The Types Of Home Security Lighting
There are a number of different types of home security
lighting systems, a number of which are discussed below. In addition to the advantage of improving the
security of your home you may be intrigued to know that some police organizations and community watch schemes
may also assist with the costs of upgrading.
Sometimes insurance companies may require security lighting to be fitted to houses if they lie in an area known
for high crime rates such is the level of deterrent caused by this type of lighting.
The first type of lighting I will discuss is the timer light system, this system is fitted within the house
itself. A timer circuit is connected to the lights in your house and can be set to turn on and off at any time
during the day or night. This provides a good deterrent as it appears that there is someone in the house,
especially handy if you are planning a holiday.
Manually operated lights can also be affixed to the outsides of the house and are turned on by a switch within
the home. These can also remotely operated on some models for example if a disturbance is heard outside a remote
can be used to turn the light on from any room allowing your whereabouts to remain secret increasing panic within
any burglars.
The other main type of lighting is the motion sensor and this is the most popular. The light is activated when
motion is detected within the operating area. The light stays on for a given time and when motion is no longer
detected the light switches itself off.
When you have decided which system is best for you the next thing you should consider is the efficiency of the
lighting. It is possible to get solar powered lights, whilst other systems draw their power from the mains power.
The mains lights can use various types of bulbs which can help to save energy. Ensuring that the lighting system is
placed in an optimum position can also help to ensure light is not wasted.
Placing the lights as high as possible angled in a downward direction is considered the best position for
lighting as it illuminates a greater area whilst contributing as little as possible to light pollution. When
placing security lighting you should be considerate of your neighbours, for example don't place a light that shines
into their living room. Another reason for correct placement is that a badly positioned light can produce a large
amount of glare making it easy for the intruder to hide behind. Another reason why placement is crucial is because
a poorly placed light can impede your view of the criminal which could prevent you from giving valuable information
to the police pertaining the criminal which could help prevent future activity in the future.
Statistics show that protecting your home with security lighting is one of the most effective ways to decrease
the risks of becoming a victim of crime. Although they cannot prevent criminal activity or guarantee safety they
are shown to reduce activity in properties containing these devices.
As mentioned earlier there are a few types of bulbs used within mains lighting, these are HID, Halogen and
Incandescent.
High Intensity Discharge, HID, lights apply a voltage difference between two terminals, when the difference
becomes large enough electricity jumps across the gap. This gap is usually filled with a gas which when it comes
into contact with will the electricity will light up. As these types of bulbs take time to warm up they should not
be used for areas where fast switching of the light is required.
Halogen lights are the most efficient lights for fast switching. They are ideal for motion sensing systems and
run off the mains current of the house with no need for additional power increasing circuits. Incandescent lights
provide a similar function to halogen lights but consume more electricity whilst also being more prone to faults.
The advantage of the incandescent light however is the cost generally this type of system is much cheaper than the
halogen of HID light systems making them a cost effective way to protect your home.
Home security lighting is an excellent deterrent against criminals as it exposes them increasing their
vulnerability and insecurities. It is well known criminals prefer to act in areas of little or no lighting,
utilizing the benefit of security lighting to detect movement can be effective as the criminal will panic when
illuminated with great intensity at an instant.
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