Security Lighting
Burglars like to work unseen. This is where security lighting comes in very handy.
There are several variations in the type of lighting that can be used for this purpose, they don’t necessarily have to be complicated or expensive.
Standard Light Fittings
First of all is the simple outside light that you may already have outside of your home. It is really how you use this light, that will dictate how good it is at deterring would-be intruders.
Many people only use this type of light when they are going out, or, perhaps when they are expecting visitors.
The best way to use this light for security purposes is to ensure that it always remains on during the hours of darkness. You can achieve this by simply switching it on at dusk, and off when it becomes light the following morning. Simple enough, but you must always remember to do the switching.
Another solution is to use a special device that fits between the bulb and the light fitting. This fitting uses a photocell sensor that activates the bulb at dusk, and deactivates it at dawn. You simply have to leave the light switched on and it will do the rest.
In a variation of this, certain light bulbs are now available that have this type of sensor built in. They work in exactly the same way.
If you decide to use an existing light fitting in this way you should first make sure that there is room inside the lamp to accommodate the dusk-to-dawn fitting, plus the bulb. Some lamps only leave just enough room for the light bulb.
The second consideration is the type of lightbulb that you use. Old style incandescent light bulbs, (that are being phased out), tend to use quite a bit of electricity, and don’t last that long when used over long periods, (typically 1000 hours). You should replace this type if you can.
Energy saving lightbulbs use a fraction of the electricity, and last much longer, (10,000 hours+), and have now become quite inexpensive. They can be significantly larger than old-style lightbulbs though, so do measure carefully.
Halogen bulbs will also give decent light, last longer, and use less power than old-style bulbs, but they are not as energy efficient as the energy saver types.
Domestic lightbulbs using LED’s are relatively new. They will use, by far, the least electricity, and last for years and years. The drawbacks are, that they are hugely expensive compared to the other types of bulb, and, so far, we are not that impressed with the light output from them. This though, will probably change over time, as the technology improves.