Lighting controls explored

Posted on 15th February 20139th August 2024 by Charles Barnett

Last updated on 9th August 2024

The most basic form of lighting controls consist of simple on/off switches built into lamps themselves. That’s fine for such things as table lamps and work lights and in its most advanced form gives us the ability to switch the lamp on or off just by touching the base. The most developed types even provide brightness control.

Then there are the familiar wall-mounted switches, usually placed just inside the doorway controlling lights fixed in various places in a room. Again these can incorporate dimmers to control the level of brightness. For landings and staircases the switches can be two-way so that the light can be switched off or on at the top or at the bottom. For some situations, communal staircases in apartment blocks for example, timer switches provide the simple solution to human forgetfulness. The Electronic Time Delay Switch is a perfect example. When the light is switched on it remains on for long enough for anyone to ascend or descend the stairs and then is automatically switched off. The timing is adjustable to suit the situation.

Activated by changing levels of light is the Flush Mount Photocell Sensor controller. This clever piece of kit is capable of controlling as many different lights as you wish and can be overridden by the normal manual wall switch when required. The level of light is variable by adjustment too.

Another lighting control suitable for controlling multiple lights according to natural light levels is the Dusk To Dawn Photocell. Part of a range of dusk to dawn photo cell controllers, these can control outside security lighting as well as indoor lights.

The next level of sophistication in lighting controls works, not on light level but by detecting movement. If someone is moving about in the dark they must need a light, so the light obligingly switches on and stays on until a pre-determined time after all movement has ceased. This is all made possible by the Passive Infra Red detector, PIR for short.

PIR controllers come in many forms. Some such as the Timeguard 360° PIR Light Switch, can be used to control a number of separate lights from one location. The Light Switch with Movement Detector, is also used to replace the normal light switch and turns an ordinary lighting set-up into an automated system.

For a really unobtrusive PIR system of lighting controls there are small Flush Ceiling PIR Movement Switches. Several of these mounted at intervals of about 5 metres will ensure detection of movement everywhere in the room. These versatile units can be used with lamps of any kind and can even be used to control fans!

These controllers are ideal for use in rooms which are not occupied all the time, such as cloakrooms, so that lights are only on when actually needed. These lighting controls are not only a great convenience but over a year can save a great deal of expensive electricity.

The 360° PIR Light Controller is another one. Cunningly designed to detect movement over 360 degrees it doesn’t matter what the angle of approach, there is no blind spot. The length of time the light stays on when activated can be adjusted to suit the location making them ideal for corridors and staircases that are not in constant use.

Lighting controls then do rather more than take the effort out of flicking switches. They enable lights to come on when you enter a room with both hands full and similarly go out when you leave. Much better than trying to turn the lights off with your chin! They turn on lights when someone enters where they should not, alerting others to the incursion. Whilst performing these useful functions, lighting controls are also saving a fortune in electricity.

Looking for more news, information or inspiration? Try our Lighting Advice section.

Charles Barnett Managing Director

Charles started Lyco in 1995 with just 4 enthusiastic employees and has grown it considerably over the past 25 years. Charles is also the Managing Director of Lighting Direct and newly acquired Online Lighting. He now has a team of 50 lighting experts working on growing Lyco Group to be the UK leader in lighting for both businesses and homes. Away from the office he is a keen cyclist and is proud to have cycled 1017 miles from Lands End to John O’Groats to raise money for a new residential centre for adults with multiple learning difficulties.

Wattage comparison – Goodbye Watts – Hello Lumens

Posted on 30th November 201229th July 2021 by Charles Barnett

Last updated on 29th July 2021

Not so very long ago, when incandescent bulbs ruled the roost, choosing the right light bulb based on brightness was incredibly simple, as it was all done in watts. And what’s a watt? Well it’s a measure of energy transfer (named after James Watt, the pioneer of steam engines), but that was always irrelevant. For years, everyone knew that 60 watts meant standard room lighting, 40 watts was a bit dingy, 100 watts was nice and bright for kitchens and bathrooms, and anything brighter than that was best left for surgeons and interrogators.

Getting rid of confusion

Everything’s changed now though, with the decline of incandescent bulbs and the rise of energy-saving and LED bulbs. All of a sudden, the wattage has changed drastically while the brightness has stayed the same, leading to a good deal of confusion. When energy-saving bulbs were first introduced, manufacturers initially dealt with this by printing the wattage the bulb was equivalent to on the packaging, e.g. ‘11w – 60w equivalent’. You can find a table of the more common equivalents at the bottom of the page, which is a reasonably good guide to the likely brightness level of your bulbs (not all energy-saving bulbs give off quite the same light, but then neither did incandescents). However this isn’t the whole story.

