We have a new lighting design and install to share with you. This install was the whole 11th floor of a condo right on the beach in Ormond Beach, Florida. It was very hard to focus while looking at the surf for many afternoons. Our customers renovated this floor and we were the last sub contractor to arrive at the job.
We came in as the second lighting designer, they were not happy with the first one. This is how it began.
Lighting the Living Area Using a far away Electrical Box
This has proven to be one of our remodel specialties. We have a lot of customers that purchase an older condo that has very limited electrical boxes in the ceiling. Tech Lighting low voltage Monorail track systems tend to be the best solution for this problem.
This is the only electric box in the living area Yes this existing fixture was hot.
We removed this fixture and deposited it directly into the trash shoot, I dont think they will miss it. Then we mounted a 300watt transformer on the electric box and ran 22 feet of low voltage monorail track in a question mark design. (this was the first design) This design helped us bring light to all areas of the living area. On either side of the couch we used the upside down table lamp design, this is done by suspending a mini pendant where there would normally be a table with a lamp. This frees up a lot of space and looks hot. We also sprinkled accent spot lights along the track.
Displaying Art with Limited Lighting Resources
Our next task was to flood a number of walls with light when the closest power source was in a closet near by.
This was a challenge but we made it work. We used two six foot Tech Lighting wall rails with 150watt remote transformers located in the near by closets. The wall rails turned out great as you can see.
We had to light a similar wall situation in their southern hall way using Tech Lighting Power Jack canopies, Om heads and halogen PAR20 lamps. This phase of the job was quite trying because of the existing air conditioning duct that ran the length of the hall way. That left us with only a couple inches of plenum in certain spots. We used half inch pancake junction boxes to mount the fixtures in. The duct also made it difficult to create an even light spacing through out the hall. In the end we accomplished this phase and it turned out with adjustable accent lighting with a clean balance.
Our customers wanted three Tech Lighting Murano Firebird Owl pendants for over there dining room table. Their electrical box was two feet off from the center of the table. This little obsticle made us come up with a swirl design so we could still balance pendants through the center of the table. The Firebird Owl pendants turned out great We hand bent the design by using template that was shaped into a circle and cut out of a 3/4 inch piece of plywood.
Our customers fell in love with the Casablanca Stealth fan in brushed nickel, teak blades and the inteli-touch wall control. We installed two of these fans one in the television area and one in their office.
This condo turned out to be another successful lighting design and install.
Casablanca Fan Company has stepped up their control technology for three ceiling fan models the Bel Air Fan, the Bel Air Halo fan and the Mission fan. This soft launch of the Power Touch control will happen during the Summer of 2007. Casablanca fans will release the full launch converting all Inteli-Touch controls to Power Touch controls.
What makes the Power Touch Control Better?
The Power Touch control uses power line communications that can not be effected by outside interference such as garage door openers and wireless networks. Normal radio frequency control are usually effected. There is also no antenna need for operation of this control. Power line is proven technology used in utility products available from GE, ABB, Dimat and Hunt. Power Touch uses existing wiring to communicate with the desired ceiling fan. Power Touch is also immune to signal attenuation caused by walls, metal objects and people unlike the radio frequency controls.
The Power Touch Control is Easier to Use
Casablanca ceiling fans are about to experience easier operation by having a more simple interface than the inteli touch wall control. The Power Touch control will still have all of the inteli touch features as a base. This control will also have a more contemporary design. These Power Touch controls can operate muliple ceiling fans on one control and they will be compatable with whole house dimming systems.
I am very excited to see the new Power Touch in action the question is will Casablanca Fan Company deliver this technology on time? I have faith in the Worlds Finest Ceiling Fan Company.
Solar based lighting is becoming more in demand and more affordable. Combined with new LED Light-Emitting Diode technologies solar lighting could be a major help in rural areas across the globe. GSBF has begun a lighting project that is a 12V DC based solar LED lighting system ($55) for rural & urban homes which use kerosene fuel for home lighting. LED bulbs have also been designed for homes connected to the 220V AC grid who face power cuts of 5-10 hours each day. These systems could use rechargeable batteries to store energy when the power is on. These systems are being marketed mainly in the rural areas of India.
