Luxmeter: why is it needed and where is it used

In this article, our site of advice will tell you about such a useful device as a light meter. Let’s find out what exactly and how it measures, when it is simply necessary and how it can be useful in everyday life for ordinary owners of houses and apartments.

Lux is a unit in which the level of illumination is measured. It can be very different! For example, on a full moon, when the sky is clear, the illumination index will be 0.27 lux, and on bright noon – 130 thousand lux (Lx).

Why know the light level? There is a corresponding SNiP, which states that the level of artificial lighting at a workplace in an office should be from 200 to 300 lux. Otherwise, people will feel uncomfortable, their performance will drop, their eyes will quickly get tired..

It is also very important to adhere to the standards of illumination in hospitals, educational and children’s institutions, scientific centers, libraries, museums. It is in order to withstand the norms of SNiP and provide comfort in such public, working premises, a light meter is simply necessary.

Important! A light meter is a kind of photometer. It is a portable device that measures the illumination level in lux.

Simple light meters consist of a selenium photocell. It converts the luminous flux into the energy of an electric current, and then measures the photocurrent on a scale in lux. Higher-end luxury meters have a light filter that increases the sensitivity of the photocell to about the sensitivity of the human eye. In addition, modern instruments have an attachment to reduce errors in obliquely incident light, a control attachment to check the sensitivity and a light absorbing attachment to measure very high light levels..

A modern light meter is always a portable, small device, the indicators are displayed on a liquid crystal screen, the measuring part for measuring the illumination level in hard-to-reach places is attached to the body with a flexible wire.

In everyday life, complex, professional light meters, whose price can exceed 20 thousand rubles, are not needed! A simple device with a measuring part attached to the body will suffice. The price of such models is about 1.5 thousand rubles.

Why do home or apartment owners need a household light meter:

1. Measure the light level in the home office or in the place where the child is doing homework. Often it turns out that the general lighting is not enough, on the writing or computer desk you need another lamp with a brighter, directional light;
2. To ensure the proper level of illumination in the workshop, in the corner of the needlewoman;
3. To compare different lighting fixtures to make the right choice;
4. To provide the most comfortable conditions for indoor plants and seedlings. As the portal already wrote in the article about phytolamps, different plants need a different luminous flux and in winter, illumination may be necessary;
5. For the care of the inhabitants of aquariums who also need light;
6. To check the real technical readings of camcorders and cameras.

According to experts, you don’t need to be a professional to use modern electronic light meters. You just need to horizontally place the measuring part of the device in a place, the illumination level of which you want to know, and direct it to the light source. For example, put on a writing or computer table, a windowsill where the seedlings are located, and so on. Then you need to press the corresponding button on the case and read the indicators from the screen.

Important! Many modern luxmeters have an additional function – they measure pulsation, that is, the unevenness of the luminous flux. A variety of lighting devices, monitors, displays can pulsate … Meanwhile, there are strict standards, according to SanPiN, the pulsation of light in a living room should not exceed 10%, at a workplace in front of a computer monitor – 5%.

We state that an inexpensive light meter without additional functions is quite enough for use in everyday life. Choose portable models with a large enough display, simple controls and menus. Don’t forget to read the instructions! Professionals choose luxury heart rate meters with the ability to connect to a PC, additional attachments and built-in memory.