Table of Contents
- Choosing the Right Photocontrols for Your Outdoor Project
- How Do Photocontrol Sensors Work?
- Crucial Factors in Making an Appropriate Choice
- Conclusion
- References
Meta Description
Discover the essential guide to choosing the perfect photocontrols for your outdoor project. From understanding types and compatibility to prioritizing energy efficiency and functionality and ensuring reliability, longevity, and cost-effectiveness for your outdoor lighting needs.
Main Body
Photocontrols are the brains of your lighting, telling them when to turn on and off by sensing the ambient light. If you make a wrong choice while selecting the photocontrol cell for your lighting system, you cannot expect the desired results.
Depending upon where and how your lighting system will be used, selecting the appropriate dusk-to-dawn cells is crucial for optimal performance, durability, and energy efficiency. Let’s have a brief overview of what are the crucial factors for selecting an appropriate photocontrol switch whether it relates to compatibility, durability, efficiency, or energy conservation.
However, before we delve into these factors, it is important to understand how photocells work. This will help you make a learned decision.
How Do Photocontrol Sensors Work?
The operation of photocells revolves around the working of photoresistors. These resistors increase and decrease their resistance as the light intensity increases or decreases. As the dusk kicks in and ambient light levels dip, the resistor detects the decreasing light intensity and turns on the lights. As the light intensity starts increasing again at dawn, the lights are turned on by the photocell sensor.
Hence, the automation helps eliminate the need for manually turning the lights on and off. This also results in increased energy efficiency as the lights are used only when needed and turned off automatically when light intensity plummets to a pre-set level.
Crucial Factors in Making an Appropriate Choice
- Application
The foremost consideration to keep in mind while purchasing a photocontrol sensor is its application. Whether you will be using them for landscape lighting, in parking lots, outside your residence for security, or for street lights?
Depending upon their intended use, the photocells with different sensitivity levels and different functionality will be preferred.
- Environmental Settings
This is again a very decisive factor when it comes to picking the appropriate phocontrols. Depending upon the settings where you will be using your lighting project, different photocells will be suitable. For example, environments where there are harsh climate conditions call for a sturdier, more durable photocell. Those settings which are hazardous and may lead to ignition call for the photocells with extra safety protocols, for example those with NEMA 7 pins etc.
Moreover, for photocells with risky, hazardous settings, choosing the ones that have CE certification would be the best practice. Similarly, climates with more moisture or rain may call for waterproof photocells and so on.
Types of Photocontrols
Photocontrols come in different types, including electronic, thermal, and electromechanical variants. You need to choose the one that is most suitable to your needs.
Electronic photocontrols offer precise control and compatibility with LED lighting systems, making them ideal for modern applications.
Thermal photocontrols rely on temperature differentials to activate, making them suitable for applications where light levels may fluctuate due to weather conditions and temperature is relatively a more reliable factor.
Electromechanical photocontrols are more traditional and operate based on mechanical switches, suitable for basic lighting needs but less precise compared to electronic photocontrols.
Perfect Integration with Lighting Fixtures
While picking the right photocontrol for your outdoor lighting project, you must not ignore whether your choice is compatible with light fixtures or not. Photocontrols that aren’t compatible will lead to integration issues. Keep in view the factors like voltage limits and specific wiring needs. Moreover, mounting techniques for different photocells might vary as well. Keep in mind the type of your light fixture in this regard.
Optimal Energy Conservation
Make sure that you opt for those photocells which can help in efficient energy conservation, hence letting you save a few bucks in energy bills. Advanced photocontrols today come with handy features like dimming when needed, and adjustable settings to conserve maximum power. Opting for such features may cost you a bit more but that would be one time investment and after that, you’ll be saving a lot with every bill.
To make sure your preferred product meets the threshold requirements for energy efficiency, go for the certified photocontrol only.
Best Value for Money
Don’t fall for alluring marketing tactics. Look for a product that is worth your every penny and provides best value for your money. If a photocontrol switch is a bit higher in price but will help you save more in longer run, it isn’t a bad deal.
However, going for the features you won’t actually need and spending unnecessarily on extras wouldn’t be wise thing to do. Another way to save a bit of money without compromising quality is to go for bulk orders. Similarly, buying during discount periods or promotions will also help save money while getting the same high quality.
Other than that, governments offer special discounts time to time for products which are energy efficient. This can be your chance to get hold on the best products in minimum price.
Conclusion
Being vigilant with your purchase as you try to get your hands on a photocontrol switch can pay you off in the long run in numerous ways. Make sure you go for long term planning instead of saving money by buying low quality products.
Keep in view the compatibility settings and configuration. Moreover, energy efficiency should be among your top priorities.
Make a choice according to your specific environmental settings and also look for the promotional deals by renowned manufacturers to get the best value for your money. Budget should be a consideration, without compromising quality.