India's Govenment is in Support of this Solar Lighting Project
MNES (Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, Govt. of India) have included the creators of these solar systems in the panel to finalize the technical requirements for both solar home lighting and solar street lighting systems using LEDs. These systems should create safer streets and better lit homes, churches and schools in these rural areas of the world.
How these Solar Lighting Systems Originated?
Grameen Surya Bijlee Foundation (GSBF) started off as a non-profit organization to provide free solar home lighting systems to the destitute population who use kerosene for home lighting. They realized later that it is better to sell them the solar lighting system at a affordable price which implies that instead of paying for kerosene monthly they could pay for the solar system on a monthly installment basis in a 24 to 36 month time frame using micro-loans. It is the fish and fishing rod analogy, it is healthier to let the end-users or households gain responsibility of ownership. Anything free is abused by these types of general populations.
Their now current model is a for-profit model (social entrepreneurship) business, but they believe that with GSBF (their original company) could offer free solar lighting systems to neutral environments such as village schools, community centres, charitable hospitals, places of worship etc. to bring awareness of these energy savings and increased access to light. This would accelerate the adoption of the system by individual households using micro-finance, in a shorter time frame.
Their original company GSBF will be not-for-profit but the new company "DIGITAL SOLAR LIGHTING" is a for-profit enterprise, and they are very keen on setting up a solar panel plant to cater to both the rural & urban demand for these solar lighting systems. The for-profit model allows investors to participate in two ways, not only to earn a rate of return on their investment, but also to contribute to social upliftment.
How Much will the Solar Lighting Systems Cost?
Digital Solar Lighting is importing single-junction amorphous light panels from China at $2 per watt but would prefer to have an in-house thin-film manufacturing company, and to have a better quality product. The market for their solar home LED lighting system at $50 is at least $10 billion within India. The market for the solar street LED lighting at $200 for 600,000 villages with 10 street lights per village is $1.2 billion. At this time they have not included commercial and other high-end applications using solar. One could extrapolate this to other developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin-America. India is a very price-conscious country and affordability is a very key selling point to have a large-scale operation. They are also looking at carbon emission credits to reduce the cost of the system.
Any Help is Needed to Produce Solar Lighting Systems
In summary there is a commercial upside for a technology provider to partner with Digital Solar Lighting and make solar lighting the main-stream electricity provider to the advantaged and disadvantaged population of developing countries. They are studying various possibilities for sourcing thin-film panels at less that $1 per watt manufacturing cost or maybe even set up a state-of-the-art thin-film solar panel manufacturing unit in India. A company such as NanoSolar would be an interesting partner to reach our objectives. Alternatively donations from foundations or companies' CSR divisions would go into implementing solar lighting systems to neutral environments as described above.
Energy efficient or Energy Star Rated lighting are becoming more and more popular. The main problem I have run into with people wanting to convert there light sources to a more energy efficient source is that they think compact fluorescent lamps are not dimmable. Fluorescent lamps are dimmable with a special dimming ballast and fluorescent dimming control.
Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) are Dimmable
Dimmable ballasts have been available for fluorescent tubes for years it is only recently that dimmable fluorescent ballasts have become available for CFLs. These dimmable CFLs make it very easy for anyone to save energy with there existing lighting. Sylvania makes a dimmable CFL that can retro fit almost any application. Minka-Lavery Outdoor just came out with a full Energy Star and Dark Sky rated outdoor lighting line.
The following are dimmable CFLs and what type of incandescent lamp they would replace.
Mini Spiral or standard spiral CFL replaces the standard appliance A bulb
What are the savings to make my lighting more efficient?
