Neon lights

Such modern representatives of luminaires as neon lamps today provide the most spectacular stream of light from all existing lighting devices, which opens up tremendous opportunities for their active use. But in order to properly exploit them, you need to be well versed in the product itself, to know all its pros and cons, especially the use in design.

Neon lights are used in a wide variety of fields, from complex lighting of buildings to interior design.

A neon lamp is a special tube made of glass that is filled with a small amount of substance that is driven into this tube under insignificant pressure.As a given substance, this lamp contains a noble gas neon, from which it received its name.

But other inert gases are also launched in neon lamps. However, the word "neon" in our days is called all neon lamps, without attention to the fact that neon or any other inert gas is used in them.

Neon lights are different.

Typical neon is divided into such types as:

• Open neon - This is when the tubes of glass are visible and their light is not hidden. “Open” gas makes signs of a different plan - it can be inscriptions and the image of the company logo;
• Closed neon - tubes are hidden behind the panels, thereby creating a neat backlighting effect. Exploit such neon when creating light boxes and bulk advertising letters;
• Tube with contre used to create letters that gently highlight the bottom of the label. This is how the halo effect comes about.

A characteristic feature of the usual tube with a bright inert gas is the fact that any particle of matter in it has a filled shell, so it does not interact actively with other atoms, and in order to dislodge at least 1 electron from them, a lot of energy is required.At the end of the tube is the electrode. Such lamps can work qualitatively from both AC and DC, but with this option, only a fragment of the tube located near 1 electrode will glow.

Therefore, most of the gas lamps, which we know, are powered mainly by an alternating current of enormous voltage - about 15 thousand volts. This is quite enough to detach an electron from a gas atom from its orbit. If the voltage is made substantially smaller, the electron simply will not have enough energy to escape from the atom.

After all this, the atoms that have lost electrons acquire a positive charge and are drawn to the negatively charged electrode. At the same time, free electrons are attracted to the plus. All these gas particles (the so-called plasma), close the electrical circuit of the lamp. As a result of this whole process, a bright neon glow appears.

Often, such a device replaces even the popular LED strip as a light source. This backlight will be as beautiful as the LED, but the neon light often looks much more spectacular.By the way, that the tape of LEDs, that the neon lamp is easy to install with your own hands.

More clearly the process of creating neon lamps, you can see in the video below.

The use of devices with neon to illuminate various objects has its positive and negative aspects.

Among the advantages of such lamps are:

• Neon has a special glow, and the light produced by it does not give contrasting shadows;
• You can find a huge number of various shades;
• With the help of controllers you can adjust the intensity of the light of the lamp and its color;
• The light goes smoothly, without darkened lobes and extends to 360 degrees;

• High-quality devices can last up to 20 years without interruption;
• The backlight does not heat the lamp much, because its temperature is never above 50 degrees, which makes these lamps safe;
• Tubes are straight and can be made in virtually any possible form, which significantly expands the possibilities of their operation: the tube can even be made in its original form to decorate a certain design;
• The ability to mount even in inaccessible places;
• Soft glow and moderate brightness, which does not irritate the eyes, no noise at work.

But this gas has not very good sides:

• The power of neon lamps is less than that of ordinary lamps and is seriously inferior to lamps with LEDs. Such tubes use, on average, 10 watts per hour per meter;
• Hazardous components may be used in gas in tubes and cords. This requires special care when mounting the structure. Used tubes are not thrown away with ordinary garbage - they need separate disposal;
• Lamps made of glass are rather fragile if 1 of them breaks, then there is a possibility that neighboring devices will immediately go out;
• Illumination from such lamps may be unsafe if installed incorrectly - an arc discharge may appear when the tightness of a glass tube is destroyed;
• The backlight gives not so much light power that it was enough for the usual lighting of the room and therefore can not be used as the main lighting device, but only as a light for decoration. In a room equipped with such lighting, be sure to install several conventional sources of lighting.

In the manufacture of the tube, it can be bent as you please or you can build a tube of glass to any desired length. From such a product, you can create not only any letter, but the whole word and inscription, and you can use any font.

Especially popular lighting inert gas is in the production of letters from plastic and metal, because duplicate their intricate shape can not any other lamp.

The diameter of such tubes can be from 5 mm to 2 cm.

The best is the light in 1 thread of letters from 30 to 40 cm in height, in 2 threads from 40 to 80 cm, in 3 threads from 80 to 120 cm.

The main advantage of neon lamps used to create home lighting is their miniature size, from 10 to 18 mm. Thanks to this feature, neon lighting can be installed behind the eaves of windows and in the niches of rooms, along the baseboards and in other hard-to-reach places.

