An original and elegant way to highlight the space and an unusual decorative element are spotlights. The texture, material and finish of the deflector are selected by the consumer based on their own preferences, while the functional features and type of luminaire are the technical side of the issue.
Spotlight Models
Spotlights are classified according to several criteria: adjustment, installation method and functionality.
Mounting Method: Overhead
Overhead, or external spotlights are mounted mainly on frameless bases: brick walls or concrete ceilings. Such lighting fixtures are an ideal solution in the case when it is necessary to improve the interior of the room without changing its dimensions.
Overhead lights consist of a mounting pad and a diffuser housing. Due to the design features, the installation of this type of ceiling luminaire is carried out above a hole of a smaller diameter than the diameter of the body, otherwise the ceiling will not overlap it. A mounting wire is necessarily connected to the bar. After connecting all the wires to the mounting pad using the side screws, the lamp housing is fixed.
Recessed
On frame bases, installation of ceiling lamps of built-in or mortise type is carried out. The mounting platform can be any:
- Plasterboard constructions.
- Stretch ceiling.
- Slatted or panel ceilings and walls.
- Wall niches.
- Furniture partitions.
Installation of recessed spotlights is often carried out in pools, on the floor, on bar counters and stairs.
On the lamp housing are built-in clips for lamps and fasteners. When installing the ceiling, you do not need to make additional efforts - the legs are very easy to open.
Luminaire configuration - housing with integrated lamp holders and fasteners. Additional reinforcement is not required - the legs are unclenched behind the plane when installing the ceiling. The design involves mounting the housing inside a pre-prepared hole with wires connected to the exit point.
Outboard
The pendant spotlight housing is mounted at a distance from the mounting surface. The lamp is hung on a decorative power cable fixed to the ceiling. No parts capable of reinforcing the construction are required. But it’s recommended to supplement massive options of fixtures when installing with mounting rails - improvised ones made of timber or metal are also suitable.
Pendant lights are suitable for installation on all types of substrates and are more often installed as an independent decoration element.
Adjustment type
Spotlights are classified according to the intensity and direction of the light flux and design:
- Swivel lights. Stepless angle adjustment allows you to adjust the direction of the light beam. When mounting rotary lamps, their mounting points are amplified, since their mobility accelerates the wear of the base material.
- Fixed It is impossible to regulate the direction of the light flux in such models.
- Cardan. A feature of such spotlights is the ability to adjust the direction and strength of the light flux. The design provides for the presence of several diode lamps.
- Spots. Luminaires with a swivel mechanism give directional luminous flux. Adjustment is carried out manually, the housing of the lighting fixtures is quite plastic. At one fixture, a different number of shades can be placed - from six or more. It is possible to arrange spotlights both in the form of classic chandeliers and in the form of geometric shapes. There are two types of spots: overhead and embedded.
- Downlight. They are mainly used as decorative elements to focus on specific elements of the interior.
Functionality
The basic equipment of spotlights determines their functional division into types depending on the presence or absence of:
- Remote control.
- Adjustment options in different planes.
- Protection against water and dust.
- Dimming systems for adjusting the degree of illumination.
Depending on the characteristics of the room and interior elements, the basic types of spotlights are selected.
Spotlights
The diameter of the fixtures of spotlights can vary from 3 to 6 inches. You can use any type of lamp:
- LED light.
- Glow.
- Halogen.
- Luminescent compact.
Lamps of different types can be installed in the same housing of a spotlight.
Benefits
Spotlights have many advantages. It:
- The ability to highlight individual areas of the interior using directional lighting.
- No shaded corners in lighting.
- The increased term of operation.
- Increased savings and safety of light supply, which is especially noticeable in models designed for a voltage of 12 V.
- Possibility of installing different types of lamps in ceiling lights.
- Small size and attractive appearance.
- High efficiency and reduced power consumption compared to conventional lighting fixtures.
- Resistance to mechanical defects and vibrations.
- Increased utilization of light flux.
- During operation, there is no flicker, glare, or noise.
disadvantages
Spot lighting has its drawbacks:
- It is difficult to design and connect spotlights and organize the entire lighting system.
- Installation and replacement of transformers complicate the installation and design of the entire system. Lamps and a transformer should be located at a distance from each other, and therefore often have to sort out the frame and embroider the finished base.
- General lighting equipment requires the connection of spotlights in large quantities.
- It is not possible to install many types of spotlights without making adjustments to the ceiling or wall structure. Recessed fixtures require the construction of a frame.
- Damage to the stretch PVC ceiling during overheating is possible.
- Only moisture-proof fixtures can be installed in the bathroom.
- A large number of shades is difficult to care for.
Connection of spotlights on 220V
Lighting devices of this type are powered by special converters - drivers or transformers. The latest models of luminaires - spots - operate on a 220 V network. A similar connection scheme for spotlights is simpler because it does not require the use of additional adapters and converters.
Serial connection diagram
The easiest way to install ceiling lights in one circuit. It requires a small number of wires, but at the same time you can connect a limited number of lighting devices - no more than five to six. The only drawback of this scheme is that the lamps connected in this way do not work at full strength. The second minus is the failure of one lamp leads to the breaking of the entire circuit and the termination of the rest of the fixtures. It is only possible to restore the functionality of the circuit after checking each lamp individually.
When installing ceiling lights according to this scheme, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the same phase should go to the lights and the switch. Zero is connected to the very last lamp in the circuit. This is done to ensure security and to maintain the correct operation of the wiring diagram.
In the three-wire wiring, in addition to phase and zero, there is a third wire - grounding, which is supplied to each of the fixtures separately. Earth can be connected from a switch or power outlet located nearby.
In practice, such a scheme is easiest to implement with wires, and not with a cable, since one wire bypasses each of the fixtures and is constantly torn, while the zero wire is led to the last spotlight from the distribution box. Despite the fact that the sequential type of installation of ceiling lights is the simplest, it is extremely rarely used.
Parallel connection
The parallel connection scheme allows you to use the potential of spotlights in full force, so it is more popular even in situations where you need to connect a large number of conductors. Installation of spotlights is carried out using a non-combustible cable or a three-wire cable, if the wiring is grounded. A mandatory requirement for the cable is incombustibility, while its cross-section can be either flat or round.
Loopback circuit
In the loop-type wiring method, the wire is led from the distribution box to the first luminaire, to which the second wire is then connected to the next luminaire. Other lamps are connected in the same way.
Lighting devices are connected to a two- gang switch if they are divided into two groups. To implement a similar circuit with this connection option becomes more difficult, since more wires are used.
Beam connection
When installing conventional and waterproof luminaires according to this scheme, a separate piece of wire is supplied to each lighting device. This method requires a large amount of cable, but it is considered the most reliable: in case of failure of one lamp, all the others continue to work. In this case, the wire extends from the junction box to the middle of the room, after which it is routed to each lamp.
Since with such a scheme for connecting spotlights at a single point, a large number of wires are collected, a reliable method of connecting them is required. Twisting is resorted to if the wires are single-core and a small number of spotlights are installed. This method is not the easiest, since it is necessary to compress the twist and weld for reliability. The second method is somewhat simpler, since a connector with the required number of inputs is connected to each of the wires, to which the remaining cables are connected.
An equally common option is to use terminal blocks with screw connections. They are notable for their low price and reliability, however, on all involved terminals you will have to install jumpers on the side to which the cables are connected.
Despite the fact that this method is highly reliable, it is used extremely rarely - it is expensive and does not allow high-quality combining of a large number of wires at one point.