The R30 dimmable CFL can retrofit into most 6" aperature recessed downlight fixtures providing dimmable light at at least a 40% energy savings. The intial cost of the CFL is usually $ 14 to $ 19 dollars compared to $ 1.50 to $ 3.00 for the incandescent lamp. The energy consumption of this one CFL should be about 124.8 kWh/yr at an average cost of .07 cents per kWh that is about $ 8.74 a year. The Incandescent costs about $ 13.00 per year to run. The CFL has an average lamp life of 10,000 hours while the incandescent lamp only has 1,000 to 2,000 hours.
With in two years you will have saved a few dollars in energy costs, will still not have to drive up to the store to buy bulbs or change the lamp for another two years. Using CFLs also create less of a need for the manufacturing of lamps reducing the cunsomption of raw materials used to create the lamps.
Every year Emerson Fan Company designs a number of new ceiling fan models to keep up with the ever growing ceiling fan industry. These designs usually meet the currant styles that are most in demand. Anyware from traditional ceiling fans to eclectic fan designs have been created for 2007.
Emerson Fan Co has Models that meet EPACT
EPACT is the Energy Policy Act of 2005 this policy is a set of laws that are governing energy efficiency in ceiling fans and ceiling fan lights. Starting in 2007 all fan manufactures must produce ceiling fans that are reversible and have separate controls for fan speeds and lighting. These fan lights no longer can use medium base bulbs they now have to use E17 intermediate based bulbs.
Redesigned Emerson fans that meet these new requirements are the Odyssey Fan, The Raphael Fan and the Raphael Tiffany ceiling fan. All of these fans now include a wall control and a SW105 receiver with separate up light, downlight dimming and fan speeds from one control.
All New 2007 Emerson Outdoor Ceiling Fans
The Atomical ceiling fan is from the damp contemporary collection and is available in brushed steel, appliance white and oil rubbed bronze. The Atomical includes an integrated light kit with two 60 watt candelabra bulbs (bulbs not included) and the SW101 wall control. All weather blades are sold separately.
The Mariol Portico ceiling fan is from the indoor / outdoor collection and is also an Energy Star rated ceiling fan. This ceiling fan is also UL rated for wet locations. The Mariol Portico comes in oil-rubbed bronze and chalk finishes.
New Fan from the Emerson fan Transitional Collection
The Maya Zen ceiling fan comes with a back lit linen glass motor housing and integrated lower linen glass light kit using three 60watt candelabra bulbs (bulbs not included). This ceiling fan was inspired by the prairie style architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright.
New 2007 Emerson Ceiling Fan from the Classic Collection
The Palazzo ceiling fan has a gold leaf wrap around the motor housing, sleek leafed blade arm holders and a ribbed glass creating a beautiful fan design. The integrated ribbed light kit uses two 60watt candelabra base bulbs (bulbs not included). This ceiling fan is available in aged walnut and bronze heritage.
Let me know if you have any questions on any new 2007 Emerson ceiling fan models
This condo is on the Atlantic Ocean in Palm Coast, Florida. The husband and wife team that own the condo had very good taste in lighting. Most of their selection included high end Italian light fixtures from Eurofase, Murano glass from Tech Lighting, Prisms from ET2 Lighting and a Minka-Aire fan.
Eurofase - Ether 90S Italian Lighting Fixture
ET2 Prisms Fixture Looks Great!
The ET2 Prisms fixture turned out great. This was by far not the easiest fixture to assemble. We had to brace it up with two ladders side by side and adjust each prism manually. Then we had to mount it directly into their faux painted ceiling. This fixture did not come with the standard T-Bar mount for the junction box. It was a pain in the rear end, but it looks great!
The Eurofase Lighting Fixtures were Hard to Figure Out
The Italian lighting fixture company Eurofase has beautiful designs and incredible glass quality. We hung two of their fixtures during this phase of installation the Ether 90S (we call it Bubbles) and the Folie 70S. Both of these fixtures came very well packaged although they did not include any instruction manuals or lamps. Lamps are not expected in high end Italian fixtures but it is nice to see an instruction manual. Also, see the Ether as the first image.
