There are five components to be found in all light fixtures. These are the ‘major parts of a light fixture.’ Without one of these, light fixtures will either fail to work, or work in a suboptimal way. Anyone considering coming up with a light fixture ends up having to find ways in which they can get these components. If, on your part, you have contracted someone to create the light fixtures for you, chances are that these are the components they will ask you to buy, before they create the fixture for you. Of course, it could also be an arrangement where you just give them the money to buy whatever they need to create the fixtures for you (and deliver the completed fixtures to you). In such cases, you would know that your money is going towards the purchase of, among other things, the components we are just about to explore. Without further ado, the five parts found in all light fixtures include:
1. The fixture bodies: these are the main light fixture structures. They are the bodies meant to be illuminated by the electric lamps contained inside of them, in order to create the impression that they are self-illuminating bodies. The fixture bodies can be made in virtually any shape. There is also quite a wide variety of materials that can be used in making these fixture bodies. But for electrical safety reasons, there are also many other materials that can’t be used in the making of light fixture bodies. The more encouraging thing is, however, that even where a given material can be used in the making of light fixture bodies, it is usually still possible to fabricate another material (say plastic), and paint it to look just like the material you initially wanted your light fixtures based upon. But then again, it is worth noting that not everyone wants fancy light fixtures. There are folks who are satisfied with the ordinary (functional) glass/metal-based light fixtures, whose core function is simply that of accommodating the light bulbs.
2. Light sockets: these are the points where the electrical lamps meant to illuminate the light fixture bodies are accommodated. The lamps are typically liable to ‘burning off’ soon or later. Therefore, the sockets are usually designed in such a way that they allow the easy replacement of the lamps, should they burn off for one reason or another.
3. Electrical connectors: as mentioned earlier, the fixtures are meant to be lit through an electrical lamp. For this to happen, there has to be a source of electrical power, which would provide the light energy in the lamps. In the final analysis, it becomes necessary to connect the whole structure to an electric source, using these connectors.
4. Switches: it is through the switches that the light fixtures can be put on or off, as required. Not all light fixtures come with their own switches, of course. There are those that are simply switched on and off through the mains electrical switch to whatever structure/room they happen to be in. But if you want your light fixtures to be independently switched on or off, you need to incorporate a switch somewhere in the system.
5. Reflectors and apertures: again, not all light fixtures come with reflectors or apertures. But where present, these reflectors and apertures help in the proper direction of the light produced by the lamps/bulbs in the light fixtures.