Page 1 of 1

LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 6:48 am
by archroot
Posting for those interested.

I have a copy of LUG0NUT's Mechanical Electrical FAQ from the ARE FORUM.

As this was posted multiple times to the ARE FORUM, I thought it was best to share here as well. Also included are the site diagrams from Lug-Nut which highlight the placement of the accent lights.

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 6:49 am
by archroot
Be sure to CLICK the PDF file located below the last Accent Lighting Image.

The PDF includes the FAQ document.

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 10:48 am
by force_usr
Coach, don't know your thoughts, but this might be a good thread to sticky. I was bummed with no FAQ post of AREforum. Not sure how long that will be down for, but it can help others if they're coming here in lieu while its down. Just a thought anyway...archroot helped me out with this post, thanks again

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 2:48 pm
by archroot
Please don't forget to download the PDF attachment included below the 3 images above.

Best of luck to all. Tested 9/27 and received my results less then a week....PASS.
This completes the ARE, 7 of 7 down.

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 9:35 am
by ORCO
I want to make sure I understand this correctly. Please correct me if I am wrong

Per the program, "locate the accent light fixtures along the [wall] so that the direct light level on the wall at a height of 5 ft above the floor is 80 footcandles." What we need to do is locate them so the MINIMUM direct light hitting the wall is 80 footcandles, which is the midpoint between the fixtures on the wall. The wall perpendicular to the fixture will have more than 80, perhaps 90 or so footcandles.

Per the program, "space the accent light fixtures so that the light level between the fixtures at 5 ft above the floor is 80 footcandles." After determining the radius of the sketch circle to acheive 80 footcandles and placing them so that they create intersections at the wall halfway between them, considering the footcandles between the lights is irrelevant because the 80 footcandle circles will then be overlapping. If you drew a line from the center point of one fixture to another, and read the footcandles at the midpoint, the reading will be much higher than 80, perhaps 90 footcandles from two sources.

Per Lugnuts sketch, the corners of the wall do not need to receive the minimum 80 footcandles. The first and last fixture in the row is placed so that the tangent of the 80 footcandle circle hits the wall perpendicular to the accent wall.

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 2:41 pm
by Coach
ORCO wrote:Per Lugnuts sketch, the corners of the wall do not need to receive the minimum 80 footcandles. The first and last fixture in the row is placed so that the tangent of the 80 footcandle circle hits the wall perpendicular to the accent wall.
Not necessarily, that's just how it worked out. The slight underlighting at the corners is just an acceptable imperfection, which could easily be reduced or eliminated if the fixtures are moved closer to the wall and spread. It's just a matter of how much time you want to invest in getting them as perfect as possible.
There are a lot of moving parts, compromise is highly likely.

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:22 pm
by carmelia78
i dont get it....
why is the four/ five recessed accent light acceptable but not the three?
according to the light diagram, 80fc @ 5' above ground should have the recessed accent light space 4' apart from center, correct?
If so, three lights should be enough...

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 12:08 am
by Coach
carmelia78 wrote:i dont get it....
why is the four/ five recessed accent light acceptable but not the three?
according to the light diagram, 80fc @ 5' above ground should have the recessed accent light space 4' apart from center, correct?
If so, three lights should be enough...

No. You're looking at the chart as if using the lights for area lighting. Accents are for lighting the wall. To provide the correct lighting the circles must intersect at the wall.

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 11:31 am
by carmelia78
Coach wrote:
carmelia78 wrote:i dont get it....
why is the four/ five recessed accent light acceptable but not the three?
according to the light diagram, 80fc @ 5' above ground should have the recessed accent light space 4' apart from center, correct?
If so, three lights should be enough...

No. You're looking at the chart as if using the lights for area lighting. Accents are for lighting the wall. To provide the correct lighting the circles must intersect at the wall.