Eurofase - Folie 70S
Tech Lighting Monorail System Layout
We started the layout for two 16 foot low voltage monorail track systems. We used 300watt 12volt surface mount transformers for the tracks. When we hung the transformers the j-boxes were recessed too far into the ceiling so it created a small 1/2 inch space. This space made it so the standoff anchors were a little too short making the transformer uneven with the rail. We had to stop the installation on the monorail system. I was bummed.
It is a little hard to tell from this pic. I will have better ones after the second install phase this weekend.
The last Tech Lighting fixture we hung was the Presto 20" in the master bath. I love this fixture it looks like fireworks. It comes fully assembled, with lamps and an instruction manual. Very happy with this fixture and so were our clients.
Today we have made a small video explaining step by step how to install a light fixture.
Another great place to view how to install fixtures help is Visit DoItYourself.com - The Leading Home Improvement and Remodeling Website Featuring the Internet's Largest Hardware Superstore
I know content writing is a little off topic from my normal lighting and ceiling fan industry posts, but new information has changed the way I write. There is so much content with in the internet created about everything. I mean everything, from frogs in Africa to medicare in Florida and in many different languages. How can one create content that is genuine. I have found some interesting sources on creating content in its most real form.
Killer Flagship Content is an e-book created by Chris Garrett explainging how to make genuine content that converts into satisfied readers. This has been another genuinly helpful writing tool. It shows how Chris's content structuring is very effective. My favorite part is "Engage Your Community to Create Killer Content" This section explains how to create real content by participating in your industry and using your own experiences as the result. Over all definitly worth reading at least two or three times.
Rae Hoffman wrote an article When Unique Content is "Not" Unique. This article is a great source for the theory behind writing unique content verses "literally" unique content. It is a great article and definitly worth checking out.
Most homes with in the last ten years included a lighting package with a number of recessed lighting cans sprinkled through out the home. These recessed fixtures are usually a 6" aperature (the measurment of the opening) with a plain white baffle trim. The homes built before ten years ago typically came with a black inside baffle until people realized that the black was absorbing more light than it was reflecting. All most all of these recessed fixtures used an incandescent light source 65watt BR30 medium base lamp.
Change the Trim it came with
Many standard 6" recessed fixtures have the same type of trim set so different companies have compatible trims. If you have a black baffle trim and you want the current light source to be more efficient then a Standard Open Trim in the Clear Diffuse interior finish will do the trick. This will reflect the light better so you are seeing more light rather than the light being absorbed in the black trim.
Clear Diffuse Trim
What type of Light Source is more Efficient?
As we age our eyesight weakens, by the time most of us are in our 50's our eyesight should be 50% as clear as when we were in our 20's. Knowing this the quality of light becomes more important as the years pass. The standard incandescent BR30 lamp tends to have a yellow tint to the light it produces which makes it harder to see exact lines and colors.
Halogen Lamps are a much more efficient source of light, producing a crisp white light. The bulbs recommended for the upgrade would be 75watt PAR Lamphalogen lamp. These bulbs have upto a 40% longer life reducing the labor involved in changing bulbs and the waste involved in manufacturing them.
What Light Sources are more Efficient than Halogen?
Energy Star rated lamps are more efficient than halogen. Today there are many Energy Star rated compact fluorescent lamps that can fit in to the standard medium based socket that is in a 6" recessed fixture.
The compact fluorescents or CFL come in a few different styles and color temperatures
Mini Spiral - 2700K, 3000K & 5000K color temps
Standard Spiral - 3000K & 5000K color temps
R20, R30, BR38 & R40 Reflectors - 3000K & 5000K color temps
A Type - 3000K color temp
Candelabra Base - 3000K
Bullet & Globe Style - 3000K & 5000K
The comparable CFL to the incandescent BR30 is the R30 CFL lasting 6000 hours, producing almost the same lumens and 75% less energy usage. Lumens equals the quantity of light energy produced by a light source. The CFL lamps usually cost anywhere from $8 to $ 14. With the energy savings, time saved driving to the store to buy lamps, changing the lamp and lumen output is almost the same.