While it’s easy to make a rough comparison between incandescent and energy-saving bulbs, lighting is not just about these two types of bulb any more. There are also now various different types of LED bulb, not to mention halogen bulbs, and assorted tubes, so it’s virtually impossible to find a measure of energy that can be applied to all bulbs and still mean anything to the layman. Which is where lumens (lm) come in.

What is a lumen?

A lumen is a measure of the light given off by any light source that can be perceived by the human eye (i.e. not including the invisible wavelengths). Lumens basically cuts out any measurement of how much energy it takes to produce a given amount of light, and just measures the light given off. This is like your car’s speedometer measuring how fast you’re going, rather than the amount of energy it takes to get you to that speed, and is a far more sensible way of defining light levels.

You’ll need to get used to Lumens too, as EU legislation now states that the lumen value of a particular bulb must be printed most prominently on packaging. It’s not hard to see watts and equivalent wattages going the way of pounds, ounces and the dodo in the fullness of time. So how do lumens work then?

Rough equivalents

As a rule of thumb, lumens are very roughly equivalent to the incandescent wattage times ten, plus a little bit, so that a 450lm light source is roughly equivalent to an old 40 watt bulb, while an 800lm light source is similar to a 60 watt bulb. Comparisons for the most common sizes are in the table below.

Get ahead

Due to the huge variety of possible light levels available from new generation energy-saving and LED bulbs, it’s a good idea to get into the habit of thinking in lumens. It’s also a very good idea to buy spares when fitting multiple light sources in the same space, as wattage is now no longer a guarantee that a bulb will be the same level of brightness. Plus because bulbs lasts so much longer now, if one of your bulbs looks wrong, you won’t be stuck with it for months, but maybe for years!

Energy-saving bulb	Incandescent Bulb	Average Lumens
4-7 Watts	25 Watts	300
9-11 Watts	40 Watts	450
13-16 Watts	60 Watts	800
18-20 Watts	75 Watts	1100
22-25 Watts	100 Watts	1500

Need a particular bulb? Try our light bulb finder!

Looking for more inspiration, advice or news? Try our Lighting Advice section.

Charles Barnett Managing Director

Energy Saving GLS – Traditional Bulb Replacement

Posted on 12th October 201229th July 2021 by Charles Barnett

Last updated on 29th July 2021

The traditional light bulb that has been such a familiar part of our lives for generations is soon to be no more, replaced by LED GLS Light Bulbs. Before long the incandescent lamp will be just another relic of the past. Already the sale or importation of pearl or frosted bulbs is prohibited throughout the EU although existing stocks can still be sold. Those stocks have already dwindled to the extent that it is now virtually impossible to source such bulbs.

Replacing old friends

It is all in the interest of reducing our carbon footprint by means of energy saving and the new bulbs that have taken the place of our old friends are all energy saving in one form or another. When energy saving GLS light bulbs first appeared in the shops many people were put off first by their appearance which was radically different to what we were all used to and then by apparently inferior performance in terms of light produced for a given wattage.

Things have moved on since then. Manufacturers soon realised that sticks and spirals were not to everyone’s taste so alongside these shapes which so proudly proclaim their up to the minute nature they produced energy saving GLS light bulbs that look quite similar to the more familiar incandescent bulbs. They fit in existing fittings so much better too and perform much more like the old bulbs. Now you don’t have to worry. When the last of your stock of traditional bulbs finally expires you will be able to replace it with a new energy saving lamp such as an LED GLS from Lyco that will not only use as much as 79% less electricity and save you money that way but will also last at least eight times longer than the old type and save you even more even though it costs more to buy in the first place.

What’s in a name

In case anyone is wondering, the term ‘GLS’ simply stands for ‘General Lighting Service’ and refers to the kind of bulb to be found in any household and ‘Energy Saving GLS’ is the same thing but in an energy saving form. The standard energy saving GLS light bulbs already mentioned work on the same principle as a fluorescent light tube which is why the earlier designs look rather like a small tube doubled over or a group of straight tubes.

