Security Lighting Provides Peace of Mind and a Real Sense of Security in the Home.
Security Lighting can give you peace of mind, by providing a real sense of security in the home, as it is a proven deterrent to intruders and vandals who wish to avoid any risk of being seen.It also gives added protection to members of the household when walking up the drive and is useful for seeing who is at the door.
However home security lighting should only provide the minimum level of illumination necessary to light the property where it is required and be properly positioned and maintained, so as not to infringe onto neighbouring property, causing nuisance and complaints. Check your lighting at night to adjust the range, and if necessary a hood can be fitted to correct the aim.
Home Security Lighting UK Products
There is a good choice of outdoor security lighting available at reasonable prices, including porch/bulkhead lights and tungsten halogen floodlights, in designs that are purely functional or decorative. They can be activated by passive infra red movement detectors or body heat sensors, within a range of 8-10 metres and around 100* sensing angle.
Some systems have a CCTV camera integrated, so that when activated the incident can be viewed on your TV, or recorded to a video recorder.Lights should be fitted out of easy reach, at a height of at least 2.5 metres (eight feet).
Porch/Bulkhead Lights
Porch home security lighting uk is an energy efficient solution for many homes, using a compact fluorescent lamp of 9/11 watts, which can be left on all night at a cost of only a few pounds per year.They can be manual or switched automatically, by a photoelectric cell (dusk to dawn switch).
A gentle overall light is produced with less glare and dark shadows, and they can be fitted lower than floodlights, thus preventing nuisance to neighbours.
The police consider this lighting option to be more of a deterrent to burglars, as the areas at risk are constantly lit.
Tungsten Halogen Floodlights
This type of security lighting uk system is the most popular choice and provides adequate illumination, but it needs to be carefully situated and aimed, to prevent the bright light encroaching onto public roads, which can be dangerous to traffic.
Also make sure the PIR detector can be aimed separately from the lamp, to prevent activation by birds or animals, causing the light to be switched on and off all night, resulting in complaints from neighbours.In most situations a maximum power of 150 watt is recommended, anything in excess of this causes more glare and dark shadows where intruders can operate.
Garden lights are another option; some of these use solar power and provide efficient security lighting, with the added benefit of making a property more attractive.
Lighting and PIR Use-Hints and Tips.
The Institute of Lighting Engineers provide a guide to security lighting UK, which outlines the pros and cons of both PIR halogen lighting and dusk-to-dawn low wattage lighting. They also offer advice on how to fit a PIR light, to avoid some of the problems.
Outdoor Security Lighting… Provides an efficient security solution for your home.