Light Bulbs | Pegasus Lighting Blog

The Difference Between CFLs and LEDs: Low Temperature Tolerance

Mar 292013

This post is part of a series written to help you understand the differences between the popular CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) and the newest kind of light bulb: the LED (light emitting diode). You can browse the entire series here.

Depending on where you plan to use your light bulb, you may need to consider how it will react to the space’s temperature.

For a chilly area, like outdoors in a cool climate or inside a refrigerator/freezer, an LED will work best for you.

LEDs love cold environments. In fact, using them in places with cooler temperatures may even make them last longer – beyond their standard rated lives.

CFLs, on the other hand, require a lot of heat to initially turn on. When you operate them in below-freezing temperatures, you’ll have a hard time even getting them to start up.

So why do LEDs thrive in cooler temperatures? Continue reading »

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How To Find A Light’s Beam Width – Infographic

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Mar 222013

PinExt How To Find A Lights Beam Width Infographic

Whether you’re planning for a retail display, or remodeling the recessed lights in your kitchen, you need to know how to determine your light bulb’s beam width.

When it comes to reflector lamps (Rs, MRs, ERs, BRs, and PARs), you can choose between spotlights and floodlights. Spot beams are less than 45 degrees wide, and flood beams can be up to 120 degrees wide. This infographic will tell you how to use each kind of light bulb. You’ll also learn how to find the width of a light beam from any given distance away.

infographic beam spread How To Find A Lights Beam Width Infographic
Continue reading »

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Infographic: A Guide To The Form, Function, and Care of the CFL

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Feb 082013

PinExt Infographic: A Guide To The Form, Function, and Care of the CFL

These days, the CFL (compact fluorescent light bulb) is a pretty standard fixture in most homes and businesses. It’s an affordable, energy-saving alternative to older, less efficient incandescent light bulbs. But, whether you’ve been using them for a long time, or just invested in your first CFL today, there are certain things about the form, function, and proper use of the CFL you need to know. The following infographic spells it out in bold simplicity:

CFL GUIDE Revised 2 Infographic: A Guide To The Form, Function, and Care of the CFL

Continue reading »

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Next Phase Of EISA: Losing The 75-Watt Incandescent

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Jan 242013

PinExt Next Phase Of EISA: Losing The 75 Watt Incandescent

Stock Photo Shattered Light Bulb Next Phase Of EISA: Losing The 75 Watt Incandescent
As of January 1, 2013, the second phase of EISA has taken effect, banning the import and production of 75-watt incandescent light bulbs.

For those unfamiliar, EISA stands for the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. President Bush signed this act during his second term, and it aims to do the following:

Move the U.S. toward greater energy independence and security
Increase the production of clean, renewable fuels
Increase the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles
Promote research on and set up greenhouse gas capture and storage options
Improve the energy performance of the Federal Government
Increase U.S. energy security, develop renewable fuel production, and improve vehicle fuel economy

One of the main goals enacted by this legislation is to raise appliance and lighting efficiency standards, which is what has brought about the incandescent light phase outs. These older incandescent lamps just don’t meet the mark.

Last January, we said goodbye to the 100-watt incandescent lamp, and now the 75-watt has followed. It’s likely you’ll still see them in stores in coming months, but with the ban on importing or manufacturing these lights, the supplies we already have will dwindle and eventually run out. Now, a light bulb must use 53 watts or less if it emits the equivalent lumens of a 75-watt incandescent light.

These new standards are technology neutral, so any kind of light bulb can still be sold, as long as it meets the efficiency requirements. Continue reading »

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LED T8 Replacement Lamps: Are They Worth It?

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Dec 172012

PinExt LED T8 Replacement Lamps: Are They Worth It?

Fluorescent Lamp T8 LED T8 Replacement Lamps: Are They Worth It?
Looking back at 2012, LED lights have made huge leaps. They’ve leaped from small-scale applications to adorn the tops of our most iconic skyscrapers. They’ve hopped into the light sockets of our homes and buildings, and LED lighting control apps have sprung up on our smartphones. Even the prices of LEDs have started “jumping” down.

But, not every LED application is perfect, or even advisable. Many of us still have questions.

For instance – what’s the deal with LED replacements for T8 lamps?

That’s a topic even we haven’t heard much about, so we leaped at the chance to ask Dr. Jack Curran of LED Transformations about it, after a few of us attended a webinar he hosted about LEDs:

Q: Have you found any LED T8 lamps that are good replacements for fluorescent T8 lamps? If not, do you see them ever becoming a viable substitute for the fluorescent version?

A: According to Dr. Curran, the quality of LED T8 replacements isn’t the problem. There are good quality lamps out there, and there’s also junk (like just about every other light and light fixture around). The issue of LED T8s is more complicated. Dr. Curran explained it in 3 parts: Continue reading »

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Getting To Know Light

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Dec 122012

Every so often, we need to go back to the basics. New lighting technology has the potential to simplify our lives, but trying to actually understand it can get complicated. Check out these helpful graphics from Bulbrite’s Lightopedia to learn how to use measurements like CRI, lumen, and Kelvin temperature to find the perfect lights for your home or building…

Watt the Heck is a Lumen?

Contrary to popular belief, watts DON’T measure the brightness of a light bulb. They measure how much energy that light bulb consumes. CFLs and LEDs consume much less energy (watts) than older filament lamps, so they’ll produce more light for every watt they consume.

