ForConstructionPros.com

There's a new portable lighting solution available to illuminate your jobsite. Balloon lights are now cropping up on various projects, including building, drilling, paving, road repair and other sites.

These self-inflating illumination units are easy to use and extremely portable. As Marc James, product manager with Ingersoll Rand, explains, "You just plug and play."

Assembly of a balloon light is fast; it typically takes about five minutes to unpack, inflate and mount. For example, with Ingersoll Rand's BL2000 balloon light, you simply remove it from the storage case, and plug it into a 120-volt/20-amp outlet (wall socket or generator). An internal fan inflates the shroud. "Tiny vent holes will provide circulation for cooling and prevent overinflation," says James.

Airstar Space Lighting's Sirocco Lighting Systems inflate in a similar manner and are equipped with a pressure sensor. "When the unit reaches 90-percent pressure, the lamps automatically illuminate," says John Wessels, national sales manager - construction. "In less than two minutes, the system will self inflate."

Multiquip's Moonlight lighting system eliminates the internal fan. Instead, the balloon is inflated with a rechargeable or battery-operated blower. "Eliminating the fan means dirt and other debris are not blown into the unit," says Juan Quiros, manager of product support. "This extends balloon and component life."