Isn’t it wonderful that everyone wants to jump on the LED train? As we go down this track to new frontiers we are learning a few tips and traps along the way. We thought it important to share those with you before you make a large investment and find the train isn’t going to your destination.
Things to consider before purchasing LED A19 or LED PAR Medium Base Lamps:
- Read the package including the fine print!
- Is it the correct light bulb for your application?
- Will it physically fit into your fixture?
- Is the light bulb recommended (or approved) for use in enclosed fixtures?
- Is the light bulb approved for use in recessed down lights?
- Is it dimmable? What type of dimmer is recommended?
- Is it the right color temperature for your application? For comparison; traditional incandescent is 2700K and halogen is 3000K.
- Is the lumen output high enough for your application? For comparison; a traditional 100W incandescent was 1500 lumens, 75W was 1100 lumens and a 60W is 650 lumens.
- Is the CRI (color rendering index) right for you? CRI helps you see the color of the object, the higher the CRI the more true colors will appear. For comparison; daylight is 100CRI (the highest on the scale) and incandescent was very close on the CRI scale. Fluorescent is in the 70 to 85CRI range and most LEDs offered are in the 80CRI range.
- Does it have an Energy Star Rating or a Lighting Facts label? One or both will be required for any energy rebate programs. Be sure they are listed on the program in your area.
A few additional things to consider when purchasing LED Low Voltage MR16 lamps:
- Read the package including the fine print! If the information is not there, go to the manufacturer website or contact them to ask your questions.
- Will the lamp physically fit into your fixture?
- Does the fixture allow for heat escape out the back? Most low voltage track heads with an enclosed back are not approved for LED MR16 lamps.
- Is the lamp compatible with your existing low voltage transformer?
- If installing it in a low voltage track head – again, is the lamp compatible with the low voltage transformer? We are finding that they do NOT work in many existing low voltage track heads.
- If installing into a low voltage fixture that is on a system (such as monorail or cable) – again, is the lamp compatible with the low voltage transformer? We are finding that there are no problems with magnetic low voltage transformers, but that is not the case with electronic. The electronics in the transformer must be able to communicate with the electronics in the lamp.
- Is your low voltage transformer a “no load” one? When changing the lamps to LED, there may not be enough load on the transformer, especially the electronic ones (some require a 50% load).
- Is your low voltage transformer LED compatible? If it is an older one, that information may be hard to find.
- Is your dimmer LED compatible? If it is an older one, the dimmer may need to be updated.
- Does your low voltage dimmer have requirements or limitations of how many fixtures are required? Example: some dimmers will dim one LED lamp and others are requiring at least 3 LED lamps on the circuit.
- If the LED lamp is flickering or strobbing – something is not compatible.
A few things to consider before purchasing an LED Strip Light system:
- Be sure to purchase the entire system from the same manufacturer.
- Strip Lights can be different generations (referred to as GEN2, GEN3, etc.). This is important when selecting compatible LED drivers, dimmers and controllers for the system.
- Double check the voltage. Some Strip Lights are AC, some DC and some are AC/DC. Some are 12V and some are 24V. Again, this is important when selecting a compatible LED driver.
- Be sure the LED driver is dimmable and double check the driver’s dimmer requirements.
- If buying an RGB (color changing) system, again double check that the LED driver is compatible with the RGB controller or any other control devices that you might want.
Fall has arrived and soon it will be time to change the clocks. The daylight hours suddenly get shorter…which means we use more electricity to illuminate our homes. Are you using energy efficient light bulbs? A few tips to keep in mind when shopping for new light bulbs:
LED (light-emitting diode) – unlike fluorescents, LED does not contain mercury, does not emit harmful UV rays and they last tens of thousands of hours. Be sure to check for the “Lighting Facts” label to insure accuracy of the lamp specs provided. LED light bulbs are now available “dimming”, just like the CFL below, be sure they are compatible with your dimmer and most likely they will not work well in table and floor lamps with 3-way switches* or dimmers.
