What Is LED Track Light And How To Use It In Design

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• Design features
• Main application
• Pros and cons of track LED systems
• Equipment characteristics
• Features of connecting track lighting

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Methods of interior decoration of premises are annually replenished with new options, including improved finishing features, and color design and, of course, lighting, for the creation of which track-type LED lamps have been increasingly used lately. They appeared on the lighting market relatively recently, but they are in great demand due to dozens of their advantages. You can find out what a track LED luminaire is, where this type of lamp is used and what are its advantages over other options, using the following information.

Knowing what a track LED light is and its features, you can replace conventional lighting systems with such equipment. Moreover, despite the high price, it is quite simple to install them, and the purchase costs are quickly paid off by their high efficiency and ease of use.

Design features

The main difference between such lighting systems is that track LED lamps are located on the busbar - that is, they are part of a common system of several devices of the same type. Combined lamps are used to create suitable illumination in various premises - from retail space and exhibition halls to city apartments and country houses. In this case, the connection of individual modules is carried out thanks to special supports.

Busbars for track LED luminaires differ in the number of phases (from 1 to 3), depending on the number of which, from 1 to 3 groups of LED lamps can be connected to the track, turning on and off independently of each other. And the calipers in them are rectangular, U- and L-shaped, flexible, straight and cruciform. This diversity makes it possible to choose a lighting system for rooms of any purpose and size.

Track systems consist of the following components:

• LED lamps;
• transformers;
• conductors;
• elements for connecting individual devices;
• devices for hanging structures.

Connecting elements and fasteners for placing track systems make it possible to place them not only at any height, but also on various planes - both horizontal and vertical. It is allowed to install luminaires of various powers and types on busbars, and their number can be easily changed depending on the tasks of the system.

Main application

Tasks performed by LED track lights include:

• focusing the attention of visitors to shops, museums and exhibition centers on certain goods and exhibits;
• division into zones of premises of entertainment establishments and catering establishments;
• lighting areas of the apartment - mainly cooking zones (kitchen) or recreation (living room and bedroom).

Pros and cons of track LED systems

The popularity of lamps of this type is due to the advantages that LEDs provide in the first place. They consume several times less electricity compared to other lamps and almost instantly reach their maximum brightness. And also LED lamps last several times longer - up to 100,000 hours. And LED lamps do not have a stroboscopic effect and hazardous substances in their composition (which, for example, mercury lamps have).

Among the advantages of using LEDs are:

• high strength;
• noiselessness;
• resistance to temperature extremes and high humidity;
• simple disposal (in order to throw out a failed LED, it is not necessary to contact special services);
• the absence of ultraviolet radiation, as a result of which the temperature in the room does not rise during the operation of the lamps.

In addition, LED track lights have many advantages due to the features of the systems themselves - ease of use, the ability to visually change the space in the room (decrease or increase, depending on the placement), as well as ease of installation and dismantling. Track lamps can be easily mounted on any surface - from walls to ceilings. And with their help, you can illuminate rooms in any style - from modern and classic to industrial and minimalist.

The track system is designed to move the lighting fixtures along the busbar. Due to this, you can easily change the direction of light from each individual luminaire and the level of illumination of various zones in the room.

The only drawback that can be found with track lights is their high cost. However, the advantages of using it make it possible to practically neglect this disadvantage. Moreover, during operation, the use of LEDs pays off.

Equipment characteristics

To select a suitable LED luminaire, one should be guided by such characteristics as power and luminous flux. The first parameter can be compared with the performance of an incandescent lamp - 1 W of an LED is approximately equal to 5-7 W of a conventional light source. This means that a 10-watt LED is sufficient to replace a 60-watt lamp. The luminous flux value is used to calculate the illumination level that the lamp will provide - for a living room, the normal value is 100-200 lux (10-watt lamp costing from 1000 rubles / piece when suspended at a height of 2.5 m), for office premises - from 400 lux (20-watt lamp, the price of each of which reaches 1,500 rubles).

In addition to these parameters, take into account:

• the angle of divergence of the luminous flux, on which the uniformity of the

  lighting created by the track system depends. The recommended value for this parameter is about 30 degrees;

• color temperature, which for residential premises should be in the range of 2.5-3.5 thousand degrees Kelvin and about 4000-5000 K for commercial areas;
• color rendering (for room lamps, the indicator should not be less than 70).

Features of connecting track lighting

Knowing what a track lamp is, you can consider the features of its installation. For this, first of all, you need the lamps themselves and power supplies with a special type of plug. Sometimes such a source comes with a lamp. In other situations, it must be purchased separately.

Installation of lamps consists of the following stages:

1. Power outages in the room where the system is installed;
2. Fastening to the enclosing structures of the frame - with staples, ropes or hanging chains;
3. Luminaire installations.

The ends of the cables are brought out to the ends of the tracks. The task of installation is simplified by the multi-colored marking of the wires, which makes it possible to determine among them the ground, phase and neutral

Mount the track LED spotlight according to the same method as used for the installation of spotlights:

1. The wires branch off at the places where the device is supposed to be installed;
2. Cables of the same color are interconnected;
3. Bare wires are insulated;
4. The selected and already assembled lamp is installed in the groove. You can understand that the device is installed by a characteristic click;
5. Depending on the tasks of the track system, the direction of the luminous flux from the lamps is regulated.

Tip: When installing luminaires, be sure to take into account the presence of adapters of various types. Some modifications allow only the left power connection, others only the right one.

LED-type lighting devices will improve illumination and at the same time improve the design of the premises. And, although their cost is higher compared to conventional systems, ease of installation and other advantages of use make it possible to focus on just such an option.

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