Most people do not think about the stars when they are putting together a lighting package for their home. As time passes and more homes are built, more lights are added to those homes and more light is added to the sky. All of this light pollution takes stars from our skys every day. If you have ever flown in an airplane you have seen how our home lights leak into the sky.
What is being done to police lighting pollution?
Not enough! There are organizations world wide that play a big part in trying to control the growing rate of light abuse in our night skies. So many people are unaware of light pollution and how it effects insects, animals and our own eyes wishing to see the beauty of the stars. These effects go deeper than just our needs now but to the creatures and children of the future.
The International Dark-Sky Association and how they help
The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is an organization that has lead the fight against energy waste and light pollution since 1988. The IDA is based out of Arizona the home of the Grand Canyon land in its most beautiful form. There main focus is to inform and educate members and the public of the following effects.
They are also a portal to all the other similar organizations around the world, light pollution forums, outdoor lighting installation guides, lighting issues and lighting laws. All these links are found on the IDA resources page.
You can participate in IDA's rating lighting installations program. This program allows the IDA to gather information about how the average person is educated on light pollution. This is an easy 3 to 5 minute exercise that will assist the IDA with there fight against light pollution.
What type of light fixtures are Dark-Sky approved?
Dark-Sky approved light fixtures have received a Fixture Seal of Approval from the IDA. This approval is only given to light fixtures that minimize glare, reduce light trespass, and don’t pollute the night sky. The Minka Group is a supplier of full line of Dark-Sky approved outdoor light fixtures. The Minka Lavery Outdoor light fixtures come in a variety of styles and finishes.
Our night skies are precious to everything that experiences them. As individuals we can make a difference by educating ourselves and the people around us about light pollution and how to reduce it. Take an hour to do a little research and if you have a little extra cash donate it to the remaining stars worth fighting for.
California is becoming a leader in the fight against energy consumption. California's government has proposed that the state will ban the sale of incandescent light bulbs by the year 2012. This bill should speed up the transition to energy-efficient light sources. Changing the average inefficient incandescent sources to the more efficient compact fluorescent sources.
How much will this lighting plan save?
The proposed goal is to reduce power while at the same time cutting carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 1.8 million metric tons a year. That is the same as removing 400,000 cars from the California highways. If this bill is adopted from our other states the United States will be leading the fight to reduce the consomption of energy.
Will this reduce the selection of decorative lighting?
Yes and no. Most lighting manufactures have already begun including compact fluorescent light source options with there more popular collections. Minka-Lavery has a full outdoor lighting line that supports the Energystar movement. Their line is a combination of compact fluorescent and Dark Sky products.
Dark Sky promotes the effects of outdoor lighting on night sky light pollution. Every Dark Sky light fixture must have a fully shielded light source to reduce glare and enhance the night sky. All of Minka-Lavery's Dark Sky light fixtures have attractive details the make the fixture Dark Sky compliant with out compromising style.
There are many types of light sources that make up that great home cooking kitchen. If you are the type of person that spends some time the kitchen creating culinary treats you know that good lighting is a big help. Undercabinet lighting is one of the most important light sources for preforming these tasks in the kitchen.
Why is Under Cabinet Lighting so Effective?
Usually in a kitchen you will find reccessed lighting balanced out throughout the ceiling producing light from above for specific task areas. Undecabinet lighting eliminates shadows from the overhead reccessed lighting while working on counter space task areas. It also adds a nice soft light when illuminated by themselves without the overhead reccessed lights on, a little more romantic type setting for the kitchen.
What type of Under Cabinet Lighting is right for your space?