You can have energy saving with brighter light by using Energy Saving Halogen GLS bulbs as a direct replacement for your old incandescent bulbs. These work by heating Halogen gas inside them just like your car headlamp bulbs. You get the energy saving of Halogen bulbs, about 30%, at a price much closer to that of the traditional bulbs and you still get twice the life of an incandescent lamp, at 2000 hours. You’re saving money again as well as helping the environment.

Switching problems overcome

Dusk to dawn sensors, time switches and dimmer switches have always been a problem for Energy Saving GLS Light Bulbs but Lyco have the answer in Philips Dimmable Master LED GLS. These bulbs are more expensive again but they come with a 3 year guarantee and give a colossal saving in energy consumption of 80%! LED Energy Saving GLS Light Bulbs work on an entirely different principle to any of the others. They contain a light emitting diode, an electronic device that produces a lot of light for a very small amount of electricity. It is the most efficient method yet discovered of converting electrical energy into light energy.

Do yourself a favour!

For long term savings it would be well worth while for any householder to replace all the old incandescent bulbs in the house with the appropriate Energy Saving GLS Light Bulbs rather than waiting for the old bulbs to go ‘pop’. If you want to do the planet a favour and save money at the same time it’s worth thinking about right now.

Take a look at our full range of LED GLS Bulbs.

Looking for more news, inspiration and advice? Try our Lighting Advice section.

Charles Barnett Managing Director

Do I go for sticks and spirals or covered shape bulbs

Posted on 24th September 201229th July 2021 by Charles Barnett

Last updated on 29th July 2021

Back when there were only incandescents, choosing a bulb was fairly simple – get the right fitting, shape and wattage and you were pretty much sorted, even if you did occasionally end up with a reflector bulb looking a bit odd in a lampshade.

However, since the advent of energy-saving bulbs, there seem to be any number of permutations, as manufacturers find ever new ways of bending fluorescent tubing into strange shapes. A lot of this is just slight variance between manufacturers though, as there are basically three main types of energy-saving bulb – sticks, spirals and ‘covered’ bulbs.

A stick bulb has a number of small, straight fluorescent tubes rising vertically from the base, and tends to be longer and narrower than a traditional bulb. A spiral bulb, meanwhile, has one continuous spiral tube that forms a round balloon shape like a traditional bulb (or a stylised ice cream cone!).

So is there any difference between these two types of bulb? To put it simply, not a huge amount. Spiral bulbs have more density of tubing, so they can give off somewhat more light than stick bulbs. Also, due to their more traditional outline, spirals can be better suited to traditional fittings where space is limited, or where you want to achieve a traditional ‘bulb’ look. Sticks, on the other hand, can make a real statement when used in modernist or minimalist light fittings, and are often better suited to long, narrow fittings, as they’ll provide light further along the length of the reflector or diffuser. In case you think these bulbs are only available as replacements for standard bulbs, however, you can also get them to suit golfball and candle fittings.

All of which brings us to covered bulbs, such as the GLS CFL bulb (GLS stands for ‘general lighting services’, i.e. the traditional bulb shape, while CFL stands for compact fluorescent lamp). This type of bulb looks much more like a traditional incandescent pearl bulb, with a single bulb shape rather than any visible tubes. As with spirals and sticks, these bulbs are also available in candle and golfball styles

A GLS CFL bulb works in exactly the same way as a stick or spiral, however, as underneath the translucent covering is a stick or spiral tube, just like one of those bulbs. Although it may look very tempting to get this type of bulb for tradition’s sake, there are a couple of reasons to choose a stick or spiral instead. Firstly, stick and spiral bulbs don’t have to squeeze into a cover, so have more length of tube, and hence give off more light. Nor do they have a diffusion layer, which again saps some of the brightness. GLS CFL bulbs tend to be somewhat pricier as well.

Basically, if your light fittings make the bulb visible, and you or the person you’re fitting them for is adamant about having traditional-looking bulbs, go for a covered bulb. Otherwise, for maximum light output at minimum cost, it’s worth choosing a spiral or stick.

Looking for more inspiration, news and advice? Try our Lighting Advice section.

Charles Barnett Managing Director

New Build Part 1 – (Living Room & Hallway Lights)

Posted on 17th September 201229th March 2022 by Charles Barnett

Last updated on 29th March 2022

There’s something special about the process of taking a set of plans and turning them into a finished house, but installing your choice in lighting is one of those pivotal moments when a house turns into a home. It’s important, then, to get it right, and in the first of a series of features on choosing light fittings for a new build home, we look at some key advice and top product suggestions for illuminating the living room and hallway.