Thanks Coach. So you're saying that those accent lights do not need to be 4' apart from center (as long as their footcandle spread to the "west wall", their spacing doesn't matter as much?) ? so why is there 4' diameter sketch circles in two attachment that are "correct"? Those overlapping circles makes no sense to me :( , would you please explain?
Thank you!

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 7:36 pm
by laurstar
so accent lights have a 2' radius surrounding them, right?

also as per the diagram, are you suggesting 4' in between the 2' sides of an incandescent light and 6' between the 4' sides of a light?

i haven't been able to get a clear answer on this, other than "look at the chart". im testing on saturday and i need help understanding this! i don't fully understand how to use the chart!

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:43 pm
by sf_ek
If I am understanding this correctly, the basic point is that the accent lights are providing direct light...like task lighting....whereas the fluorescents are diffuse.
so the 2x2s and 2x4s emanate in a circle, but the accent lights really produce a cone of light not a circle...so the circle for spacing is deceiving. In reality, you need to imagine a cone of light so the edges of the cones must intersect....easiest way to do that here is to still draw the circle, but make sure the edges of the circle intersect with both the wall and the other circles

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 11:50 pm
by whaiv
seems to me you shouldn't get penalized for FULLY illuminating that accent wall with 80 foot-candles, right? that LUG-NUT diagram is slightly deficient in the corners....
adding a 5th accent fixture gives you that complete coverage like in this diagram attached, any nay-sayers?

Untitled-1.jpg

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 9:17 pm
by purplepride
ORCO wrote:I want to make sure I understand this correctly. Please correct me if I am wrong

Per the program, "locate the accent light fixtures along the [wall] so that the direct light level on the wall at a height of 5 ft above the floor is 80 footcandles." What we need to do is locate them so the MINIMUM direct light hitting the wall is 80 footcandles, which is the midpoint between the fixtures on the wall. The wall perpendicular to the fixture will have more than 80, perhaps 90 or so footcandles.

Per the program, "space the accent light fixtures so that the light level between the fixtures at 5 ft above the floor is 80 footcandles." After determining the radius of the sketch circle to acheive 80 footcandles and placing them so that they create intersections at the wall halfway between them, considering the footcandles between the lights is irrelevant because the 80 footcandle circles will then be overlapping. If you drew a line from the center point of one fixture to another, and read the footcandles at the midpoint, the reading will be much higher than 80, perhaps 90 footcandles from two sources.

Per Lugnuts sketch, the corners of the wall do not need to receive the minimum 80 footcandles. The first and last fixture in the row is placed so that the tangent of the 80 footcandle circle hits the wall perpendicular to the accent wall.


Personally I believe you are misleading people. These are accent lights!! Why would you want a constant min 80 foot candles? I don't think the test is trying to trick you this way and make it over complicated.

I believe the exam says it wants you to "locate the accent light fixtures along the wall so that the direct light level on the wall at a height of 5 ft above the floor is 80 footcandles." It means just that... place them that distance away from the wall. Meaning if 80 foot candles at 5ft above the floor is 2ft then place them 2 ft away. Don't over think it you will drive yourself nuts.

Same thing for the spacing of the fixtures if they literally say 80 footcandles at a height of 5ft and that is 2ft from each fixture then place them at 4' apart. It does not say minimum.

This forum has convinced itself that the entire wall must have a minimum 80 footcandles at 5ft and tells you to do this over thinking and overlapping of fixtures, but no one has proof that this is the way it should be.

Believe who you want, but I would take what the test says literally and don't over think it.

That is my 2 cents, take it or leave it.

Have a good day.

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Wed Dec 17, 2014 1:08 am
by Coach
purplepride wrote:This forum has convinced itself that the entire wall must have a minimum 80 footcandles at 5ft and tells you to do this over thinking and overlapping of fixtures, but no one has proof that this is the way it should be.

What do you think this means? "Space the accent light fixtures so that the light level between the fixtures at 5 ft above the floor is 80 footcandles."

That is my 2 cents, take it or leave it.

I suggest everyone leave it.