Today under cabinet lighting comes in more colors than just white and is offered in different light sources other than fluorescent. More and more under cab lights are being offered in the now popular oil-rubbed bronze and brushed steel finishes. The light sources that they are being offered with today are fluorescent, halogen and xenon. Xenon halogen has proven to be the most effective with longer lamp life than halogen, crisp white light and dimmable by a standard incandescent dimmer.
What Companies supply the best Under Cabinet Lights
Many companies supply under cabinet lighting today the ones that we use the most are
The Most Our lighting designers have put together lighting packages in many new homes in Florida recently and have found the following trends most commonly used. The strongest trend among our customers has been where multiple trends that have been used with in the same home.
At both ends of the scale from large to small, simple to complicated, it seems that the more lighting evolves, the more it explodes in all directions," said Joe Rey-Barreau, associate professor of interior design at the University of Kentucky.
The Look Most Prominent in Lighting is Eclectic
Combining a hodge-podge of shapes and textures, such as combining wrought iron with crystal, is hot. Setting dainty mini crystal chandeliers over the bath tub (after the electrical inspection is passed of course). Many customers have mixed traditional chandeliers on the formal areas then set a contemporary hanging pendant on both sides of the bedroom operated by remote.
The mixing of styles from room to room is becoming more acceptable.
Modern or Casual Contemporary Lighting Fixtures
This trend has included many small bright colored hand blown Murano pendants and brushed nickel or oil-rubbed bronze hardware. Many common shapes have included linear shapes with nonsymmetrical qualities and arms of varying shapes and sizes. Many Murano glass chandeliers in the more high end homes.
Over sized traditional fixtures
With many homes getting bigger in size and ceiling heights being higher the lighting fixtures in demand are growing in size. Traditional fixtures from Fine Art Lamps one of the most prestigious lighting lines in existence is available has a vast variety of over sized fixtures. There are more traditional large fixtures to choose from but some companies like Eurofase are making large contemporary fixtures.
Decorative Fixtures in Any Location
It used to be that decorative fixtures were usually found in dining areas and entry foyers. Today customers are wanting them everywhere from closets to bathrooms. Mini chandeliers are showing up in these areas mainly.
There is no room that doesn't have the possibility of having a chandelier in it, Ray-Barreau says.
In the 1880's after the invention of electricity, the first ceiling fan was born and became the first real electrical appliance. Then in the late 1940's with electricity at a super low cost and the air conditioning intro, ceiling fan needs some what disappeared.
The rebirth of the ceiling fan occurred when energy costs began to rise at an uncomfortable rate in 1974. As these costs rose especially air conditioning prices, Americans began to search for alternate meathods of heating and cooling. This brought out the forward and reverse direction of the ceiling fan to increase efficiency during the winter and summer months.
In the Summer the Ceiling Fan should be rotating counter clockwise
The effects of a ceiling fan in the summer months are directly related to the well know wind chill factor. By producing a breeze or wind chill, a ceiling fans downward airflow can make a room with a thermostate setting of 78 degrees feel like 72 degrees. The actual thermostate in the room will not change, it does not cool the room, people in the room will feel the wind chill effect making them more comfortable.
This will save from 30% to 40% on air conditioning bills. So, make sure during summer months that your ceiling fans are rotating counter clockwise pushing the air down.
In the Winter the Ceiling Fan should be rotating clockwise
Ceiling fans are generally associated with warm weather usage. However, when a ceiling fan is in the reverse motion (winter mode), the upward flow of air will push the warmer air trapped at the ceiling back down to earth making your feet feel as warm as your neck. With out a ceiling fan pushing the warm trapped air the ceiling of a room would be 15 degrees warmer than on the floor.
To avoid wind chill in the winter warming the ceiling fans should stay on low speeds at all times. Remember that in the reverse direction the ceiling fan should be pushing the air upward.
Table & floor fans have been around a lot longer than I have. I never realized that hand held fans started this whole table fan craze. The Egyptians were the first to have these hand held fans made of gold with bird feathers or the most common palm leaves. Soon Aisa and Europe picked up on this trend and had hand held designs of there own.
