Lights (Fixtures) Are Electrical Devices That House: Bulbs (Lamps)

Lights (Fixtures) are electrical devices that house bulbs (lamps) and connect them to
the electrical supply. Key specifications include the intended application, type of light
fixture, bulb type, and the electrical requirements. Lights (fixtures) are used for
industrial, commercial, and residential illumination. Lights are available as indoor and
outdoor styles, emergency lighting, task lights, recessed fixtures, hazardous location
fixtures, and so on. Some are purely functional while many have aesthetic attributes.
Lights (fixtures) are also called luminaires.
An example of floodlights used to light a stadium.

Image credit: silvae/Shutterstock.com
Types of Light Fixtures
Architectural Luminaires
Architectural lamps cover permanently installed lighting and include fluorescent ceiling
fixtures, wall sconces, downlights, chandeliers, track lighting—in short, any lighting that
have some characteristic aesthetic attributes and which are usually controlled by wall
switches for general purpose illumination. Streetlamps/path lighting could also be
considered architectural.
For luminaires and other types of architectural lights, visit Thomas' Architectural Lighting
Suppliers page.
Strobe/Flashing Lights
Strobe Lights are used as emergency signals, aircraft navigation lights, highway
barricade markers, etc. and are characterized by brief, intense, repeating light flashes.
Sometimes, the frequency and the intensity of the flash can be adjusted, the former of
which makes strobe lights useful for stop-motion applications, such as determining the
rpm of a motor. These are called stroboscopes. Flashing lights often use a revolving
lens to project a sweeping beam through a circle, providing a warning on forklifts, for
example, of hazardous vehicle movement. Sometimes they are called beacons.
To find suppliers of Strobe lights, visit Thomas' Strobe Lights Suppliers page.

Spotlights/Floodlights
Spot and Floodlights are used in permanent and portable applications to cast high-
intensity beams to illuminate large areas or to direct narrowly focused beams on objects
of interest. Homeowners might use floodlights to illuminate driveways, for example,
while police cars and marine vessels are often equipped with spotlights that can be
directed from inside the vehicles or vessels. Construction sites often use light towers to
illuminate road projects at night, for example, and often these are trailer mounted with
built-in generators.
To find suppliers of Floodlights, visit Thomas' Floodlights Suppliers page.

Desk/Task Lights
Desk and Task Lights provide local illumination for close work undertaken at a desk,
workbench, etc. It includes machine lighting, examination lighting, etc. Some desk
lamps are fitted with magnifying lenses for close work. They are usually adjustable to
permit focusing the beam upon the work.
For suppliers of desk lamps, visit Thomas' Desk Lamp suppliers page.

Pilot/Indicating/Tower Lamps
Pilot/Indicating lamps are used in control panels to provide status indicators of

processes, illuminate key control functions, etc. Tower, or stack, lights provide similar
status reporting and are usually mounted on top of control cabinets to provide quick
visual displays of the status of multiple machines from any vantage point on a factory
floor.
To find suppliers of these, visit one of the following supplier discovery pages:
 Indicator Lights Suppliers

 Machine Status Indicator Lights Suppliers
 Pilot Light Suppliers
 Tower Lights Suppliers
Work lights
Work lights are usually handheld devices intended to provide temporary illumination of
work areas for repair, maintenance, etc. They are generally distinguished from
flashlights in that they are AC powered whereas flashlights tend to battery powered.
Also known as droplights and hand lights, they can use incandescent, fluorescent, LED,
etc. bulbs and are designed for rougher handling than most fixed lighting products.
To find suppliers of work lights, visit Thomas' Worklights Suppliers page.

Emergency/Egress Lighting
Exit signs, battery backup lighting, stairwell lighting, etc. are all designed to light when
power fails, generally maintaining a clear pathway to building exits. Backup lighting
often incorporates batteries which power the lights in case of interruption of the normal
AC service. These units often contain onboard chargers as well. Other features can
include test switches or built-in ammeters that display battery state.
To find suppliers of emergency lighting, visit Thomas' Emergency Lighting suppliers

page.
Underwater Lights
Swimming pools, fountains, etc. use lights rated for immersion service as do divers,
underwater ROVs, etc. Lights for pools are often enclosed in niches that immerse the
waterproof lamp fixture for cooling. The housing can be removed from the niche and
usually the light installer will leave sufficient electrical wire attached to fixture for it to be
brought above the surface of the water for bulb changes.
To find suppliers of this, visit Thomas' Underwater Lights Suppliers page.