Whether you’re designing a house from scratch, fitting an existing build according to a client’s brief, or looking to make a change to a new build before moving in, the impact of your choice in lighting is huge.

There’s the obvious functional benefit of light – there’s little worse than a poorly lit home after all – but there’s also the aesthetic value of lighting too. And there are few spaces in the home where getting that balance right matters more than in the living room and hallway. They’re typically the first two rooms you experience when entering a house, and both serve a vital function within the home too.

The living room, after all, is where the entire family will look to relax and spend time together, while the hallway is the main artery running through the home, linking bedrooms, bathrooms and living areas together.

So what should you think about when choosing living room and hallway lighting? Let’s take a look, and then check out a couple of great product suggestions that fit the bill.

Living Room Lighting

Because the living room serves such a multitude of uses these days, getting the lighting right can be easier said than done. A lot of the finer touches will come down to the placement of things like lamps or cabinet lighting, but there are also some fundamental considerations worth thinking about long before that point.

Size

Especially with a new build, it can be difficult keeping a sense of perspective between the size of your light fitting and the size of the room. It can be tempting to choose a striking ceiling light to make a bold style statement, for instance, but you don’t want to end up completely overpowering the room.

Balance

Does your choice and placement of light fitting create an even balance of light throughout the room? If possible, try to make sure you’re left with no problem areas with insufficient light, or areas that are too bright for that matter – neither is ideal in the living room.

Direction

If you’re planning to install wall lights, be aware of where the TV is most likely going to go. It’s important that the screen isn’t the only source of light in the room, but you certainly don’t want the two competing against each other.

Up or down

Traditional ceiling lights are the most popular and visually noticeable style of lighting for your living room, but if you want a more understated approach or want to draw attention to the ceiling itself, wall-mounted uplights are an elegant alternative.

Hallway Lighting

The hallway may not be a room in the strictest sense of the word, but don’t overlook it – there’s every chance the hall lights will spend more time switched on than any other light in the house. It’s an oddly shaped space, and unlike any other in the house it’s purely used to walk through, and so should be lit with both those points in mind.

Quantity and placement

The typical hallway is long and narrow, and is unlikely to have a natural light source of its own. This means you’re relying solely on artificial lighting to keep the hallway feeling light and open, but you also don’t have much space to work with. The solution is to install more than just one light – ideally about three to four metres apart.

Safety

The hallway is a busy place in any home, and there’s every chance it’ll be linked to a staircase too. This area needs to be well lit, and should have light switches at both the top and bottom.

Style

Discreetly placed track lighting is both effective and elegant – especially for long hallways – while matching wall and ceiling light fixtures from the same product range can be combined unobtrusively to provide sufficient light without getting in the way. Consider the height of the ceiling too. If you’re designing a new build from scratch, recessed wall lighting is a stylish way to get around that, but otherwise opt for a flush ceiling fitting suitable for hallways with low ceilings.

Recommended: Zaragoza pendant and wall light set

It’s easy to see why the Zaragoza range is so popular, not just in the hallway but elsewhere in the house too. The combination of classic styling, polished chrome finish and simple yet elegant cream, red or black ridged shades makes this an enduring favourite.

The 400mm Three-Light Pendant looks understated, but with three 60W bulb fittings it’s more than up to the task of lighting the dimmest of hallways, and can be partnered by the equally capable semi-circular Standard Wall Light.

The Three-Light Table Light continues in the same vein should you be looking to break up the visual impact of a longer hallway with a well-placed table, while you can add a touch of class to wider or irregularly shaped hallways or entrance halls with the simple yet stylish Standard Floor Light.

Conclusion

Choosing the interior lighting for any new build involves taking a good number of practical considerations into account, but make the right decisions from an informed perspective and there’s still plenty of room for expression and creativity.

This concludes part one of our focus on lighting a new build 2-bedroom home. In part 2 we focus on the bedrooms and bathrooms and in part 3 we concentrate on kitchen/diner lighting as well as other interior and exterior spaces.

If you’re looking for more inspiration, news and advice, please check out Lighting advice.

Charles Barnett Managing Director

LED GU10 – MR16 – good for what?

Posted on 24th August 201229th July 2021 by Charles Barnett

Last updated on 29th July 2021

The GU10 and MR16 have become a massively popular double act, a lighting type you’d be able to find on just about any street in the country. If you want stylish lights, you can’t discount the MR16. For the uninitiated, a MR16 is a multifaceted reflector bulb with a diameter of two inches, while the GU10 is a ceramic bi-pin twist-to-lock mount.

