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SUGGESTED LIGHT LEVELS: (footcandles)
Illumination is measured in footcandles. One footcandle is the illumination one foot from a standard candle; 30 foot-candles (abbreviated fc) is thirty times higher. A typical light level for an indoor space is 30-50 fc. The human eye is very adaptable: full sunlight is about 8000 fc at noon; full moonlight is only 0.01 fc (one hundredth of a foot-candle!). If you reduce the light level people may adapt but there may be a cost. Lower light levels can lead to poor morale, reduced productivity, increased errors and so on. There has been speculation that the human errors that caused nuclear problems at Three-Mile Island and Chernobyl could have been avoided if the light levels in the control room had been higher: workers would have been more alert, even at 4:00 a.m. Talk about the cost of poor lighting! There are intelligent ways of reducing energy costs (retrofit with newer technologies) and there are "not-so-intelligent" ways of reducing energy costs (simply remove one lamp from a 3-lamp fixture).
What Does an "IP" Rating Mean? An "IP Code" which can usually be found in a brochure or user's manual. The "IP Code" stands for "International Protection Rating" or "Ingress Protection Rating" which classifies the level of protection that electrical appliance provide against the intrusion of solid objects or dust, accidental contact, and water. To be clear it has NOTHING to do with how well a particular device can withstand a drop or shock. The code is expressed as IPXX with "X" being numbers. For example, has an "IP" Rating of 55. The first numerical digit indicates the level of protection against solid particles such as dust, dirt or other matter. The second numerical digit indicates the level of protection from harmful ingress of water. The higher the values of each number the higher the resistance to these contaminants. With lower values are more likely intended for use in offices, schools, churches and similar "carpeted areas." With higher numerical "IP" ratings are designed for use anywhere, but especially in environments where dust and moisture could be prevalent. You can use an "IP" number to determine if it's built for the environment you intend to use it or store it in. If you find that it has a letter "X" in its "IP" Rating, it means a value has not been assigned for that type of ingress. For example, you may find a product with an "IP" Rating of "X4." Here's the scale you can refer to: First Number Effective Against 0 No protection against contact and ingress of objects
1
Any large surface of the body,
such as the back of a hand, 2 Fingers or similar objects 3 Tools, thick wires, etc. 4 Most wires, screws, etc.
5
Dust protected--Ingress of
dust is not entirely prevented, 6 Dust tight--No ingress of dust; complete protection The second numerical digit indicates the level of protection from harmful ingress of water: Second Number Effective Against 0 Not protected 1 Dripping water 2 Dripping water when tilted up to 15 degrees 3 Spraying water 4 Splashing water 5 Water jets 6 Powerful water jets 7 Immersion up to 1 meter 8 Immersion beyond 1 meter
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