Street lamps for a country house perform several tasks. They should illuminate a section of the street, ensure the safety of movement in the dark and profitably decorate the house. The requirements for the safe operation of the device and its suitability to climatic conditions are imposed on the choice of fixtures in the country.
Street lamp requirements
Adverse atmospheric conditions, precipitation, wind impose a number of requirements for luminaires, which must be observed.
- IP protection against dust and moisture. It shows how tight the lamp is and is able to withstand the ingress of water and particles of dust and dirt. To illuminate pools or fountains, maximum tightness and degree of IP66, IP67 are required.
- Glass reliability. Safety glass should have a high degree of resistance to temperature, shock, vibration.
Classification of degrees of protection - Autonomy. Street lights for summer cottages can be equipped with various sensors that simplify their work and save energy. Sensors of sound, movement and illumination enable the flashlight to function only when necessary. Stand-alone devices include solar-powered luminaires. During the day they are charged, and in the dark they illuminate the summer cottage.
- Functionality. The street lamp should have at least 2 operating modes - maximum brightness and dim light. More expensive devices may have other modes of operation.
- Resistance to corrosion. Over time, the lamp should not form rust, so the street lamp is made of reliable and high-quality materials that are not affected by humidity.
The cost of the product depends on the number of functions, quality of materials and the presence of additional sensors. Before buying, you need to determine in advance the budget, which will be allocated to lamps for summer cottages.
Types of country lamps
By purpose, day and night devices are distinguished. Daytime are used for decorative lighting, creating the necessary atmosphere. Nightly are needed to create lighting.
By the installation method, you can highlight:
- Wall models. They are fixed on a flat surface (wall, pole).
- Unpaved. They are put right in the ground. Also perform a decorative function.
- Floor lamps. They are a ball on a thin leg. Usually installed along the tracks.
- Mushroom-shaped. The lamp is hidden under the hood, which directs the rays of light down. Highlight and decorate the installation site in the dark.
Landscape light tables - Light pedestals. They are cylindrical or square. They are used to highlight paths, flower beds, bridges, arbors.
- Floating. Usually they are used for decorative illumination of pools, ponds, fountains.
In a separate group allocated lamps powered by solar panels. They are small in size, so the light sources can be rearranged in a convenient place. They are used for additional highlighting, as they have a small brightness.
It is possible to divide the lamps according to the material of manufacture. They are made of durable glass, metal, plastic, etc.
How to place fixtures
Before installing the lamps on the street, you should pay attention to their brightness and transparency of the ceiling.The lamp should not stand out in the garden, its aesthetic task is to harmoniously combine with surrounding objects.
The best option is when the lamps are invisible to the eye. They can be hidden in flowers or bushes, set under trees or under bridges. They should not draw all attention to themselves, but should highlight the decorative object.
When choosing a night lamp, you need to consider how it will look in the daytime. Lamps of an unusual shape and bright colors will look ridiculous in a classic house territory, it is better to give preference to a classic design.
Visually expand the garden will help light sources on the bends of paths. To do this, you can use suspended models, which should be arranged so that there are no unlit sections of the road. It is recommended in advance to mark the installation location on a diagram or map in order to buy the required number of light sources.
Original mushroom-shaped and floating models are used to create accents on certain elements of the landscape. It should be borne in mind that the landscape changes during the year. It is recommended to use different accent light sources.
Before buying, you need to find out how many lamps are needed, and perform a lighting calculation of outdoor lighting. An example is the optimal distance between street lamps - not more than 10 m. In the case of using light columns, the distance is reduced to 5 m.
The choice of light bulbs in the lamp
For the operation of street lamps, the following types of lamps are used:
- Light bulbs. They are characterized by high power, while consuming a lot of energy. Unsafe
- Halogen. They are a modification of an incandescent lamp, but a buffer gas is used inside the bulb. This allows you to lower the temperature and increase the service life.
- Gas discharge. Work with decorative lighting. They are distinguished by high energy efficiency, are installed in mushroom-shaped lamps, cabinets.
- Mercury lamps. Virtually not used to illuminate cottages and cottages.
- Metal halide. They cover a large area, give as close to daylight as possible. The downside is the high price.
- Xenon They give a soft warm color and are characterized by high performance.
- Luminescent. They have high light output, are economical and have a long service life. Depending on the power, they can have a large lighting radius.
- LEDs The safest and most effective light sources. Diode dumps are used both for main lighting and for decorative lighting. They have a wide range of colors. LED street lights are environmentally friendly and safe.
The choice of the right lamp depends on the purpose of the light source and financial means.
Experts recommend installing fluorescent and LED street lights for a country house, since they work for a long time and consume little electricity. The high cost of products quickly pays off during operation. Due to its long service life, frequent replacement is not required.
Solar powered lights
Such devices differ from other light sources operating from a 220 V network. They operate on a built-in battery that produces a voltage of 12 or 24 V. The lamp is autonomous, the battery is charged from the sun using a special solar cell.
You need to install the device in a place that is well lit in the afternoon by sunlight. In the evening, they can be rearranged to another site that needs to be highlighted. The operating time is approximately 9 hours, then the source should be charged with sunlight. The main disadvantage of such lamps is the small accumulation of energy in rainy weather and the winter season
Main advantages:
- environmental Safety;
- durability;
- variety of design;
- ease of installation;
- mobility;
- small sizes;
- light weight;
- work safety;
- autonomy.
Also, most solar-powered lamps are equipped with photocells that activate the lamp only in the dark. This makes life easier for the user, since you do not need to turn the flashlight on and off yourself. Usually a light source is an LED. The brightness is selected upon purchase.
The disadvantages of autonomous sources on a solar battery include the high cost, the complexity of battery disposal, the large number of fakes on the market and low efficiency in winter. It must be borne in mind that the cost of such a device quickly pays for itself. No need to spend money on laying cables, paying for electricity, and caring for the device is simple. All costs are associated only with the purchase of the lamp.
When buying a solar lamp, you need to pay attention to the following parameters:
- price;
- Battery capacity;
- panel dimensions;
- installation method.
A wide selection of models will allow the user to choose the best device for technical specifications and design decisions.
Automation Methods
If possible, street lighting should be automated. This will save on electricity, as the lamp will burn only at the right time. For this, various sensors are used. One of the most popular solutions is the use of an infrared motion sensor. The sensor can be configured so that it does not respond to pets or birds. Then the lamp will light up only when a person or large animal appears.
Also a popular way is to mount a photo relay. With its help, the lamp lights up only at nightfall.
There are waterproof models controlled remotely from the remote control. You can also purchase a device in which the user independently programs the operating hours.