Useful lighting

What makes GU10-variant lights so useful is that they use mains voltage 240v rather than the 12v used by other types of MR16 lights. This makes them lower maintenance in a few respects than low voltage alternatives, especially when designing your lighting.

Most importantly, there’s no need for transformers, making certain fittings such as ceiling lights much easier to fit into rooms – transformers aren’t invisible, after all. The voltage drop in long lengths of cabling is also much less of an issue with GU10s than in 12 volt lights. Of course, there are benefits to lower-voltage MR16 lights too, such as increased safety, greater efficiency and brighter output. Each type has its benefits.

The GU10-MR16 combo has become a mainstay of homes and businesses, but the MR16 started out its life with an entirely different purpose in mind. It was originally designed for use with slide projectors, but now can be found in use in a wide array of domestic and commercial roles.

Directional

Thanks to the reflective glass inner of the MR16, it offers very clear directional light output, making it perfect within recessed ceiling light fixtures, pendants, track light fittings or even standalone desk lights. A key benefit of lights like the MR16 is that they’re small, letting them become “invisible” in-situ much more easily than a traditional incandescent bulb. This is what makes them so useful as ceiling lights, able to fit within much more discreet housings than most other types of lights. If you’re after style and lighting power, you can’t go wrong here.

The directional output also offers great control, letting you keep certain areas in the shadows if need be, although wider-throw options like the wide flood Sylvania Halogen bulb are also available. Wide-throw bulbs tend to offer a beam of up to 60 degrees, which although extremely precise are generally less powerful than the 10 degree models that are also available. The MR16 halogens offer superb overall control over the lighting of a room, or a specific object if moody spotlighting is what you’re after.

Issues

There are a few downsides to halogen-based MR16-GU10 team-ups, though. The pressurised bulb gets extremely hot in operation, which means it need to be placed carefully to avoid becoming a fire risk, and next to modern energy-saving bulbs they’re relatively power-hungry. Our most popular MR16 halogens are 50W, such as our own bestselling low-cost Halogen bulb, and 35W bulbs are also common. The lifespan of a bulb is generally between 3,000 and 5,000 hours too. It’s not bad by any means, but doesn’t match the stamina of LED.

But solved by…

All these little issues are solved by what’s been seen for a long time as a “holy grail” within the lighting biz – an LED-based retro-fit alternative. A bulb like the Sylvania LED GU10 is incredibly versatile and will fit into the same fixtures as a traditional Halogen MR16 model, using the GU10 base and being of a similar size. It’s a little more expensive than the traditional pressurised Halogen type, but for many the extra initial cost is more than worth it.

The Sylvania is rated at 350 lumens, equivalent to a 50W GU10 halogen bulb, but consumes just 5.5W of power. It runs much cooler, and will naturally cost less in electricity too, 87% less than the halogen equivalent. If that doesn’t get your energy bill dropping, nothing will.

Using an array of white LEDs, the Sylvania’s lifespan is incredible – rated for up to 25,000 hours of use, almost ten times the stamina of some halogen bulbs. You could leave these running all day in an office or bar for literally years.

There are very few disadvantages to these new kind of MR16 lights, as they can be dimmed just like more traditional bulbs and pack just as much lighting power. LED GU10s tend to offer quite as highly-directional options as halogens, though, as they do not use the same carefully cut reflective interior that helps to form tight beams in traditional MR16 bulbs.

Efficient lighting

Better for the environment, safer and better for your pocket in the long run, it’s no wonder that thousands of business owners were waiting for years for something like these energy-efficient MR16s to come along. However, whether halogen or LED sounds like your cup of tea, our wide range of bulbs offers the perfect lighting complement to any stylish interior.

Take a look at our full range of LED GU10 light bulbs

Looking for more news, inspiration and advice? Try our Lighting Advice section.

Charles Barnett Managing Director

Why Henry hoover is a vacuum star

Posted on 31st July 201221st September 2021 by Charles Barnett

Last updated on 21st September 2021

Vacuuming isn’t a task that brings a smile to most people’s faces, but one chirpy character has been keeping floors clean with a smile on his face for over 30 years.