CFL (screw-in compact fluorescent) – look for the Energy Star label for better quality bulbs. When buying dimmable fluorescent bulbs, check to be sure it is compatible with your wall switch dimmer. Most CFL bulbs won’t work on table or floor lamps with 3-way switches* or dimmers. Screw-in compact fluorescent light bulbs have mercury in them and need to be recycled, so please don’t throw them in the trash.
*For table and floor lamps with 3-way switches, try the new ECO medium base 3-way halogen bulbs. They are made for lamps with 3-way switches and the new reduced wattages are 29/43/72W. These lamps are fully dimmable and consume 28% less energy than their incandescent counterparts.
Why is it that the summer months go by so fast? This week actually marks the beginning of the summer season and it’s already time to start planning for manufacturer vacation closures. Yes, it’s true…many European companies will be closing for their summer holiday the month of August. Please keep the closures in mind when placing your orders. Most factories are requiring that orders be placed by July 5th to ensure shipment before the holiday. Orders placed after or during the holiday closures will not ship until the month of September.
We hear the term LED a great deal lately…so, what is LED anyway?
An LED is a light-emitting diode ~ a small solid-state semi-conductor chip, encapsulated in a silicon epoxy, which emits light when partnered with an electrical current.
LEDs were first introduced in the 1960s in red, yellow and green; they were used mainly in appliances and digital clock displays. Once scientists developed the blue LED in 1994, they had the three primary colors and they could produce a white LED; which is what we use in lighting today.
Unlike incandescent lamps, referred to as a “hot wire in a bottle” – a filament surrounded by inert gas heated to incandescence by an electric current, LED lamps are a bit more complicated. LED lamps consist of a LED driver (regulates the power to the diode), a heat sink (dissipates heat from the driver), the LED array (multiple diodes), the lamp base and the lamp optics.
When comparing LED lamps, why is there such a difference in price?
Without getting too far into the science… the quick answer is binning. A silicon crystal is grown and sliced into extremely thin wafers. Each wafer is divided into 100,000 chips, this is referred to as the “bin” (see example). Manufacturers will select chips from the bin to create their LED array.
Their selection processes is of course proprietary information, but imagine that the best quality chips are located in the center of the wafer and the lower quality chips are towards the edges. This selection process translates into cost; the center chips are more expensive than the edges. The best quality LEDs are selected from the same wafer whereas lower quality products may incorporate chips from different wafers causing the LED to have an inconsistent or off-color.
Be sure that you are buying the best quality LEDs by looking for the “Lighting Facts” label. The Lighting Facts label was developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) to assure the consumer that they are buying quality LED products. Manufacturers have to submit their products for testing in order to use the label on their products. You will want to buy the highest lumens per watt and be sure to buy good color LEDs. Check the Kelvin temperature of the lamp, most people prefer LED in the 3000K range.
Lumen is the international unit of measurement for light. Defined as the amount of light falling on a surface of one square foot, every point of which is one foot away from a candlepower source. Lumens per Watt (LPW) is the measure of the efficiency of a light source, equal to the lumens produced, divided by the power (watts).
What does that mean to you? All incandescent light bulbs are tested by the manufacturer and are assigned a “lumens per watt” measurement. This measurement can be a bit more difficult to determine with low voltage bulbs such as MR16. The lamp manufacturer will give you the maximum candle power and you have to do a calculation to determine the lumens.
Be sure to buy light bulbs that will give you the highest lumens (most light output) for the watts burned. Luckily the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is making the job of comparing light bulbs easier. In 2011 the FTC started requiring manufactures to use the new Lumen per Watt label on boxes. Look for the new label and choose the highest lumen light bulb available for your application.
Proper lighting for the task at hand is a very important issue; for both the young…and, um…for those that are getting a bit older. As we age, even healthy eyes become more sensitive to glare; they require higher contrasts and higher illumination levels.
This is by no means a scientific study, more of an observation.
We recently sold the Koncept LED task lamp to a couple of customers that had Macular Degeneration. Macular degeneration is caused by the deterioration of the macula (center of the retina) which causes a loss of vision in the center of your field of vision. This eye condition requires a brighter light for reading or doing close work. They tried the lamps in the store and were amazed by how well they could see. One Gentleman even commented that he could see the fine print in the brochure he was looking at. The smile on his face was priceless!
