Information about LED lighting

• LED lamp : 30.000 to 50.000 operating hours. 
• Bulb: 1.000 hours
• Low energy light bulb: between 8000 and 15.000 hours
• Fluorescent tube : 12.000 (T8) or 24.000 (T5) hours
• Halogen lamp: between 1.000 and 5.000 hours

Light color Temperature (Kelvin)

The color temperature of the light that a bulb emits is indicated in Kelvin (K), an ordinary incandescent bulb radiates approximately 2700K. Please take care when you order LED lights that you choose  the correct color in function of the purpose of the lamp. 

• Warm White is 2700-3200K 
• Normal or Neutral white (= daylight) is 4000K 
• Cool White is >6500K .

How is the light output expressed for LED?

The lumens (lm) is a measure of the total amount of light emitted in a light beam, i.e. the light output.  

With LED lighting we get as much light as possible (Lumens) , with minimal wattage.

The number of lumens varies depending on the type of light source:

• For incandescent lamps it’s located around the 13 Lumens per Watt
•  For low energy light bulb around the 60 Lumens per Watt
• LED bulbs get between 75 and 92 Lumens per Watt

• For Halogen: approximately  20 Lumens per Watt
• Fluorescent tubes: 90-100 (Depending On light color/Kelvin and quality)     

What means Candela? 

Candela means candle in Latin. With candela, one means the photometric SI base unit for light intensity. It’s the light intensity that a light source emits in a certain direction. The indication is 'cd'.

Beam Angle

The size of the angle through which the light from an LED bulb is blasting is expressed in degrees, with a smaller beam angle, the light intensity increases (more focused, for example, for reading) because the amount of light did not change. Please take care of the beam angle when you buy LED lights.

What is the meaning of the IP code? 

The IP-code (International Protection marking) is applied to electric devices and markes the degree of protection against intrusion of dust and water. The first number gives the degree of protection against hazardous part (mainly used for dust); the second number gives the degree of protection against humidity. For instance, a device with an IP65 degree is dust tight and protected against water jets.

First number (protection against dust) :

• 0 : no protection
• 1 : protection against touch by the hand
• 2 : protection against touch by the fingers or similar object
• 3 : protection against small pieces
• 4 : protection against pointed objects
• 5 : dust protected (no complete protection against dust but enough to ensure the correct operation of the device)
• 6 : Dust tight : (complete protection against dust,)

Second number (protection against humidity) :

• 0 : no protection
• 1 : protected against dripping water (vertically falling drops)
• 2 : protected against dripping water when tilted up to 15°
• 3 : protected against spraying water (no harm if sprayed between angle of -60° en +60°)
• 4 : protected against splashing of water
• 5 : protected against water jets
• 6 : protected against powerful water jets
• 7 : protected against immersion up to 1m
• 8 : protected against immersion beyond 1m
• 9 : protected against powerful high temperature water jets

What is the IK-degree?

The IK-rating is the degree of protection against external mechanical impacts

• ·         IK01 : 0,14-energy impact (in joule)
• ·         IK02 : 0,2-energy impact (in joule)
• ·         Ik03 : 0,35-energy impact (in joule)
• ·         Ik04 : 0,50-energy impact (in joule)
• ·         IK05 : 0,70-energy impact (in joule)
• ·         IK06 : 1-energy impact (in joule)
• ·         Ik07 : 2-energy impact (in joule)
• ·         IK08 : 5-energy impact (in joule)
• ·         IK09 : 10-energy impact (in joule)
• ·         IK10 : 20-energy impact (in joule)

Is my current transformer suitable for LED lamps? 

If you want to replace your halogen spots by LED spots it is necessary to check if your halogen transformer is suitable for LED spots. LED lamps will have a longer life span with a stabilized transformer (LED power supply).

Which Fitting do I need? 

Fittings which begin with the letter E are screw fittings; the fittings starting with GU are stitch fittings.

These work all on ac power while MR16 works at low voltage (12V), which are usually placed in damp rooms (there is always a LED transformer required).

• E27 Thick screw cap 
• E14 thin screw cap
• GU10 Twist cap (220V)
• MR16 (always works with transformer 12V) 
• G5.3 (always works with transformer 12V) (typically used for AR111)
• G13 (is the fitting of a led tube)

Why does my 12V LED light bulb blink? 

Probably, the problem is with your transformer, not all halogen transformers work equally well with an (additional) low load, such as that of a LED lamp. The lamp is so 'economical' that the transformer gets confused and does not have a constant power supply and as a result the lamp will flash. The solution is to replace the halogen transformer by a 12 volt LED transformer, they are made especially for an additional low load.