Henry, Numatic’s smiley red dust-buster, is the vacuum world’s very own celebrity – instantly recognisable all over the world. Born in Britain in 1981, ‘Henry Hoover‘, as he is affectionately referred to most, is the industry’s very own David Beckham.

Technology has improved dramatically over the last 30 years, and a wave of new and exciting vacuums have hit the market, but Henry is here to stay. He’s even brought his family along to help with the cleaning.

Henry history

It all started in 1968, when Numatic’s founder and owner, Chris Duncan, set out to make a vacuum cleaner from oil drums, with attached carrier handles adapted from suitcases and wheels made from furniture castors. Henry’s smiley face was Duncan’s idea too; he wanted to create a friendly companion for late night and early morning cleaning staff.

In 1981 ‘Henry Hoover’ arrived, mainly cleaning the floors of schools and hospitals, where it was seen by a lot of people who fell in love with the little fella. The vacuum was originally designed for commercial use, but Henry now finds himself cleaning the carpets in homes all around the world too. Numatic make 4,500 products a day, many of which are Henry vacuums (and family members), of which 40% are shipped overseas.

Today, there’s an army of over 7 million Henry vacuums spread across the globe.

Henry the great

So why is Henry Hoover so popular? Well, Numatic’s owner, Chris Duncan, put it best when he said, “it’s simple, relatively cheap, and comes out of the robust tradition of commercial rather than domestic cleaners.”

Ultimately Henry is popular because he’s a great vacuum cleaner. He has a simple design, which is easy to carry, maneuver and store, and it has a powerful suction system that effectively removes the dirt from your floors. It was designed to deal with hard-to-clean commercial floors, and that extra power has been a real hit for homeowners as well as businesses.

The latest iteration of Henry features a full TwinFlo’, two-stage, 1200w professional motor, designed to provide more power but less noise. An AutoSave system helps to conserve energy while vacuuming, using 50% of Henry’s potential power, as well as being 20% less noisy and providing 30% better air quality. However, if you’re cleaning really dirty floors, a flick of a switch increases Henry’s suction power. And although he may look compact, Henry has quite an appetite – he can hold up to 9-litres of dust and dirt, so you won’t have to regularly change his dust bag.

A 10m cable gives you the flexibility needed to easily maneuver Henry around furniture and tight corners. The cord rewinds into Henry when he’s not in use too, making the happy vacuum easy to store away.

Meet the family

After years of doing all of the cleaning himself, Henry has brought his family along to help him out:

Hetty

Hetty (short for Henrietta) is Henry’s sister. Anything that Henry can do, Hetty can do too. The only difference is that she comes in a pretty pink colour, and has long eyelashes.

James

Look at James as the young brother of the family, an enthusiastic member who likes to whizz around and keep your floors clean. He features a new cable tidy system that makes it easy to keep him looking neat, and to store him away, after use. His EcoTwin long life motor keeps the noise levels low and saves energy on previous Henry models. It also shares the same AutoSave settings as Henry.

Charles

Charles is a real grafter, capable of cleaning for 300 hours without a break. What’s more, he’s not afraid of a bit of water, so you can use him to vacuum up spillages as well as dust and dirt. He has a 9-litre capacity for dry mess and 15 litres for wet use. Charles comes with a safety float valve, a commercial filter for dry use, and a 10-piece accessory kit with stainless steel suction tubes.

George

George is the multi-talented member of the family, capable of cleaning dry floors, wet floors, carpets, hard-floors and even unblocking the sink! George has a 3-stage filtration system that cleans to hospital standards, so he makes a great choice for commercial areas, which regularly need to be cleaned to a really high standard.

Henry Xtra

Henry Xtra is a beefed up version of the immensely popular Henry model. It features an Airo Power brush, which is even better at removing stubborn dirt and pet hairs from deep carpets. It’s a good choice for carpeted commercial buildings and pet owners, and also comes with a charcoal activated filter for removing unpleasant odours.

Harry

Harry (POA) is the pet lover of the Henry family, designed to remove stubborn pet hairs from floors and remove unpleasant pet odours. He shares the same specifications as Henry and Hetty, but has a couple of additional features. These include a dual purpose HairoBrush, designed to pick up hair on the floor and on upholstery and fabrics, and a MicroFresh charcoal filter for keeping the air fresh.

Why not take a look at our Numatic range or alternatively check out our full range of vacuum cleaners.

Looking for more news / inspiration? Take a look in our Lighting Advice section.