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 1:47 pm
by cpoules
What do you think this means? "Space the accent light fixtures so that the light level between the fixtures at 5 ft above the floor is 80 footcandles."


Exactly. And what you are suggesting Coach is a lot more than 80 footcandles if they overlap. This implies that we ignore the lighting chart between fixtures?
Also, the fixture is 6" diameter so shouldn't we be measuring 2'3" from the center of fixture?

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 4:17 pm
by Coach
cpoules wrote:
What do you think this means? "Space the accent light fixtures so that the light level between the fixtures at 5 ft above the floor is 80 footcandles."


Exactly. And what you are suggesting Coach is a lot more than 80 footcandles if they overlap. This implies that we ignore the lighting chart between fixtures?

This is what the program says: "Locate the accent light fixtures along the west wall of the Architect’s Office so that the direct light level on the wall at a height of 5 ft above the floor is 80 footcandles."

That is not possible if you dont overlap.


Also, the fixture is 6" diameter so shouldn't we be measuring 2'3" from the center of fixture?


No. The diagram basis is from the center.

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 7:19 pm
by cpoules
This is what the program says: "Locate the accent light fixtures along the west wall of the Architect’s Office so that the direct light level on the wall at a height of 5 ft above the floor is 80 footcandles."

That is not possible if you dont overlap.


I understand what you are suggesting Coach but the program also says immediately after: Space the accent light fixtures so that the light level between the fixtures at 5 ft above the floor is 80 footcandles

This would imply an excess of footcandles in the area of overlap if you do as you suggest. Which implies a down grade. It seems it's either one or the other here.

I see the 2' from center now. Thanks.

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 8:32 pm
by Coach
cpoules wrote:I understand what you are suggesting Coach but the program also says immediately after: Space the accent light fixtures so that the light level between the fixtures at 5 ft above the floor is 80 footcandles

This would imply an excess of footcandles in the area of overlap if you do as you suggest. Which implies a down grade. It seems it's either one or the other here.

If you don't overlap the circles you can't possibly get required level between fixtures. If you place them 2' from wall the only place you'll get 80fc is at single points on wall perpendicular from each fixture.

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 8:53 pm
by cpoules
Yes Coach. And to me single points is exactly what accent lighting is. (Not uniform lighting like the fluorescents). If you overlap you have excess lighting between the fixtures and also on the wall. This is why it is not clear to me and why there must be some sort of compromise. You are either overlighting per the program or underlighting per the program. I just want to know what is a safer option. Also, I am testing on this tomorrow. Thanks.

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 9:06 pm
by Coach
You need 80fc BETWEEN fixtures. What else can I say?

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 9:41 pm
by cpoules
yeah. i guess there's no definitive answer here. Thanks for your time Coach.

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 10:00 pm
by Coach
Oh, it's pretty damned difinitive.

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 10:40 pm
by cpoules
For YOU it seems certain Coach. You have yet to convince me (and apparently a lot of others on this forum). It is very unclear and from what i have read here, it is far from damned definitive. I DO appreciate the discussion though. thank you.

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 11:02 pm
by cpoules
I have found another discussion on the topic at: https://plus.google.com/108754374351831148964/posts/K6DcroQAuTe very helpful if someone else is struggling with the same question.

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 1:44 am
by Coach
I haven't seen much in the way of people who aren't convinced on this forum, but hey, it's your exam. I frankly don't care if you're not convinced, I just know what works and people who follow my advice pass.

Re: LUG-NUT FAQ from ARE FORUM

PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 12:42 pm
by Sparky83
cpoules wrote:For YOU it seems certain Coach. You have yet to convince me (and apparently a lot of others on this forum). It is very unclear and from what i have read here, it is far from damned definitive. I DO appreciate the discussion though. thank you.

You are lighting a VERTICAL surface at a particular elevation on the wall. What is above or below that elevation or out in space in front of the wall is entirely irrelevant.
Intersecting the sketch circles at the face of the wall WORKS. Don't overthink it, or you will improve your odds of failing.