The beginning of Electric Table Fans
Emerson Motors is the first major company to start making electric table fans in 1890 in the US. The first models were some what primative but they moved air.
Emerson began manufacturing these table fans with great craftsmanship and solid brass materials. The next model that I am aware of is the Circa 1910 table fan model. This fan was made of solid polished brass with the ability to oscillate. Back in those days more hand made time and energy
were put into American quality manufacturing. We could only wish for manufacturing quality like that these days. It seems that cheap China manufacturing and poor recycled materials have take over the lighting and ceiling fan industry today.
Who has the best Table Fans today?
It is a toss up between Casablanca and Fanimation they both make a good fan product. Fanimation has the Old Havana fan that has multiple mounting options. The Old Havana can be a desk fan, floor fan, ceiling mount fan or a wall fan. Although, this fan does not oscillate it does moves a lot of air. Casablanca has a fan called the Zephair desk fan that has a quiet operation and oscillates freely. Personally I like the Casablanca Zephair a little better because of the old style design, high air movement and heavy craftsmanship.
Incandescent lamps are the most commonly used of all the lamps in use. Incandescent lamps create light by heating a tungsten wire filament enough to produce a glow. These lamps produce a warm yellow glow that most people relate to as the "old home" feeling. The incandescent lamp has low efficiency, and a short lamp life.
Halogen lamps are a type of incandescent light that offers more efficient, whiter light and longer lasting lamp life.
Incandescent lamps verses halogen lamps
Conventional incandescent light has been a standard in homes dating back to Edison. This soft yellow light gives you that warm "old home" feeling. This lamp is used most in portable lamps, recessed fixtures and decorative chandeliers. These lamps are low in cost and have a short lamp life.
As we age our eyesight begins to weaken more and more making this warm yellow light harder to see by. This yellow light also makes colors and shapes not look exactly as they are. Reading is a little harder under this light making words seem a little fussy at times and also making the reader a little more tired due to the soft feel.
Halogen light has a much whiter crisper light making it easier to see shapes and colors as they are. Halogen may not have that "old home" feeling but its functionality and efficiency make up for it. When reading under halogen light words seem more crisp and the reader tends to feel more awake due to the intensity of light.
Halogen lamps are a bit more expensive with all the extra expense save in lamp life. Lamp life really adds up when you think about the time you are out of light before changing out the old lamp, having to go to the store to buy a new lamp and then the labor involved in the relamping. What some people don't realize is that when dimming halogen light you can still acheive that soft yellow feel. Most halogen lamps can be dimmed with a standard incandescent dimmer.
Why I have choosen halogen
I chose halogen because the lamp is just more efficient. Yes, halogen is a bit more hot but when dimmed it is much cooler. The light is easier to see by and has a better color rendition. I have changed all of my lamps to halogen except in the dining room so I can still have that "old home cooked" feel at supper time.
This is a question that I hear a lot from high end consumers looking for beauty and longevity in the products they buy. It is not always the most expensive ceiling fan that is the highest quality ceiling fan. Many sales people may try to convince you of that but I've learned it is not the case. You may want to decide first what type of ceiling fan you are looking for.
What type of Ceiling Fan are you looking for?
There are many different types of ceiling fans that are made by many different manufactures. I will start with giving some you some ideas of the different types of fans then we can narrow down which fans are the best in each specific type.
There are many fan manufactures that create contemporary ceiling fans. The one that stands out the most is Matthews Fan Company and Modern Fan Company. Matthews has a hand made in Brazil contemporary dual head fan named the Duplo Dinamico. The Duplo is one of our highest air moving fan with a local artist type feel to it. The Duplo kind of makes you feel like there is someone out in the back yard hand making the product. I do not recommend the Duplo for bedrooms because it is such a high air mover that it creates a wind velocity noise.
