Light Care And Choice

What protections for outdoor luminaires Installing outdoor lighting is a bright idea, but be sure that the chosen lamp is well suited to where it is placed and the use you want to make. For clarity here is a small guide to the meanings of IP protection standards.  What does IP protection mean? On all lamps which are intended to be used outdoors, there is a protection index that is standard and established at the international level by the international electronic commission. This index is identified by two letters "IP" and two numbers that are variable. IP protection ratings are intended to classify electrical equipment according to resistance to the intrusion of foreign bodies whether liquid or solid.  The two letters "IP" are therefore followed by two digits, the first varies from 0 to 6 and determines the resistance of the product to the intrusion of a solid body, the second varies from 0 to 9k and defines the resistance of the same mater...

The halogen bulb should disappear in autumn 2018 The halogen bulb has succeeded the incandescent bulb with the argument: greater respect for the environment and better quality lighting despite the great disadvantage of the latter, which is the delayed diffusion of its light. Although it is appreciated for the subdued atmosphere that it brings into a room, the halogen bulb is still too much energy consuming and it is in this context that the European Commission, after an attempt in 2015, has voted to ban halogen bulbs by autumn 2018. A continuing disappearance of energy-consuming technologies The process began with incandescent bulbs that were banned in 2013 for production and sale in Europe. The latter use 95% of their energy consumption to heat the bulb and only 5% is used to produce light. Among other things, especially due to the heat produced, incandescent bulbs are fragile and do not last long. The poor performance of the incandescent, as well as their signific...

Recycle its bulbs: the good action easy to achieve 100 million bulbs reach the end of life each year ... This impressive figure allows us to realize the good habits to have to preserve our planet. The recycling of bulbs saves both natural resources and at the same time avoids polluting. An economy of natural resources Sand is the main raw material of glass bulbs. By recycling cullet, recycled glass scrap, we are saving the earth's natural resources by making new bulbs but also building materials such as abrasives and insulators. Among other things, recycling bulbs save energy since the cullet melts at 1000 ° against 1500 ° to make a bulb from scratch. Preserving our health and our planet When recycling light bulbs, mercury is recovered and processed so as not to damage the planet and our health. A bulb contains a tiny part of mercury, 0.005% exactly, a harmless amount. However, on a large scale, with the 100 million light bulbs that continue to operate each ye...

Why switch to LED? Accessible for all budgets and economic? The LED is no longer this standard bulb, ecological but without charm and a little too expensive. Today, LED has revised prices down and comes in several models. To finally switch to LED, here are our top 5 advantages of an LED: 1 - LED consumes very little energy LED technology consumes 10 times less than an incandescent bulb, 6 times less than a halogen bulb and even less than a compact fluorescent bulb, already known to consume little. This low energy consumption makes the LED an eco-friendly bulb to be favored to preserve the environment. 2 - LED is economical LED, in addition to consuming little energy, is sustainable since it can last up to 50 000 hours is 50 times longer than a conventional light bulb. LEDs can, therefore, save energy but also financially because it does not need to be changed regularly. 3 - LED is recyclable Unlike incandescent bulbs, LED bulbs are recyclable and above a...

Look on the butts! The base is the metal part of the lamp that allows it to be fixed in a luminaire. There are so many different tips that it is important to know how to differentiate them and to know their usefulness. Here is a small reminder of most of those existing: Screw caps The E27, the standard size Let's start with the most common which is the E27 screw cap. It is the most used every day in our homes. The E27 is 27mm in diameter and is the standard size compatible with most fixtures. The E14, the smallest The smaller E14 is 14mm in diameter and is appreciated for its elegance and subtle appearance. Bayonet caps In our Anglo-Saxon friends, like screw caps in our home, the bayonet caps with pins on the side are the most used. A  B22 is a base of 22 mm in diameter. GU for spots The GU is for spotlights and ceiling décor and some equipment. The GU10 cap is the most important in its size. Indeed, its two pins are separated by 10 mm. Th...