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Posts in the candelabra category

Dress Your Home or Office Up With Halogen Candelabra and Globe Light Bulbs

When it comes to decorative light bulbs you have many choices, not only between bulb types but also bulb shapes. By decorative light bulbs I mean bulbs that are fully exposed or partially exposed. Decorative bulbs typically fall within two general families: candelabra and globe shape light bulbs. Though the candelabra family of light bulbs include far more shapes than the globe, the globe shape is very common, especially in bathrooms and theatres. Among the most popular globe shape bulbs is the G25. The G25 is available in halogen and CFL types, allowing you to achieve two very different types of light. Halogen G25s are available in various wattages and come with different types of glass envelopes. Whether you choose a halogen G25 with a crystal or standard glass envelope, your bathroom, theatre, or wherever else you decide to use one will benefit from the bright, elegant light. CFL G25 shapes offer light in 2,700K and 3,000K versions and at a quarter of the wattage of halogen G25 bulbs. Furthermore, CFL G25s will not produce nearly as much heat as a halogen, making them the better choice where you need your space to remain cool. The one downside of CFL G25s is that they do not have the option of the more aesthetically appealing clear glass envelope.

Candelabra bulbs generally refer to a family of shapes including B10, B13, C7, C9, crystallite, flame and more.Candelabras are offered in numerous bulb types including CFLs, LEDs, halogens, and incandescent. As you may or may not know, candelabra bulbs are used in numerous applications from wall sconces, to chandeliers, to electric candelabras, and other applications. Incandescent and halogen candelabras produce similar types of light, though halogens typically last a bit longer. Incandescent and halogen candelabras are still the standard for chandeliers and sconces where an unconventional bulb-shape can be disruptive. Though this may be true, CFL and LED candelabrasfeature outstanding energy savings and produce close to no perceptible heat. Furthermore, Osram’s LED candelabrasfeature color changing which can really liven up any room.

Hopefully this guide to halogen decorative light bulbs has been informative and you now feel confident in choosing the right one for you. In addition to a wide selection of halogen candelabras and globes to choose from, BulbAmerica also has an extensive catalog of LEDs, stage lighting, CFL, medical lighting, MR16s, and automotive lighting products to choose from, so be sure to check them out. As usual, leave us a comment or question on our Facebook or blog, or give us a call at 1-877-622-0897.

By Victor Lopez | 12 November, 2014 | bulbs, candelabra, cfl, g25, globe, halogen, led, lights | 0 comments | Read more

In the Spotlight #7: Choosing the Right CFL Shape

By BulbAmerica Editor

As CFLs become the go-to replacement for incandescent bulbs, they continue to multiply in the number of shapes they are offered in. What shape should you choose and why? These are good questions and in this article I will answer them for you, so let’s get started. CFL shapes can be broken down into two general shape categories, open shape CFLs and closed shape CFLs. Open CFLs refer to CFLs where the glass envelope is plainly visible such as in twists, mini-twists, and triple tube lamps. Closed CFL bulbs refer to CFLs where the envelope is concealed by another envelope such as with A-shape CFLs, globes, candelabras, bullets, and others.

The criteria you should use for deciding between closed and open shape CFL is the bulb’s application. Are you going to be using it in an enclosed fixture or in a partially exposed application like in certain wall sconces? For enclosed fixtures, most people go with open CFLs for two predominant reasons. The first is that open CFLs, such as mini-twists are often less expensive and less appealing to look at than closed bulbs, so people try to use them wherever they can get away with it. Furthermore, closed CFLs are often enclosed in an additional frosted glass envelope, further diffusing the light. Enclosed fixtures often come with frosted plastic or glass diffusers, therefore by using an A-shape CFL, or other such closed CFL, in an enclosed fixture you could be softening the light excessively or simply using redundant diffusers and wasting money. Put simply, my rule of thumb is that forclosed fixtures use open CFLs, and for open fixtures use closed CFLs. This should give you the light bulb and light you want.

When it comes to choosing between the different open CFL bulbs, you’ll again, want to take application into consideration. For lamps with shades, you’ll likely want to choose an open CFL with a smaller, more slender profile, such as a quad or triple tube bulb or a mini-twist. For larger fixtures, twist bulbs are a good choice. Similar considerations should be made when choosing among closed CFLs. Globe and Candelabra CFLs are typically used in more decorative or specialty applications like bathroom lighting or wall sconces, where the shape of the bulb itself is important. A-shape bulbs are good in many applications. Don’t forget about closed R (reflector) or BR (bulge reflector)bulbs either, they are typically used in recessed applications or ceiling fan fixtures. Hopefully this guide has been helpful and will assist you in navigating the numerous CFL shapes available.

Don’t forget to make BulbAmerica your one stop shop for CFLs. No matter what CFL you need, we’ve got it! As usual, leave us a comment or question on our blog or our Facebook. Also don’t forget to give us a call at (888)505-2111 with any further inquiries you have.

By Victor Lopez | 11 November, 2014 | candelabra, compact fluorescent, globe, light, news | 0 comments | Read more

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
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