LED tracklight is one of the modern and new fixtures of lighting in different spaces from stores and retails to galleries, offices and home environments. The track light is used both as a wall mounted and as a ceiling mounted light. In this way of lighting, they are placed on one or more rail lines and in addition to moving inside the rail, they have the ability to rotate 360 ​​degrees and emit light to different points so that they lit up the space and shin the light to the desired point. For many of those who intend to use a ceiling track light, it may be difficult to choose the type of light and its additional accessories among the wide variety of products in the lighting market. In this article, we aim to carefully explain the concepts related to the method of modern track lighting, the correct way to install it, and the points related to their repair and maintenance. Also, in this article, the important points for buying a track light and track lighting fixtures are mentioned so that you can easily choose the right track lighting for your space.

The tracklight has a lot of diversity in the lighting market. In this section, we mention their advantages such as low consumption and high efficiency. The LED tracklights available in the market are divided into different categories in terms of appearance, power consumption, installation method and optical quality indicators. For example, single-phase LED tracklights (1-phase tracklight) are used for single-phase rail and 3-phase LED tracklights (3-phase tracklight) are used for three-phase rail. In a 3-phase rail, you can turn off some lights and turn on others in one rail. Customarily, the best quality for tracklight is the Chip on Board tracklight or COB. These lights have a better quality of light and a more beautiful effect than traditional ones. In addition to these types of tracklights, 60 watt, 35 watt, 25 watt and 15 watt tracklight are among the categories of lights. Rail is based on power consumption. Each of these lights are used in a specific place depending on the height, the space intended for light radiation and the required number. For example, a 60 watt tracklight is used for lighting spaces with a height of more than 3 meters or for lighting spaces that need more light to attract attention, such as store windows. One of the most modern and popular tracklights for architects is the laser blade tracklight. In the laser blade tracklight, with a beautiful body design, the light source cannot be seen from a certain distance and only the effect of light can be seen. In this way, these lights can be used exquisitely in decorative spaces.

To answer this question, first of all, it is better to talk about the difference between COB and SMD lights. In lamps that use COB chips as a light source, the light is more concentrated, and in lights with SMD chips, which are different in terms of manufacturing technology, the light is more diffused. Laser blade tracklights work with SMD chip and other cylindrical tracklights with COB technology. Another difference between the Laser blade tracklight and other tracklights is the type of light reflector and the change in the amount of radiation and glare. One of the problems that may arise in some cases depending on the type of tracklight placement, is the problem of causing glare and eye irritation.

Of course, this problem can be solved in many cases by moving the light source and following the principles of its installation and placement. But in some cases, the architect or designer prefers to use a tracklight that emits light with minimal glare. In fact, with this choice, it is preferred to emit less light but without glare in the space. This way, the main difference between the laser blade tracklight and other cylindrical tracklights, apart from the appearance, is the milder light intensity and preventing glare. In the same way that the light source is not seen from a certain distance and only the effect of light is seen in the laser blade tracklight or Laser Blade.

Accent lighting is used to emphasize and draw attention to a work of art or an important place in a home, store or gallery. For accent lighting, you need to measure the height of the center of the work (painting, sculpture, or whatever you wish to illuminate) to the ceiling and multiply this number by 0.55 to get the distance from the rail to the wall. For example, if you want to hang a 1.5 meter painting at a distance of 1.2 meters from the ceiling, you should multiply 1.95 (the distance from the ceiling to the center of the painting) by 0.55. The resulting number, 1.1, actually shows the distance from the rail to the wall. After calculating the distance of the rail, set the light at a 30 degree angle to the horizon. This is the optimal mode of tracklighting, which causes the least amount of glare and creating shadows. Note that if you intend to light an object that causes glare, such as a photo frame, do not place the rail at a distance of more than one meter from the wall.

The following will give you enough reasons to use tracklights to lighten your space;

1. The ability to install on the floor, ceiling and wall, in the form of surface mounted, built-in and pendant.
2. Ability to rotate 360 ​​degrees to illuminate all spaces.
3. Easy and convenient installation of lights inside the rail.
4. Tracklight’s rail is handy and can be used in any shape and size, in any place.
5. Can be used in spaces that need to be lit more with limited use of ceiling space.
6. The wide variety of tracklights and the ability to adapt them to the needs of the project.
7. Creating light with good quality in the space, especially accent or local light.