Charles Barnett Managing Director

T12 Fluorescent Tubes – Production Stops April 2012

Posted on 7th November 201129th July 2021 by Charles Barnett

Last updated on 29th July 2021

From 13th April 2012, T12 fluorescent tubes will cease production. Final stocks are starting to be delivered and we are already seeing an increase in demand as users of the older tubes start to stock up. Inevitably as stocks fall and demand continues prices will increase.

Not sure which tubes you have? T12 fluorescent tubes are 1.5” (38mm) in diameter and have unique wattages compared to other fluorescent tubes: 20W, 40W, 65/80W and 75/85W.

One option is that you could stock up on T12 tubes now and make sure you don’t have to pay the higher price later. Alternatively, you could replace your T12 tubes with the more energy efficient T8 fluorescent tube without a visible output in light reduction. However the third, and far more energy efficient, forward-thinking option is to start using T5 tubes and fittings.

So what’s the difference between the T12, T8 and T5 tubes and how can you change from one to another? The “T” number is the diameter of the tube, measured in eights of an inch e.g. a T8 tube is 1” in diameter, while a T5 is 0.6”. The narrower the fluorescent tube, the more energy efficient it is.

An important point to note is that due to the different sizes of the fluorescent tubes, the lumen outputs are different. Lumens indicate how much visible light is produced by a light source – the higher the lumen output, the brighter the light will appear to the human eye. T12 tubes have a higher lumen output than T8 and T5 tubes, meaning that in some cases it may be required to feature more T8 and T5 tubes in an area to get the same light levels that your T12s were providing. The stated lumen output of a T12 tube is rather deceptive however, as it doesn’t take long for the light to deteriorate.

*Measurements shown are estimates.

T8 Fluorescent Tubes

T8 tubes are designed to fit into most T12 light fixtures. They are more energy efficient than T12 tubes, have a longer life and the lumen output deteriorates at a slower rate.

Browse our range of T8 fluorescent tubes.

T5 Fluorescent Tubes

T5 tubes are the latest and by far the most efficient. They will save you up to 60% off your lighting costs compared with T12s and provide higher lumen-per-watt efficiency than T8 tubes too. They last up to 30,000 hours – three times as long as T12 tubes and twice as long as T8 tubes – saving on maintenance costs. An additional benefit is that they generate less heat, reducing the need for air-conditioning in warm environments.

Replacing your existing fittings for T5 tubes now means you will be prepared for the future. It also allows you the opportunity to make sure your light levels are of the same or a better standard.

Browse our range of T5 fluorescent tubes.

Whatever your decision, our team of experts is on hand to advise you on how to make the switch… just give us a call on 0843 317 7820.

For more news about Lyco Direct try our Lighting News section, alternatively try our Lighting Advice section for some great lighting ideas and guidance.

Charles Barnett Managing Director

Buying Guides – Light Fitting Types – Fluorescent Fittings

Posted on 26th July 201129th July 2021 by Charles Barnett

Last updated on 29th July 2021

When it comes to general lighting, fluorescent lamps have been popular since the 1950s. Nowadays, fluorescent tubes are commonplace in factories, schools, workshops, garages and in some parts of the home.

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs)

A relatively modern fluorescent fitting that is becoming increasingly widespread is the compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL). With many compact fluorescent lamps, the auxiliary electronics are integrated into the base of the lamp, which means they can be used in standard light bulb socket.

Fluorescent Tubes

Fluorescent light bulbs come in many shapes and sizes. They are identified by a standardised coding system that reveals valuable information about operating characteristics and physical dimensions. One key factor is a tube’s diameter, and this is given by the number following a ‘T’ (which denotes ‘tubular’). The figure refers to the tube’s diameter in 1/8ths of an inch, so, for example, a T8 tube would have a diameter of 1 inch.

T5 Fluorescent Tubes

The light output of T5 fluorescent lamps per unit length is almost identical to the larger T8 lamps. T5 lamps cannot be used as replacements for T8 lamps as they are slightly shorter. However, some luminaires can be adapted to accept either T5 or T8 lamps by changing the sockets and ballasts. The T5 is a versatile and effective source of illumination that is ideal for factories, schools, offices, supermarkets, underground railways etc.

Colour Characteristics

By using rare-earth phosphors, T5 fluorescent lamps achieve improved colour rendering and high efficacy. The correlated colour temperature (CCT) and colour rendering index (CRI) of the lamps is determined by the phosphors used in the manufacturing process. The CRI of T5 lamps can be specified from 70 to the mid-90s. For good quality lighting it is advisable to specify a CRI of at least 80.