Ultraviolet (UV) Lights
UV lights are used by physicians, dentists, painters, etc. not for general illumination but
to detect infections, etc. and as a means of curing epoxy fillings, paints, and the like. UV
lights used for water purification can be found under Water Purifiers.
To find suppliers of UV Lights, please visit Thomas' Ultraviolet Lights Suppliers page.

An example of string lights on a construction site.
Image credit: Vladimir Martinov/Shutterstock.com
String Lights
String lights provide multiple, temporary lighting on construction sites, in tunnels, etc.
and consist of multiple fixtures integrated into common power cords. A similar idea is
realized with LED strip lights. String lights are available in a variety of configurations
from economy indoor models to those designed for extreme conditions and/or
hazardous environments.
Find suppliers of String Lights at Thomas' String Lights Suppliers page.
Other Lights
The above descriptions only touch on the more common kinds of lighting fixtures, and
special purpose lights abound, from trailer lights to aircraft lights. The intended
application provides a good way of finding these special purpose light fixtures.
Applications and Industries

Lights are used practically everywhere from general office illuminating to specific
purposes such as UV curing. Where architectural lights cover many of the lights used in
homes, businesses, factories, etc. it only comprises a slice of the commercial
lighting market. For most lights, the purpose of illumination is obvious, although
exceptions exist, such as warning lights, aircraft lights, and so on. Architectural lights
can be further refined by mounting style, be it surface, recessed, track, etc. A typical
residence might be outfitted with a combination of surface mounted fixtures and
downlights in kitchens and baths, with task lights installed above bathroom vanities. A
factory, on the other hand, might be illuminated solely with banks of overhead
fluorescent lamps, with task lighting brought in to illuminate production areas such as
machine tools.
Choices in architectural lighting can include the number of bulbs and type, diffuser-style,
etc. for ceiling mounted fixtures, desk, and task lighting, etc.
Emergency and egress lighting is used mainly in industrial and commercial facilities and
in some cases need to conform to stringent building requirements. Oftentimes,
emergency lighting is combined with illuminated exit signs. Other illumination fixtures
light specific areas, tasks, environments, etc.
For lighting in hazardous locations, explosion-proof lighting is essential. Explosion-proof

light fixtures do not prevent an explosion but instead contains explosions and sparks
within the light fixture to ensure hazardous chemicals or gases are not ignited within the
process vessel.
Outside of the realm of architectural/illumination lighting are lights intended to convey

warnings. Panel lights are the domain of industrial controls designers who build panel
lights into their panels to inform of important machinery functions. Often these lights fit
in standard 16, 22 or 30 mm panel holes. These light are generally specified at the
same time the panel designer selects the panel controls, and usually from the same
vendor, thought standards in the industry make the lights fairly interchangeable between
manufacturers. Tower lights are used similarly as means of indicating machinery status
(running, stand by, e-stop, etc.) and are generally affixed on the top of control panels to
provide an indication from afar. Strobe and flashing lights also provide warnings to
pedestrians, vehicles, etc.
Selection Considerations
ANSI publishes a number of guides and standards to help lighting designers determine
appropriate illumination levels for a variety of architectural settings, including
workplaces, public places, etc. as well as standards covering emergency lighting,
energy performance, and so on. See http://webstore.ansi.org/workplace-lighting/.
The Institute of Illuminating Engineers publishes a handbook for lighting designers,
found at https://www.ies.org/handbook/.
ISO publishes a number of standards relating to vehicular warning
lights: http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_ics/catalogue_ics_browse.htm?
ICS1=43&ICS2=040&ICS3=20.
An overview of aircraft warning lights can be found
at http://www.aircraftwarninglights.com/.
String lights and other temporary lighting devices can be designed for all weather
conditions, explosive atmospheres, etc. Some manufacturers offer string lights on a
custom basis that are made to length and spacing and can include optional T-drops for
providing power outlets. See, for
example, http://products.ericson.com/item/construction-lighting/custom-stringlight-lights-
assembly/custom-stringlight-configuration.
Important Attributes
Intended Application
Light fixtures tend to run between general purpose luminaires to highly specific
applications such as cockpits, darkrooms, etc. If seeking these specific types of light
fixtures, the intended application is probably the best place to start. Checking license
plate here will bring up lights intended specifically for illuminating license plates. An
alternative way to search is to select an Industry Focus.
Industry Focus
Many general purpose lights can be found by searching for architectural lights.
Likewise, lighting specific to the aerospace industry can be found this way as well.
Light Fixture Type
Some of the commoner light fixture types are described above. Some types, such as
low bay and high bay, refer to the ceiling height in which they will be installed and apply
across the board to fluorescent, HID, etc. styles of ceiling lights.
Bulb/Lamp Type
Some light fixtures are capable of working with a variety of bulb types and selecting bulb
type may bring up a variety of fixtures. Others are bulb specific. Many fixtures come
without bulbs and instead can be fitted with bulbs up to a certain wattage specified by
the fixture maker.
Mounting Type
Mounting type is a particularly good way to find general light fixtures of a particular style,
under cabinet fixtures, for instance.
Colors
Colors can refer to the color of the lamp lens or to the color of the fixture itself.
Related Product Categories

