August 28th, 2008 |
Published in
Home Automation
Typically you’d have to get into the details to see the differences since the concepts of what you want the systems to do are the same.
The biggest things customers notice are the keypads. Lutron and Lite Touch have the nicest engraved keypads. Vantage’s newest are too “contemporary” for me and I dislike the different LED colors. Touch Plate keypads are at the bottom of the heap. Read the rest of this entry
August 27th, 2008 |
Published in
Dimmers
The link is a dimming tutorial. You must use the proper dimmer for the load type and it is straightforward till one starts working wth an electronic transformer rather than the more common magnetic.
Some low voltage recessed fixture companies (not Juno) offer fixtures with either electronic or magnetic transformers. Dimming electronic transformer type fixtures can be very interesting and it is best if you can ask the manufacturer which dimmer brand/model is compatible.
I’ve seen magnetic transformers fail after a few years of being on a standard dimmer.
Here is a link that might be useful: Lutron dimming basics
August 27th, 2008 |
Published in
Lighting Design
If the cabinets need to be close to the ceiling it would be best to stay with lower wattage to minimize hot spots. If your entire kitchen is to be high efficiency lighting then you can use warm color LED above the cabinets for a soft glow. Not all LED is Title 24 approved. Much is not all that efficient for general lighting applications. If you are trying to hide enough fluorescent to get some incandescent then you’ll want to stick with fluorescent on top of the cabinets and lower the cabinets so it looks nicer. There are low profile fixtures available to help hide behind crown molding.
August 27th, 2008 |
Published in
Lighting Design
6″ is very close. 12″ or over is better. What will happen is that you may be able to clearly see where the lamps stop and start if you have a row of multiple lamps that don’t overlap. The ceiling may seem too bright above the lamps and light won’t project out as well into the room. A light very close to the ceiling will also show more of any ceiling texture which can be bad if there are imperfections. Keeping the light on the softer side will help. You can use a lensed fixture to help diffuse the light.
August 27th, 2008 |
Published in
Title 24
Retrofit means that you can buy and install a dimmable ballast on a fluorescent fixture that you already have. 4 pin lamps: Title 24 requires electronic ballasts. It is easy to tell that you are complying by the number of pins that make up the electrical connection on the compact fluorescent lamp. Two pin is for magnetic ballast, four pin is for electronic ballast.
