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This is the electric bill for our showroom in Northern California for the month of March. We are 900 square feet and packed full of lights.
Keep in mind that our electric bill was actually $160.00. The utility taxes are what brought the amount to $177.00.
This price also includes us running our air conditioning.
The reason our bill is so low is that most of our lights are low voltage halogen. These bulbs use much less energy than normal light
bulbs. In addition, since they're much brighter, we can use lower wattage bulbs and still get usable light.
Much of our display is also regular voltage halogen lighting, including floor, wall and ceiling lamps. Even with the higher voltage
halogen lamps, you can get excellent and efficient lighting for your home or business
Q: I've seen all these news reports about Halogen lamps causing fires. Are they really this dangerous?
A: What the news reports fail to tell you is that virtually any light source of 300 or 500 watts (the offending wattages referred to in the stories) will cause a fire. They make it seem that Halogens are dangerous and all others are safe. This is not the case. If you just treat *all* bulbs with some common sense, you will drastically cut any danger of fire. In other words, make sure the bulb has cooled down before you touch it. If you have a floor lamp, of any wattage, keep it away from any flammable objects.
Q: What does low voltage mean?
A: In the case of our systems, it means to have a light
running off of 12 or 24 volts as opposed to the standard 120 volts running through your home or business.
Q: What is the advantage of low-voltage?
A: Low-voltage halogen fixtures use less energy, produce
more light and last much longer than regular incandescent fixtures. In addition, they provide a much higher color rendering output than incandescent and flourescent. In other words, their light production is very close to that of sunlight. Therefore, low voltage lighting is excellent for artwork and display lighting.
Q: What sort of special wiring do I need to put in a low
voltage system or light?
A: None. Electrically, all the systems and fixtures mount
just like any simple light you would buy elsewhere.
Q: How does the voltage get to 12 volts from the 120?
A: You need a transformer to step down the voltage. The
transformer can be plugged in, hard wired or mounted directly to a electrical
(junction) box.
Q: Can they be dimmed?
A: All halogen lights can be dimmed.
Q: How much more light do these bulbs produce?
A: Anywhere from two to three times as much light as a normal
incandescent.
Q: How long do the bulbs last?
A: Different quality bulbs will have varying life spans.
For the bulbs which we use, you will get 2,000 hours to 10,000 hours depending
on the style of the bulb. If you dim the bulb, you will extend it's life
span.
Q: Do the bulbs only come as spots?
A: No. Most bulbs we use come in a variety of beam spreads.
You have your choice of a narrow spot, medium flood, regular flood and
a super wide flood. We also have special diffusers to flood the light even
more.
Q: These 12 volt system have exposed wires; what happens if I grab
them?
A: In normal circumstances our low voltage systems
are totally safe to the touch. You won't feel a thing. Even so, you're
still dealing with electricity- so be careful. Always turn off the system
to change bulbs and such. And if you're wet- dry off first.
Q: I've heard that you must use 80% of a transformers capacity.
A: In most cases that is true. But our transformers allow
you to max out the wattage. So with a 300 watt transformer, you can use
all 300 watts.
Q: How do I go about figuring out what I need for a cable
system?
A: First figure out how long the stretch will be. Remember
to double the amount of cable for the run since you need to hang two cables.
For example, a ten foot run would require twenty feet of cable.
Second, decide if you are going to mount the ends of
the run to a wall or ceiling. You can have both ends attach to a wall,
or to a ceiling or a combination of the two.
Finally, figure out how many lights you want to use.
Bulbs come in 20, 35 and 50 watts. Add up the wattage of the bulbs you
want. That total will equal the size of the transformer you need. So if
you have six fixtures and you want to have them 50 watts each, you1ll need
a 300 watt transformer.
That's it. If you have any further questions please
contact us and we can help you figure it out.
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