The Koncept LED task lights preferred were the cool white LEDs (4500 Kelvin) over the warm white LED’s (3500 Kelvin) which did not give as much contrast on the page. The lamps purchased were the Z-Bar; available in several styles and both table and floor versions.
We also recently sold the Koncept lamp to an Artist who does lots of close up work and needed light that reflected true color. Again, they tested both the cool white and warm white and preferred the cool white which gave them true color rendering. This customer chose the Mosso lamp for its wider beam spread and articulating head.
All Koncept lamps are available in our on-line store or come on by the showroom and test them in person!
One of my electrical appliances recently had a non-passive failure (industry talk for a small explosion) and it occurred to me that we have never really talked much about electrical safety. Most electrical apparatuses run for years without issue and without much maintenance and we never give them a second thought. But they are machines and we should respect them and always deal with them in a safe manner, here are a few tips to help keep you and your family safe.
Do – throw away those old Holiday lights. Don’t – leave the lights up over 90-days. Holiday lights are approved for temporary installations only.
Do – cut the electrical cord into many small pieces when throwing away a defective electrical device. You wouldn’t want others to be tempted to dig them out of the trash and get hurt using them.
Do – unplug electrical devices when not in use. This also helps save electricity because they do draw a small amount of power when not in use.
Do – make sure that you have a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet anywhere near water (kitchen & bath areas) and outdoors; or use extension cords with a GFCI on the cord.
Do – replace the GFCI outlet if it has tripped a few times. They are not meant to be reset over and over again.
Do – dry off the sink area before blow drying your hair. Never-ever touch a running dryer that has fallen into water. It may look like it is not running but it is.
Do – always vacuum your car before washing it. Never-ever vacuum with water in the area. If there is one small cut in the cord, it could be deadly.
Do – tuck cords away out of the reach of children and small pets. Avoid running cords under carpets.
Don’t – plug one plug strip into another. Plugs strips are not approved to be joined together.
Looking to buy USA made products for the Holidays? We have many to choose from! Each piece is hand crafted by the Howard Lamp Company in Edmonds, Washington. Only the best materials are utilized to provide lasting heirloom quality. Plus you get choose your metal and glass finish…or spice it up and order with Art Glass. Local glass artist Carol Hall’s designs are inspired by the organic complexity of the natural world. From color selection to minute design details, each piece is handcrafted and made to order by skilled artisans. Many standard designs can be found on our website or stop by the showroom and we will help you design your own unique piece!
Gardens are the perfect place to use accent lights; add some fun or make a statement and create some drama. Consider up lighting your favorite old tree or try moonlighting from that same tree. (Be sure to take care when selecting products that will be mounted in trees; you will want to use mounting apparatuses that will not do any damage.)
Play with the fixture positions before you do the final install. Try both front lighting and back lighting shrubs to see how the brightness and contrast change. Notice how different the plants look when you move the lights to different locations? Create shadows, highlight architectural details, direct the viewer’s eye through your space…have some fun with it!
Often overlooked, outdoor lighting can add value to your property, increase safety and create an atmosphere that will give your guests that welcome feeling.
Creating an outdoor room is a perfect place to start. Already have the BBQ and a patio table? By simply adding a BBQ light or a portable lamp, you have already begun creating your outdoor living space.
Layering outdoor lighting, just like you would do in the interior, will create even more ambience to your space. Maybe add an outdoor fan, a pendant or a chandelier over your table and you will be able to enjoy your outdoor space well beyond sunset.
Complete List
- LED Equality? Posted on September 6th, 2016
- The Sconce Effect Posted on August 3rd, 2016
- Wall Grazing Posted on June 29th, 2016
- All About Chandeliers Posted on March 9th, 2016
- Plan Your Design Posted on August 5th, 2015
Categories
- New (number of posts: 3)
- Tips (number of posts: 41)
- Uncategorized (number of posts: 10)