If you’re still in the incandescent mindset, check out this handy conversion chart showing how many lumens each incandescent light produces:

Image via Lightopedia.com

Continue reading »

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Not Your Average CFL

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Oct 252012

To be honest, I’ve always liked the look of CFLs. Yes, there have been mixed opinions about the quality of light they generate, but there’s something about that gentle swirl that I can’t help but enjoy. And of course, the CFL has come a long way from what was first out on the market.

See here:

Image via Plumen.com

You can imagine my excitement when I first saw the Plumen 001, winner of the Brit Insurance Design of the Year Award and you guessed it, a CFL. Continue reading »

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CFLs and UV Rays: Is There Really A Problem?

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Sep 202012

PinExt CFLs and UV Rays: Is There Really A Problem?

CFL CFLs and UV Rays: Is There Really A Problem?
In August’s Lighting Roundup, we mentioned a study on the UV rays emitted from CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) possibly causing skin damage. But, with this popular spiral-shaped energy-saving light bulb now in over 70% of U.S. homes, we think it’s important to investigate further into this issue.

According to this article from Lighting.com, NEMA (The National Electrical Manufacturers Association) has clarified the confusion surrounding CFLs and possibly dangerous UV radiation.

Like all fluorescent lights, CFLs do give off trace amounts of UV and infrared radiation, but those levels are well within the acceptable range predetermined by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA).

Unless the person exposed to UV rays has a predetermined sensitivity to them, or if that person uses a CFL at an unnaturally close distance (less than 1 foot), there shouldn’t be a problem.

Plus, the plastic, glass, and fabrics of many household light fixtures also serve to reduce the already low levels of UV radiation. Some CFLs even have covers that reduce emissions even further than standard exposed-spiral lamps alone.

So, unless your CFL is severely malfunctioning (which is rare indeed) you needn’t worry.

For more information about how to properly care for and use CFLs, check out this blog post, or visit the US Food and Drug Administration’s website.

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How To Cope When Your Favorite Light Bulb Gets The Shaft: Fluorescent Light Bulbs

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Sep 072012

PinExt How To Cope When Your Favorite Light Bulb Gets The Shaft: Fluorescent Light Bulbs

This is the third installment of a three-part series on replacing EISA phased-out light bulbs – what’s leaving and why. You can read the first post on household A lamps here, and the second on reflector lamps here.

Discontinued Fluorescents

T12 fluorescent light bulbs have been around since the ’30s, and in light bulb years, that’s just too plain old. Technology’s potential for efficiency, for saving you time and money, has moved light-years since then. That’s why the T12 phase-out began in July this year. This phase-out affected nearly all T12s, with the exception of the cold temperature lamps and a few others. Most T12s now have gone the way of typewriters and VCRs, cassette tapes and rotary phones – delightful relics, but come on people, we’re better than this.

We’ve also listed one T8 lamp with the group. While T8s are much newer, and most are much more efficient than T12s, the lamps listed are the oldest and most basic of their kind. They have the least lumens and the shortest lives of all the T8s, so while they’re cheap, they’re simply not a good value.

Here’s how to update:

Lamp	Date Discontinued	Good Replacements	Great Replacements
Slimline F96T12 60W	July 14, 2012	800 Series Slimline F96T8 59W	Coming Soon
High Output F96T12	July 14, 2012	800 Series High Output F96T8 86W	Coming Soon
Rapid Start F34T12	July 14, 2012	800 Series T8 32W	800 Series Energy Saving T8 25W and 28W
U-Bend FB34T12	July 14, 2012	800 Series U-Bend T8	800 Series Energy Savings U-Bend T8 25W
700 Series T8 32W	2014	800 Series T8 32W	800 Series Energy Saving T8 25W and 28W

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How To Cope When Your Favorite Light Bulb Gets The Shaft: Reflector Lamps

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Sep 052012

PinExt How To Cope When Your Favorite Light Bulb Gets The Shaft: Reflector Lamps

This post is the second in a three part series on EISA light bulb phase-outs: what’s leaving, why it’s leaving, and how we can cope. If you missed the first post on household lamps, you can find it here.

Discontinued Reflector Lamps

New standards have also hit the halogen and incandescent reflector lamps that don’t meet efficiency requirements set by the EISA. The act affects the following:

BR, ER, and BPAR lamps
Reflector lamps between 2.25” (R18) and 2.75” (R22) in diameter
Lamps that have a rated wattage of 40 watts or higher

It really boils down to a lumens per watt issue here. If a lamp doesn’t produce enough light for the amount of energy it consumes, it’s on the way out.

Here’s your guide to the new LPW standards as of 7/14/12 for 40W-205W lamps*:

Lamp Size (Diameter)	Voltage	Minimum Lumens Per Watt	Replacement Options
2.5” (R20 and PAR20)	120V	13.5 to 21.0 LPW	LED, CFL, Halogen IR
2.5” (R20 and PAR20)	130V	15.4 to 24.0 LPW	LED, CFL Halogen IR
>2.5” (PAR30, PAR38, BR30, BR40, ER30, ER40)	120V	16.0 to 24.8 LPW	LED, CFL, Halogen IR
>2.5” (PAR30, PAR38, BR30, BR40, ER30, ER40)	130V	18.4 to 28.6 LPW	LED, CFL, Halogen IR

*Exemptions to these standards include: Rough service or vibration lamps; colored PAR lamps; BR30, BR40, and ER40 lamps rated at 65 watts; ER30, BR30, BR40, and ER40 lamps rated at 50 watts or less; R20 lamps rated at 45 watts or less. These regulations apply to standard spectrum reflector lamps only. For modified spectrum lamps standards are approximately 17% less stringent. For more info check out this article. Continue reading »

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