO YOU SMARTY for having concern about this... you're a thoughtful neighbor. Man I hate light pollution!
BTW they also have shields you can place on lights to help direct it where you need it (walkway or whatever) and shade it from where you don't (your neighbor's window, the sky, etc.
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Smarty Jones
Citizen
Username: Birdstone
Post Number: 479
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 12:15 pm: |
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JB what was the cost and brand of that set up? Sounds like the one I want. Did you need to bury the wires, or can they be above ground? |
jersey Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 361
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 5:48 pm: |
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Hampton Bay, what else? I bought a small kit that was in the $50 range for my last house. It had the low voltage unit and lights all in one -- maybe four small lights.
Then I bought A bigger system for our house here. It's the one I described, with six larger lights and about 100 feet of wire and the unit I think it was like a hundred something with it all combined.
Re: burying the wires. I haven't. I moved them to shine on some Halloween decorations. Then moved them back. They don't need to be buried for electrical reasons. They only go under, like 5 inches if you do bury them.
Argon, I'm sorry you feel so strongly about "light pollution." I assure you that mine shine only upon my house. Besides I'm over in Gaslight territory, we have a light shortage.
J.B. |
Zach Williams
Citizen
Username: Babyzach
Post Number: 29
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 8:16 am: |
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JB,
Surprised you don't have to bury the wires.
Guess you cut your own lawn? I know nothing about this topic other than I purchased the solar ones because I didn't want to deal with electricity/wiring issues. However, I am somewhat disappointed with the light that is being provided. It's more of an aesthetic feature vs functional one that it's turned out to be... |
jersey Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 383
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 24, 2006 - 12:41 am: |
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Zach, I believe you can drive a shovel into a wire from these low voltage lights and (because of the low voltage) not die. However, I was taught a thing or two about my not having died yet in the thread about "110 volts across the lawn."
I don't like those solar lights because the light they throw is often blue. It's like the home lighting equivalent to putting neon under your car.
I don't cut my own lawn, but I give the kid who does the freedom to move the lights since the wires aren't buried. When he's done, I move them back to how I like them. Some day I'll bury them, but the garden's still evolving.
J.B. |
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