T5 Ballasts

T5 lamps require special ballasts. These allow T5 lamps to operate at frequencies greater than 20 kilohertz and offer such features as instant start, rapid start and programmed start. In most cases, the T5 ballasts will not work with T12 or T8 lamps.

T5 HO lamps

‘HO’ stands for high output. T5 HO lamps produce more light than standard T5 lamps and are obtainable in higher wattages. HO lamps are available in the same diameter and length as standard T5 lamps.

T8 Fluorescent Tubes

The 32W T8 fluorescent lamp is becoming the standard for new construction and a replacement for 40W T12 fluorescent lamps. T8 lamps are easily available in a selection of straight and U-shaped designs. Compared to T12 fluorescent lamps, T8 lamps have the same 20,000 hour life expectancy and 32% lower typical energy usage, making them an ideal choice for offices, task lighting, schools, conference rooms, halls and retail outlets.

Colour Characteristics

T8 fluorescent lamps achieve both improved colour rendering and high efficacy by employing rare-earth phosphors. The correlated colour temperature (CCT) and colour rendering index (CRI) of the lamps is determined by the phosphors used in the manufacturing process. As with T12 lamps, T8 lamps are obtainable in a range of colour temperatures, including:

Warm (3000 K)
Neutral (3500 K)
Cool (4100 K)
Very Cool (5000 K)

‘Full Spectrum’ lamps are usually 5000K or more, and emit 10 to 20% of their output as UV light. The CRI of T8 lamps can range from 70 to as high as the mid-90s. For great lighting quality it is advisable to specify a CRI of at least 80.

T8 Ballasts

T8 fluorescent lamps require an electronic ballast that are designed specifically to operate lamps at a lower current than T12 lamps. When T12 lamps are replaced with T8 lamps, therefore, the ballast must also be replaced. The advantage of electronic ballasts is that they don’t flicker or hum and they use less energy than conventional ballasts.

T12 Fluorescent Tubes

T12 fluorescent lamps have traditionally been the most commonly used fluorescent tubes and have been installed in millions of homes, offices, retail outlets and schools. Although it was considered energy efficient in the 1970s, the T12’s reduced life expectancy, poor colour rendering and low light output often meant that more lamps and fixtures were usually needed, which generally offset the energy savings. At present, existing 40W T12 fluorescent lamps tend to be replaced by the more effective and more efficient 32W T8 fluorescent lamps.

Wide Range of T12s

The length of T12 bulbs varies from 15 inches all the way to 12 feet. They are available in two basic types: the standard and the high-output. Standard T12 bulbs have two pins on each end of the bulb. They provide a normal fluorescent light level for general applications. They should not be used in very cold areas, as they may fail to light up when temperatures get below 32. High Output T12 bulbs have one rectangular black plastic piece on each end of the bulb. The provide a higher level of light output than Standard T12 bulbs and use more wattage to do so. They are used in cold temperature locations, such as garages, outdoor signs, and freezers.

Please note – T12 tubes have now ceased production worldwide. We strongly advise stocking up on T12 tubes if you are not looking to change your light source in the short term..

2-Pin & 4-Pin

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are miniature versions of full-sized fluorescents that give off light that is similar to common incandescent bulbs rather than the fluorescent tunes used factories and schools. Current UK building regulations require a proportion of light fittings in newly built houses to be designed with 2- or 4-pin sockets, instead of the usual bayonet or screw fittings, so that they will only accept CFLs.

Bases & Sockets

The base of the CFL is the part that plugs into the electrical socket. Bases for CFLs are available in three forms: screw-in, 2-pin, and 4-pin.

Screw-in base – Identical to those used for incandescent bulbs, making them ideal for replacing screw-fit incandescent bulbs.
2-pin base – Found on CFLs with pre-heat starting. Each 2-pin lamp has an integral starter and requires a separate ballast.
4-pin base – Used on CFLs with rapid or instant start. 4-pin lamps require a separate control gear and starting device.

Pin-base CFL lamps are obtainable in a wide selection of outputs and sizes, making them an attractive option for both end-users and specifiers. Bear in mind that CFLs should not be used with the standard domestic wall-mounted dimmer switch. It is possible, though, to dim 4-pin lamps with specialist control gear and a compatible dimming controller.

Charles Barnett Managing Director

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