1. Commercial space lighting (store, showroom, gallery) with tracklights;

As you have probably noticed, in recent years, the popularity of tracklights in stores and commercial spaces has increased. By using the tracklight, you can shine the light in any direction on your desired product and move it when needed. It is also possible to use different types of modern tracklights from 15 watts to 100 watts, when necessary, to increase the light and in some cases to decrease the light, so that both energy consumption and costs are optimal and the light of the store is provided well. In general, in spaces with a height of 3 meters, the best lighting can be achieved by using a 60-watt tracklight in the showcase and other tracklights in the main space of the store. Also, dark-light tracklights (Laser Blades) can play a major role in your decorative lighting.

In galleries and other spaces such as cafes, the hanging tracklight is one of the best options for creating contrast in the shadow and light of the space and creating a beautiful artistic and visual effect. Also, the light of the tracklight can direct the audience’s eyes to different parts.

2. Lighting of living space and kitchen tracklighting

The tracklight can be used in residential areas. The ability to easily install this light on the ceiling or wall has made it possible to use the tracklighting system in the modern design of residential spaces and basic lighting of various parts, including the kitchen. The most common method of kitchen tracklighting is as a continuous line above the kitchen counter or as angled lines such as L-shaped and square, parallel to the cabinets, so that the light shines locally on these points. In the living room or bedroom, according to the plan of the house, the tracklighting system can be used as accompanying light or decorative light to create contrast in the space and to illuminate statues, paintings, vases and etc. 15 watt, 25 watt and 35 watt tracklights are the most used in these situations.

3. Office lighting with tracklights

In offices, LED tracklights are used to light the entrance sign, company logo, complementary lighting or decorative lighting inside the offices, and they are very effective in conveying a good and positive feeling to the employees. The important point in using the tracklight in office spaces is the correct placement of the tracklight in such a way that their radiation does not cause glare on computer and laptop screens and disrupt the work of employees.

The power consumption of the light, its installation location and the price of the tracklight is another important factor in this choice. In addition, other important factors such as the light absorption of the walls, the type of decoration and lighting and the theme used in the space also affect the number and type of tracklights. The Dilux software is used to accurately determine the number of tracklights required for lighting the space. In this software, by using the simulated plug-ins of tracklights, the lighting of the space you want is done in 3D and the number of lights you need is determined. To use Dialux software, you can download this program from this link and estimate the number of tracklights you need.

. If you don’t have enough time to choose the number of tracklights you need for your space or you need advice, Ecowat experts will do this for you for free so that the number and type of tracklight arrangement you want can be determined with a message. This consultation is accompanied by the design of your project in the Dialux plugin, and the simulation of your project and its lighting by Ecowat lights was carried out.

• CRI; Color Rendering Index or CRI, indicates the similarity of the color of objects under lamp light to their actual color under natural sunlight. Therefore, the higher this indicator is in the lamp, the clearer and more realistic the objects under the light are. CRI is very important for the lighting of stores, commercial spaces or galleries because in these spaces the displayed colors should be as true as possible. When choosing the tracklight you want, use a light with a CRI greater than 90.
• Flicker; Presence of flicker in the output light causes the people present in the lighted area to experience eye fatigue or headache. Flickr also disrupts photos and videos. So try to choose a tracklight that is Flicker-Free.
• Heat-Sink Quality; this factor is directly related to the lifespan of the tracklight. In a quality light, the heat generated by the lamp is transferred to its body and spread on the surface of the body so that the internal components are protected from heat and reduced lifespan. Therefore, using a good tracklight with a high-quality aluminum body can ensure the lamp’s lifespan.

• Rail Quality; A high-quality rail is a rail whose body is made entirely of superior aluminum so that it does not bend or deform with the increase in the number of lights. Secondly, in the rail of a quality tracklight, a copper belt is used to establish current, so that the tracklight inside the rail never goes out and its connection to the current is always established. A quality rail does not fall or change its shape over time, and due to the use of copper belts as conductors, it reduces the possibility of a fire or a connection to zero.