It should be clarified that the lamp with neon can shine all the colors.Neon lamps - the closest "relatives" of fluorescent devices. Glass tubes are filled with different types of gases, and the type of gas you choose can affect the color of the lighting:

• Tubes filled with neon itself can give red and orange light;
• Helium illuminates the space blue and pink;
• Argon shines with lilac and blue light;
• Krypton gives bluish and white colors, sometimes - green tone;
• For other colors, impurities of these gases are used, or phosphors are introduced, for example, mercury vapors.

Neon lighting may depend on how the excitation energy is different from the original. These dimensions, like the energy parameter of the electron, have their own interval. As a result, it turns out that any electron in a state of excitation receives its own, characteristic only for it, wavelength of light. It turns out that the light of neon gives a unique glow.

Despite the fact that obvious competitors - fluorescent lamps in our days are extremely in demand, neon products hold their high positions in the world of modern lighting devices.

Lighting with the help of such a popular gas pays great attention tothe decoration of the entertainment industry premises - it can often be seen in restaurants and on the ceilings in night bars, in casinos and expensive clubs, and it is also used quite a lot in different places. The main effect of such an illumination is drawn by the play of bright glow tones of the gases used, which help to create a unique atmosphere or visual illusions.

And to operate the lamp made of glass, because of its unique qualities, it is possible in outdoor conditions. Illuminated signs, spectacular inscriptions, lighting houses. Neon lights can be seen even on the airfield runways and runways.

Lamps and cords, which contain inert gases, are used everywhere today.

They are used most often for:

• stylish decoration of the apartment;
• creating invisible lighting for the home;
• design of exterior structures, buildings or monuments;
• advertising lighting;
• registrations of trading floors.

The rather wide scope of using such products at home is due to several advantages,among which are the quality and beauty of the flow of light:

• Illumination of furniture interior. In addition to highlighting the room itself, you can highlight items of furniture furnishings. This will give any room really unusual tones. Upholstered furniture, beds, and furniture made of glass are often subjected to such an “emphasis”: these are mainly wardrobes and tables. This step will add the "club" tone in the interior, because it is more suitable housing, decorated in a modern style;

• Illumination of various accessories in the house. Along with items of furniture, inert gas can be illuminated and accessories, and the original decor of the room: paintings and various niches in the wall, large mirrors and plants. But creating such a stylish highlight of things in the room, keep in mind that it may not last long;

• Highlighting a functional plan. Illumination from neon in an apartment can be not only a bright accent, but also other tasks. So, with the help of such a light effect, you can light up the steps of a ladder or plinth. Anyone who has felt their feet in total darkness at least once in his life can understand the benefits of this idea.Also, some car owners use a backlight from neon in the cabin of your car.

• Often such lighting is used and for kitchen apron or dining table surface. Also, neon is ideal for illuminating the switch in the dark.

• Neon lighting of plaster sculptures and various figures. There is another interesting way to exploit such an original backlight - it can illuminate various gypsum products and frame figures made of glass or fabric, and these structures can be made by hand or made to order. It is quite possible to imagine a modern interior, where not just lamps, but correctly illuminated sculptures act as light products. Or a stylish glowing lamp in the form of a bird or a tree made of glass illuminated from the inside.

• Very popular are stylish frosted glass columnsthat become additional sources of indoor lighting. “Moldings” of almost transparent synthetic materials will also give a warm, cozy light with the help of inert gas.

Neon lights in an apartment can be used in this way:

• Illumination of any type of ceilings;
• Illumination of the eaves of windows;
• Illumination of special panels on the wall;
• Illumination of walls, podiums, steps;
• Making niches and partitions;
• Zoning the room, lighting the floor around the perimeter of the room, the creation of various light forms.

Neon lamps provide a huge number of opportunities for true creativity. With their help, many designers change stereotypes that inert gas lighting is only suitable for rooms with an aggressive interior design. But with its help in the room you can create an unusual and warm atmosphere of comfort.

The perfect combination - a lamp with neon light and ceiling moldings. This lamp is suitable for stretch ceilings, and for plasterboard structures. With these options, the ceiling will visually appear slightly higher.

The neon lights will look very beautiful in the bedroom, the most important thing is to choose the right shade of lighting.The most popular in this case are the green, purple and pale blue colors, with which the alcove beds are distinguished.

The lighting of the bar by neon makes it the accent of the whole kitchen. Bright lighting under the bar will qualitatively increase the view of the kitchen work space. Neon can also transform lower cabinets. Blue and white colors are an excellent choice for additional lighting of the kitchen, especially since they perfectly highlight the atmosphere of a luxurious evening and effectively decorate the view from the windows of an apartment or from the side of the doors.