Light Sources

There are a lot of options out there in terms of light sources, and it can be difficult to keep it all straight. For starters, you might want to check out our Compare Light Sources table, which lays out all the basic differences. Delve more in-depth with the FAQ’s below.

HID Lighting

Q: What does “HID” mean?

A: The term “HID” stands for high intensity discharge and usually refers to high pressure sodium lamps, mercury vapor lamps, or metal halide lamps.

Q: Is the “operational life” of an HID lamp usually the same as its “rated life”?

A: The “operational life” (actual life) of an HID lamp often is less than its rated life. Many factors negatively affect the life expectancy of HID lamps such as frequent on/off cycles, excessive heat, and aged ballasts. Furthermore, HID lamps usually manifest significant lumen depreciation (a loss of lumens) and a shift in color over time. Thus, group relamping (replacing ALL of the HID lamps at the same time) is often recommended at 75% of the rated life OR if the lumen levels at the work level drop below standards.

LED Lighting

Q: What are the advantages of LEDs?

A: They are energy-efficient, have very long rated lives, are very small in size, do not have any restrike time, are dimmable, generate a lot less heat, have a slow failure rate, are shock resistant, work well in low temperatures, and their light can be easily focused. In addition, since LEDs do not contain any mercury, they are less toxic than many other light sources (e.g., fluorescent, metal halide, and high pressure sodium) and, therefore, are a safer light source to dispose of.

Q: What is an LED driver?

A: Fluorescent light bulbs cannot function without a ballast, which provides a starting voltage and limits electrical current to the lamp. LEDs also require a similar electronic power source, usually called a driver. The driver converts line power to the appropriate voltage (typically between 2 and 4 volts DC for high-brightness LEDs) and current (generally 200-1000 milliamps or mA), and may also include dimming and/or color correction controls … read more >>

Xenon Lighting

Q: What is the rated life of xenon light bulbs?

A: Depending on the lamp and the conditions under which it is being operated the rated life of a xenon lamp can be somewhere between 8,000 and 100,000 hours.

Q: Are xenon light bulbs relatively cool to operate? 

A: Xenon lighting is cooler than halogen but definitely not as cool as fluorescent. Line voltage (120 volts) xenon lamps operate especially cooler than line voltage halogen lamps, which can become extremely hot … read more >>