Why does my 230V dimmable LED lamp flash or buzz? 

The problem is probably in the wall dimmer. Not all halogen dimmers works well in combination with a very low load, such as that of a LED lamp. The lamp is so economical that it is out of range of the dimmer control so that the lights will blink or are poorly dimmable. The solution is to replace the heavy halogen dimmer by a dimmer suitable for LED.

Can I replace my fluorescent lighting with LED without any problem? 

Each armature is suitable for the LED TUBE replacement, but you should change some things. A fluorescent  tube needs a burner and a ballast to start. These are for the LED lighting not required. Therefore, you need to make a simple adaptation to the armature: remove the starter and connect  the ballast through.

How warm is a LED light bulb? 

LED lights are not so hot, a LED bulb in a normal enclosure can have 40-50 degrees. Outside the LED light bulb you will rapidly not feel the heat anymore. This is advantageous because of the fire safety. Although LED bulbs become less warm, they are more sensitive to high temperatures, the life of an LED bulb for a long period of time is reduced if it is exposed to high temperatures, such as for example closed armatures without air-cooling or over a stove.

My LED light bulb is switched off but still burns lightly 

There is always a little current leakage in your overhead power lines. Around these cables there is always a small amount of current present. This is known as induced voltage. A standard incandescent light bulb needs a significant amount of power.  A LED lamp however, needs only a small amount of current. Due to this induced voltage, a LED lamp can gently continue to burn when the switch is off. Often, this induced voltage will be different per fitting. Therefore, it’s better to try the LED bulb in a different location in your home. You can also use a double pole switch. This will correct this effect.

Which transformers are suitable? 

Single solenoid (LF) and wrapped transformers are suitable for use as power supply for LED lighting. If you look at the transformers in our range for suitable transformers, a high frequency (HF) electronic transformer needs a certain necessary load (often 20 or 35 watts) to start. LED spots consume considerably less and thus constitute a too low load for the transformer, If you use multiple LED spots, you will come in the vicinity of the minimum  load and  the spots will be able to start-up. LED spotlights, however, expect an AC voltage of 50Hz, and not the high frequency voltage which is issued by  the electronic transformer and this will therefore result in a shorter life. Please note that we do not provide warranty if the spots are placed behind a HF electronic transformer.

What is Cree? 

Cree LEDs can be distinguished from the traditional LED lighting by their brightness and warm light color.

The light color approaches the most the halogen light. The advantage is that your bulbs consume substantially less for quasi the same light color.

What is COB?

With COB ( =chip on board) are various small LEDS placed very close to each other giving you the effect of a light panel. Because the light module is at the end of the lamp, you will get a perfect, homogeneous luminous distribution in the area and this with conservation of the atmosphere of the room. Due to their efficiency , these lights give  even more light and this for a lower consumption. 

What is SMD?

SMD is a light emitting diode and is mounted as very small LED chips (of 1x2mm or smaller) on a circuit board. It stands for Surface Mounted Device and has a wide beam. The value of SMD is often added to the description. For example, SMD0603 means 0,06×0,03 inch. As it is so small, the assembly is mainly made automatically. The advantage of SMD LED modules is that they don't become so hot. This improves the longevity. 

What means CRI-index?

The CRI-index (color rendering index) is the degree of authenticity of the colour reflection. The images perceived by the human eye are influenced by the use of daylight or artificial light. Daylight has a CRI-index of 100; incandescent lamps or halogen lamps between 95 and 100. 100 means that the representation of of daylight is faithful. The lower the CRI-index is, the lower the faithfulness of the colours. The CRI-index of LED liighting varies between 70 and 100.
Often, the code Ra is used to indicate the colour rendering index. 

 
How to save energy : how do I calculate my savings when replacing my halogen lamps (or gas discharging lamps)? 

If you replace your current energy consuming lamps by LED lamps, you make a nice economy. This can easily be calculated with the following formula :

Total Wattage current lamps 
----------------------------- -= number of Kwh x 0,25* x number of burning hours**
1000 

You can also calculate what your LED lamps would consume, using the same formula. After this, just make the difference. In addition, you save 2x because your LED lamps also last much longer (see above).

 * Average electricity cost today (2015) in Belgium. Can vary upon the country where you live.
** Number of burning hours : determine the number or hours a lamp burns on one day and multiply this with 365 days - the number of days they don't work (holidays).

Need more information about LEDs? Ask us by mail at [email protected].