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Posts in the light bulbs category

CFL Retrofits Hit a Home Run in Home Lighting

By BulbAmerica Editor

Compact fluorescent light (CFLs) bulb technology has now reached a point of significant maturity. Every bulb in the home, from the bulb for the basic lamp in the family room to the vanity lighting around the mirror in the bathroom, that was once the exclusive turf of the standard incandescent now has a CFL retrofit that will save you energy, money, and may even save the environment too. In this article, I will go through the most common household lighting situations and explain the appropriate CFL retrofits in each of them. Lamps are among the most common fixtures in the household so they are a good place to start. Generally there are two shapes of lamps that are most common, the harp lamp and the clamp lamp shade lamp. A lamp with a harp shade features typically features a screw in base and a piece of metal, the harp, which outlines the bulb and secures the shade. I would recommend replacing your incandescent with a twist CFL with a bright light or day light color temperature to get a natural and well diffused light. For lamps with a clamp lamp shade you’ll want to choose an A-shape CFL so the shade can easily clamp with out a problem.

For the bathroom, CFLs are very handy. Vanity strips, the set of light bulbs that often frame mirrors in bathrooms, most often use incandescent globes. There are wide variety of globe CFLs with medium screwbases that can easily replace incandescent globes. A soft white light is generally preferable in this application because the light will naturally be reflected by the bathroom mirror and other reflective bathroom surfaces. Recessed lighting is also common in bathrooms and there are plenty of CFLs to retrofit your incandescent recessed lighting. I would recommend bulge reflector (BR) bulbs for this application. The different sizes that BR CFLs come in guarantee a good fit in your recessed can. Again, soft white light is a good choice in this application but light temperature closer to day light is also sufficient. Throughout the home there are usually numerous mounted ceiling and wall fixtures in the form of track lights, ceiling fixtures, and sconces. For track lighting I would again choose bulge reflectors for a good indoor flood. BR20s through BR40s will be ideal depending on your track lighting fixture; color temperature choice is also flexible in this application and really depends on your taste. For ceiling fixtures I would recommend A-shape or twist bulbs because many ceiling fixtures are originally outfitted with screw in A-shape incandescent bulb and you will want a good fitting bulb. Like track lighting, there is no right color temperature answer in this application, particularly because many ceiling fixtures feature some sort of glass or plastic diffuser that will change the appearance of your light some what. If you can, I would recommend you play around with your color temperature a bit. Ceiling fans also fall within the ceiling fixture category. Your choice of ceiling fan style will change depending upon the fan’s fixture. Usually any bulb from a twist (if an enclosed fixture) or a candelabra or globe (if exposed bulb fixture) will do. Color temperature is flexible with ceiling fans, I happen to like soft white in this application so that is what I could go with to provide an even mellow light. Lastly wall sconces will most likely require a twist or candelabra CFL depending on whether the sconce is enclosed or features an exposed bulb.

Outdoor home lighting can also benefit from CFLs. Use PAR 38 CFLs with a cooler color temperature for outdoor floods and twist, A-shape, or candelabra CFLs for any lantern lighting you may have, any color temperature will do here! Remember that not all CFLs can dim, and many of those that can, cannot dim 100%. BulbAmerica has great deals on all the CFLs mentioned in this article and the best brands too, check us out!
By Victor Lopez | 11 November, 2014 | candelabra, compact fluorescent, led, light bulbs, lights, news | 0 comments | Read more

Timers and Wall Dimmers: Bright Ideas for Green Lighting

By BulbAmerica

Today, homeowners and business owners alike are always on the look out for ways to save energy and save on their energy expenses. Many people look to the latest and greatest in LED and compact fluorescent bulbs first for ways to go green. There are however, other extremely simple ways to save on your energy use, namely the use of timers and dimmers. Timers have come a long way from the plastic mechanical dials that you would plug into power outlets, now, though these simple dimmers are certainly still used, there are more technologically advanced timers that are capable of handling multiple lighting programs. Sunlite’s T500 7 day timer is a wall-mounted timer with 36 on/off settings for full control over your lights. By using a timer, you can set your lights turn on and off when you’re not home, or while you are asleep, or at times when the office is empty. By using timers you can have lights on only when you need, saving you serious energy and money.

Wall dimmers are another way to not only save electricity, but to make your existing lamps last longer. By setting your lights to burn at a lower intensity, you can prolong the life all your bulbs including your incandescent and halogen light bulbs. Wall dimmers are easily mounted and come in a variety of styles to suit your decorative and functional needs. It is important to note, however, that combining wall dimmers and environmentally friendly bulbs, particularly CFLs, is not always so simple. Not all CFLs are dimmable and those that are, like cold cathode compact fluorescent for example, are not 100% dimmable. This means that you many not be able to use them on certain dimmers, and you should consult the manufacturers literature on the subject. Or, as always, you can contact me by leaving a message on my blog, or BulbAmerica with any questions you have by dialing 1-888-505-2111.

Save energy and money now—go green and save green! Invest in timers and dimmers today!
By Victor Lopez | 11 November, 2014 | compact fluorescent, dimmers, light bulbs, lights, news | 0 comments | Read more

Sensational Lighting Design & Architecture.

Inside Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi - 
Sensational lighting design & architecture.

 

For more lighting ideas visit: http://www.bulbamerica.com/
By Victor | 03 October, 2013 | abu dhabi, architecture, Design, LED, Light Bulbs, Lighting | 0 comments | Read more

Divine bathroom chandelier.

Divine bathroom chandelier. Find great deals athttp://www.bulbamerica.com/lighting-fixture.html


By Victor | 16 August, 2013 | chandelier, decoration, lamps, Light Bulbs, Lighting, lights | 0 comments | Read more

The History of the Incandescent Light Bulb







History of the Incandescent light bulb
History of the Incandescent light bulb
History of the Incandescent light bulb
History of the Incandescent light bulb
History of the Incandescent light bulb
Ever wonder how the light bulb has evolved overtime? This Info- graphic depicts the evolution of the bulb from its early days to the bulb we all know and use today.

http://www.bulbamerica.com/history-of-incandescent-light-bulb
By Anonymous | 09 July, 2013 | BulbAmerica, Edison Bulb, Filaments, GE, Incandescent bulbs, Infographic, Light Bulbs, Lighting, Thomas Edison | 0 comments | Read more

What would we do if light bulbs didn't exist ?

Here is a great night time exercise for anyone that uses any kind of lighting.

Close your eyes and ask yourself, " What if light bulbs simply didn't exist? 

Take a moment to think about how you would fulfill regular everyday routines without them? (In my opinion, the world would be a different place).

The light bulb is perhaps one of the most essentialinventions of our time. With the Light Bulb, we...
By romdebomb@aim.com | 05 July, 2013 | Carnival, Invention of Light Bulbs, Light Bulb Jokes, Light Bulbs, Lighting Exercise | 0 comments | Read more
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