The Modern Fan Company makes a variety of modern and contemporary ceiling fans. The fan that stands out the most to me is the Ball fan in brushed Aluminum. This is the only brushed aluminum fan finish that appears to be actually spun on.
Tropical ceiling fans that make you feel like you are on the island
Every fan manufacture has tried to copy the original tropical leaf fan The Islander Fan by Fanimation. Fanimation is the first fan company to come out with a real tropical leaf fan blade ceiling fan back in the late 1980’s. Another unique dual motor tropical design is The Palisade Fan this fan has two vertical fans separated by a 48” long extension pole. Both of these ceiling fan models include the high end FDK2100 flywheel stack motor. There are only three Manufactures in the ceiling fan industry that have flywheel motors these companies are Fanimation, Casablanca and Emerson Fan.
There is one more tropical ceiling fan that comes to mind, the EmersonMauiBay fan. There are 17 different tropical style fan blades that can be assembled to the MauiBay to give you a custom tropical feel in your space. The MauiBay fan also has a flywheel motor called the K55XL. The K55XL is arguably the best ceiling fan motor on the market. Emerson Motor Company at one time was making ceiling fan motors for many other fan companies in the industry.
Performance ceiling fans are great air movers!
When you have an oversized room or just like a lot of air movement from your ceiling fan then you should look for a performance fan. The Casablanca 50” Panama XTR200 ceiling fan has the XTR200 motor and 20 degree blade pitch. The XTR200 motor is one of the highest torque motors out with a size of 200 x 20mm this motor is long lasting and when pushing a 20 degree blade pitch blades you experience maximum airflow. The Panama XTR200 has also earned the EPA’s Energy Star rating.
Another long lasting performance fan is the Hunter Classic Original ceiling fan. The 52” Classic Original has the Oil-Bath Lubrication System used with a 210 x 20mm Original motor and 15 degree blade pitch. The Classic Original is the oldest fan model on the market and has changed little in decades. This fan has also earned the EPA’s Energy Star rating.
What ceiling fan to use in the Great Room?
Many of the fan manufactures are making great room fans, typically fans that are over 60” in blade span. Minka-Aire has come out with a number of great room ceiling fans from decorative to performance. The Treville, Caspian II, Volterra II, Napoli II, and the Great Room Basic fan all have blade spans of 68” or greater. These five different models are available in different finishes, some have up lighting and down lighting and some come with controls. There became a higher demand for larger fans as the custom home market began building homes with higher ceilings and larger rooms.
Which ceiling fans can handle extreme outdoor weather?
If you live by the coast, intercoastal waterway, a lake or in a humid place you know how hard it is to find products that last in extreme weather. We are located six miles from the Atlantic Ocean so I get to see a lot of salt corroded products. Many people get disappointed when they go to one of the home centers (we all know the names) and buy some outdoor lights and ceiling fans only to find corrosion and finish deterioration with in the first year of having them installed. Yes, these products cost a lot less than well made products but is it really worth it when you have to change them out every year or two.
If you live by the coast I recommend the Casablanca Lanai fan or the Minka-Aire Gauguin fan these are both UL Wet Location fans. These fans do not have any visible hardware for the under side of the fan. Hardware like screws, washers and nuts are usually the first to start tarnishing or rusting. Also, since these fans are wet location listed you can mist them off with a hose removing any salt residue that eats away the product. Both of these fans have a trendy design that gives them an apperance that is comfortable for years.
The traditional style fan is the style that is most widely used through out the ceiling fan industry. Every fan manufacture has a traditional style fan but some stand out more than others. There are so many to list so I will bullet them out for easy reading.
The above should cover most of the highest used ceiling fan styles. If there is a certain style you are looking for that was not mentioned above let me know and I will give you my opinion on it.
BlogLighting.com is an information resource to help people solve and troubleshoot there lighting and ceiling fan problems and current information on the best lighting and ceiling fan manufacturers.
Article created on Mar 29 by colby
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