• Rails and connections for single-phase tracklights: Along with the old aluminum rails, single-phase rails have many applications and capabilities in addition to a more beautiful appearance. Single-phase rail is very suitable for residential spaces, gallery and cafe lighting. Also, you must use a special rail interface to connect different types of rails to each other. There are also other types of rails called flexible or mono rails. Mono rails have a unique and attractive appearance. One thing you should note is that the structure of flexible rails cannot always be changed by hand to the desired shape, and many times you will need special fixtures to bend the rails.
• Special rails and connections for three-phase tracklights: Three-phase rails are one of the most practical features of rail systems. In the rail system using these, you can control and turn off and on the tracklights placed inside the rail separately in 3 branches. In other words, by using the three-phase rail, you can turn on some of the tracklights and turn off some others at the same time. This advantage helps you to easily access and control all the lights with a three-phase rail in different spaces, instead of using several single-phase rail branches to separately control the tracklights. In addition, another advantage of the three-phase rail is the power equivalent to 3 times that of the single-phase rail. Structurally, inside the 3-phase rail, there are three sections related to load and one section related to neutral.

In addition to the ability to connect each of these phases to a key for separate control, you can benefit from a single-phase rail with greater tolerance by connecting 3 phases to each other.

The appearance and design of the three-phase rail is not much different from the single-phase rail, and you can still use this rail to design your rail system according to your design and plan. Three-phase rail connectors in (I) shape, (L) shape, (T) shape and (X) shapes give you the ability to place the rails in the way and shape you want. In terms of manufacturing quality, Ecowat’s three-phase rails, like single-phase rails, are prepared and produced from a quality aluminum body with a copper belt as a conductor.

Following the technical points during the installation of tracklights will ultimately lead to effective, multi-purpose and practical lighting. Not following them on the other hand, means wrong placement or having inappropriate lighting, which in both cases causes undesirable lighting, for example creating glare and annoying lighting. The most important issue regarding the correct placement of tracklights is to know the correct location of what you intend to light. The best place to position the rail is at a distance of 45 to 95 cm from the wall. Also, depending on the location of the panel or the product rack, the best radiation angle is around 60 degrees. By doing this, we have prevented the creation of sharp shadows.

For example, if the rail is installed closer than 45 cm to the wall, the radiation angle should be set greater than 60 degrees, and if in practice this angle is greater than 70 degrees, the shadows created on the work surface will be sharp and inappropriate, so pay attention to this point during installation. Be advised that the best place to install a tracklight (the distance between the light and the wall) is between 45 cm and 100 cm, and to install the sign (the distance between the ceiling and the center of the sign) is between 60 and 150 cm. You can install tracklights on the ceiling or wall depending on your taste and purpose.

In wall lighting, the maximum distance between the tracklight and the wall is 30 cm. This method is used to emphasize the textures and unevenness on the surface of the wall.

In ceiling lighting, the best place to put the rail is at a distance of 40 to 95 cm from the wall. Also, depending on the location of the sign or the shelf, the best angle to the wall is around 60 degrees.

The tracklight is one of those lighting devices that has wide applications. The tracklight is particularly popular among lighting designers due to its flexibility and beautiful appearance, and following a series of simple tips during the use and maintenance of the tracklight can reduce the probability of this type of lighting failure to an optimal extent and reduce your need for tracklight repairs. In order to repair the tracklights, two parts of the LED and the driver must be controlled. The LED of these types of lights must be completely replaced in case of failure because it is a COB type. It should also be connected to the heatsink very firmly using silicone paste, which has been done in Ecowat lights. Also, if there is a problem in the driver section, this section should be replaced or repaired. Using the right driver increases the life of the LED and improves the efficiency of the light. One of the most important points when buying tracklights is to purchase a light that is compatible with standard rails to reduce the possibility of failure and the need for repair for the tracklight in the future. Standard rails are currently divided into three styles: J – H and L. The difference between these rails is the number of wires and how the tracklight is mounted on the rail. We advise you to choose a tracklight that is compatible with one of these 3 types of standard rails so that you don’t face any problems if you want to increase or decrease the length of the rails or install a new part of the rail.

Another point that you should pay attention to when buying is the beam angle of the tracklight that suits your current and future needs. The right choice can reduce your costs in the future.

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