Dimmable Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

The dimmable compact fluorescent bulb has been a highly sought after item in lighting for years.  They have also been a little difficult to use in all applications. TCP now has their latest line of spirals and reflectors available with the highest lumen output, 8,000-10,000 hours and a smooth and uniform dimming system. These bulbs are available for purchase through the sales department and will be available online very soon.

Bill

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High Wattage Incandescent Replacements?

DallasLightbulb.com is trying to keep up with demmands from consumers regarding replacement bulbs for the high wattage BR30 and BR40 incandescent reflector. As you may know the US government & the EPA have banned the manufacturing of high wattage incandescents. Here is more information to reference.

Incandescent lights

Under the law, incandescent bulbs that produce 310–2600 lumens of light are effectively phased out between 2012 and 2014. Bulbs outside this range (roughly, light bulbs currently less than 40 watts or more than 150 watts) are exempt from the ban. Also exempt are several classes of speciality lights, including appliance lamps, “rough service” bulbs, 3-way, colored lamps, and plant lights.

The phase-out of incandescent light bulbs was supported by the Alliance to Save Energy, a coalition of light bulb manufacturers, electric utilities and conservation groups. The group estimated that lighting accounts for 22% of total U.S. electricity usage, and that eliminating incandescent bulbs completely would save $18 billion per year (equivalent to the output of 80 coal plants. Light bulb manufacturers also hoped a single national standard would prevent the enactment of conflicting bans and efficiency standards by state governments.(courtesy of Wikepedia)

Some Affected Lamp Types:

50WattR20, 75WattR20, 75WattER30, 120WattER30, 90Watt, 100Watt, 120Watt, 120Watt R40&BR40, 75Watt 100Watt 150watt BPAR(Blown Par)

DallasLightBulb.com has replacements for the 75Watt-85Watt BR30 & the “standard true 120Watt BR40 ” Reflector Bulb:

If you still need the 120Watt BR or 40 we have them as well.

If you are wanting to “GO GREEN” !!! Take alook at our CFL (compact fluorescent bulbs) :

All for now.

Jeff

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Recycling bulbs with Mercury in them

With all the recent attention being paid to what we are throwing in our trash cans light bulbs have garnered a lot of attention. Fluorescent bulbs and other types with Mercury are now easy to dispose of. There are cartons/boxes and buckets available for purchase at Dallas Light Bulb. When purchased the consumer simply fills the container and calls the 1-800 supplied in the package and the container will be picked up at no extra charge and sent to a recycling facility in your area. If you have specific questions as to how the program works please contact the sales group at 1-800-458-8369.

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Who Makes The Best Compact Fluorescent?

Who makes the best compact fluorescent light bulb? A very common and interesting question. There are so many different brands to choose from. Do you go with a name brand product because of name recognition, or do you go with an inexpensive import? Which product is best? This article may help….

The compact fluorescent light bulb revolution nearly occurred back in the early 1990s. When CFLs first hit the market in force, consumers bought them in large numbers — but they hated them. The bulbs were too big for many fixtures, expensive (up to $25 each) and they threw a dim, antiseptic light that paled next to the warmth of good old-fashioned incandescent bulbs.
Now, a new CFL revolution is at hand. Retail giants are pushing hard for the bulbs — Wal-Mart hopes to sell 100 million CFLs by the end of the year. In California, a legislator recently proposed banning the sale of incandescent light bulbs in the state by 2012. All the old benefits of CFLs are still significant — more so, in fact. They can use less than one-third the electricity of incandescent bulbs of equivalent brightness and last up to nine years. The new bulbs are smaller and far cheaper (about $5 each) than their predecessors, and more powerful than ever. Top-end 24-watt bulbs promise brightness equivalent to that of a 150-watt incandescent.

Still, when it comes to illuminating your home, brightness isn’t everything. Can CFLs match the light quality of the energy-wasting incandescents we know and love?

Continue reading this Article

Earlier in my career I was a field technician in the lighting and electrical industry. My day-to-day job involved replacing light bulbs and ballasts at various retail accounts. Over about a 7 year period you can imagine how many light bulbs and ballasts I have seen fail or succeed.

When purchasing compact fluorescent light bulbs a general rule of thumb was to stick with name brand products. At that time (about 8-10 years ago) the CFL screw-in (compact fluorescent) technology was fairly new. So using a GE, Sylvania, or Philips product made sense. Then came the import invasion!! It seemed as if everyone and their mother are making compact fluorescent light bulbs.You can buy CFL bulbs at the grocery store, dollar stores, discount warehouses, home and garden centers, departments stores, on the world-wide-web……you get the point. 

 Again the question arises which brand is best? My opinion is to stick with companies that have a history of making reliable products or a company that is known for specializing  in manufacturing a certain product.

Example: TCP (known as Technical Consumer Products) started out only making compact fluorescent bulbs. Today,TCP also manufactures other lighting products such as linear fluorescents and metal halide light bulbs. The point is that TCP compact fluorescent bulbs are widely used throughout the hotel and retail industries. TCP being a fairly new company in the lighting industry, has made a respected name for themselves because they make a superior product.Keep in mind I have no affiliation with any specific manufacturer, but  here are the top four “best bet” companies that I feel comfortable endorsing: GE, Philips, Sylvania, and TCP (no specific order or ranking system).

If you would like to independantly do some research on your own, here are a few tips that you might find useful:

A) Compare “life hours” between brands.

B) Consider the manufacturers warranty.

C) “Commercial grade” and “Retail grade” products are significantly different when it comes to quality.

D) Finally  “Test it” buy a “name brand and a generic brand” and see which one performs the best.

Hopefully, my input has made your decision a little easier. Remember that all compact fluorescent light bulbs are not made equal….

All for Now.

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