Accurate Maintenance Factors

Maintenance factor is a major expense item in laying out a lighting system; it is a measure of the expense required to operate the system. Low factors may cause the installation of more lighting than is required to meet planned initial levels; the use of high factors can result in less light than desired. With consideration of the maintenance factor must go consideration of maintenance itself; cleaning and relamping the lighting system. Maintenance factor must be recognized for accurate design and performance prediction of an installation. Correct prediction of performance results requires a knowledge of the type of maintenance program to be performed. At least it must be stated that the predicted results are based on the assumption that a specified program will be performed.