 Flashlights are portable lighting devices composed of housings, power sources, and
bulbs.
 Bulbs (Lamps) see our Buyers Guide to Bulbs (Lamps).
 Lighting Ballasts are electrical devices consisting of resistors or inductors and
conductors and used for limiting the amount of current that flows to fluorescent lamps.
 Torches are mechanical devices consisting of valves and chamber systems, which
combine fuel with oxygen, and tips that focus or form the flames, which are used to join
or cut various materials, typically metal, by melting. Torches also are used for
illumination.
 Electrical Contactors are electronic or electro-mechanical devices used for switching
electrical loads.
 Capacitors are electronic components used to store electric charge.
 Stroboscopes are electronic instruments that produce pulsed light, used for motion
analysis, most often for determining the rotational speed of shafts.
 Wall Switches are hand operated electro-mechanical devices used in residential and
commercial buildings most commonly for lighting control.
 Water Purifiers are mechanical or electro-mechanical devices are systems that filter,
disinfect, sterilize, or otherwise clean water.
 Lightsticks are also called glow sticks and are handheld devices that generate light
through the use of a chemical reaction that is called Chemiluminescence.
Resources
Trade Groups
https://www.ies.org/
IES Guide to Lamps and Luminaires
https://www.ies.org/lighting/sources/luminaires.cfm
Highway Illumination
http://onlinemanuals.txdot.gov/txdotmanuals/hwi/introduction.htm
Discussion of Emergency Lighting (European)

http://www.cooper-ls.com/sites/cooper-ls.com/files/design_guides/downloads/cc2055-
emergency-lighting-design-guide.pdf
Discussion of Interior Lighting (Industrial)
http://www.cooper-ls.com/sites/cooper-ls.com/files/design_guides/downloads/cc2055-
interior-lighting-design-guide.pdf
https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/electrical-power-generation/types-of-light-fixtures/

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Lights (Fixtures) are electrical devices that house bulbs (lamps) and connect them to

An example of floodlights used to light a stadium.

To find suppliers of Strobe lights, visit Thomas' Strobe Lights Suppliers page.

To find suppliers of Floodlights, visit Thomas' Floodlights Suppliers page.

For suppliers of desk lamps, visit Thomas' Desk Lamp suppliers page.

Pilot/Indicating lamps are used in control panels to provide status indicators of

 Indicator Lights Suppliers

To find suppliers of work lights, visit Thomas' Worklights Suppliers page.

To find suppliers of emergency lighting, visit Thomas' Emergency Lighting suppliers

To find suppliers of this, visit Thomas' Underwater Lights Suppliers page.

To find suppliers of UV Lights, please visit Thomas' Ultraviolet Lights Suppliers page.

Applications and Industries

For lighting in hazardous locations, explosion-proof lighting is essential. Explosion-proof

Outside of the realm of architectural/illumination lighting are lights intended to convey

Light Fixture Type

Related Product Categories

IES Guide to Lamps and Luminaires

Discussion of Emergency Lighting (European)

Discussion of Interior Lighting (Industrial)

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