Welcome to the Welch Tennis Courts February eNewsletter!
Lighting Maintenance & Reconditioning
Written by, Dave Welch
Did you know that all lights start to lose their illuminating power from the first second they are turned on?
Whether it's a regular incandescent house lamp bulb, a fluorescent light or your tennis court lights, each suffers a loss of lumen output as time goes by. While the rate of depreciation varies for each type of bulb, it's a fact that the amount of light produced drops by a considerable percentage for each.
The standard lighting bulb for tennis courts as well as almost all sporting facilities is the metal halide lamp. The metal halide lamp is used because it produces the best quality of light that most closely approximates daylight (referred to as daytime white) without a strobe effect. It's also very efficient with a high lumen per watt output and has a relatively long life.
The nominal rated lamp life for a 1000 watt metal halide lamp (typical tennis lighting) is 12,000 hours. However, this is based on a 10 hour usage cycle. Shorter cycles reduce the rated lamp life. The lamp manufacturers have estimated this reduced rated life to be in the 7,500 to 8,000 hour range for three hour cycles. Suffice it to say, the longer a lamp burns on each cycle, the greater number of total hours it will last. Conversely, the shorter a lamp burns on each cycle, the fewer number of total hours it will last.
So while we cannot exactly determine a lamp's expected life, we do know that the metal halide lamp's lumen output drops to approximately 80% of initial lumens at 30% of the rated lamp life. If we assume that shorter usage cycles reduce lamp life to 8,000 hours and an average yearly usage is 1,000 hours (about 3 hours per day), this would mean that the lamp output would be 80% after about two and one-half years.
The lamp's lumen output drops to approximately 70% of initial lumens at 55% of the rated lamp life. With the same assumptions as above, that would mean that the lamp output would be at 70% after about 4 years.
Another factor that has a substantial effect on the output of your lights is the lens on the light. Usually over the course of several years, these become very dirty. It's estimated that you will lose at least an additional 10% of total lumens simply from a dirty lens.
So it's clear that your lights will be much dimmer after several years of use than they were when new. However, since the dimming effect occurs very gradually, it usually isn't realized until playing conditions are significantly affected or until lamps actually start to burn out.
Take a close look at how your lights are performing. If they have been in use for several years, you may definitely want to consider re-lamping and cleaning the lenses to get your lights back to their original condition. Facilities that have done this are amazed at the difference!
Welch Tennis Courts offers new lamps through our retail sales department for those facilities wishing to renew their lighting in house. We also offer a complete re-lamping and cleaning service for anyone else who requires it (call Bob McGuire at 727-804-4799).
Buy any Court Rake Hand or Tow
Get a Steel Model Drag Broom FREE! (a $420 value)
This rake is a new entry in the clay court arsenal of maintenance tools. The court rake was designed to combat algae and keep the top surface from becoming too hard and pasty. The rake tines abrade the top surface, keeping it loose and playable. The court takes on a "corduroy" look and stays in healthy condition when used regularly. Some facilities use it daily to keep their court in optimum condition. It can even be drawn over line tapes without damaging them! Steel construction. Replacement parts available. Also available in a hand model.
Offer valid while supplies last
Welch Tennis is committed to providing you with the best price on your Har-tru & Hydroblend needs this spring. Florida Customers please call 1-800-543-9111 Outside of Florida please call 1-800-222-9095 for an estimate
February Specials!
Line Master
Regularly $143.00 on Sale This Month for $135.00
Regularly $42.00 on Sale This Month For $35.00
Regularly $75.00 on Sale This Month For $70.00
Regularly $239.00 on Sale This Month For $220.00
Regularly $159.00 on Sale This Month For $145.00
Regularly $245.00 on Sale This Month For $232.00
Register your account and view estimates, invoices, ordering history, and pay bills!
Welch invites you to share your court maintenance tips, club announcements, and preferred products! Also, if there is something you would like to see on sale, let us know.
Please email us at info@welchtennis.com
Information On Our Upcoming Clay Seminar:
We are currently working on arranging the details for the May seminar season. We will post the details in our upcoming newsletters and send out invitations to people who are interested in attending.
If you would like a seminar invitation please contact Deb Carlson and she will keep your contact information on file and will advise you by email or mail when the seminars are scheduled.
As always, the Welch Tennis staff will do our best to answer your specific clay court questions as they arise. Don't hesitate to call any time during the year!
For more info contact Deb Carlson at 1-800-282-4415 or email at deb@welchtennis.com
Welch Tennis Trivia!!
Enter to win a Welch Tennis Courts coffee mug or baseball cap!
The first four to submit the correct answer win!
Question:
Why did lambs create a lot of tension for players in the early days of tennis?
Just reply with your answer for your chance to win!
