Is the LED Festoon Bulb polarity-free？
Yes, LED Festoon Bulb has the positive and negative. Some people may experience that after install the LED festoon bulb, but it's not working. Here we found a best and workable solution，you can try to change the installation direction if it's not lit up after installation.
Why can a blue color underwater light attract sea life?
There are three reasons that can explain why.
1. Water absorbs certain colors of the light spectrum, related to the depth, mostly red and then yellow and green, blue is least absorbed. Deeper than 50m in clear water, there are only blue and green left and fishes in the sea are extremely interested in this kind of blue color. Different particulate materials in the water, that also absorb certain colors, may lead to variations in color, but deeper than 200m there's only blue left.
Scientific research shows that all the fishes have eyes sensitive for blue and green colors. Probably because of the blue and green water these animals live in. Now more and more people get aware that blue color light attracts fishes, shrimp and other sea life at night.
2. Blue color can easily attract sea life, based on the biology of visual receptors in the eyes of water creatures, however blue light is reasonable but not essential. Light at night gets the attention of every creature living under water, the fish as well as the bait, like shrimps, squid or crab. So the best underwater light should have the following advantages to attract sea life:
1. High intensity light.
2. Light emittance in a color similar to the habitat of the fish (blue or green).
3. A portable electrical power supply
4. Submersible light source
5. An LED underwater light should also be taken into consideration, designed with heavy structure, protected against heat dissipation in such low temperature environment. The electrical equipment completely sealed to resist water and vibration. By using an underwater LED light one can avoid the reflection of a great quantity of light on the water's surface.
3. Now you may realize why people use blue light attached to a structure above the water or under water, to attract both fish and animals of their food chain for more fishes.
Why does a Rubber Waterproof Flexible Strip Light turn yellow and fall off after being used less than one year?
1. I have purchased a kind of waterproof Flexible Strip Light on the market. After I have been using it less than one year, why does the light's rubber appear yellow color and to be falling off? And it smells after long working time. If you used the light not even one year, could the problem be poor workmanship and bad rubber material of the light? Maybe!
In this situation, it could be that the rubber of the strip light is not of good quality, maybe the product's quality is substandard, maybe ageing or harsh environments like kitchen and boat usage are the reason. It easily gets dirty or dusty in that environment. After a year in the kitchen where you always cook, there will be always oil and dirt around the light. If used on a boat it's the same, there's always water and fishy spray around. This all may cause the changing of the light's color to yellow.
2. Regarding poor quality of the rubber, before purchasing this kind of light, read the product description carefully and check for a good rubber quality without any other materials mixed. To find a seller with a good reputation is very important too, a well known seller is the first choice.
Another situation is that the ageing may turn the strip light to become yellow, break and fall down. Naturally, everything will become old and nothing lasts forever, especially if the application environment is very harsh.
Below are two ageing Flexible strip light pictures for your reference.
Three tips for using waterproof flexible strip light
1. Use a cover for the light from dirt and pollution in the kitchen
2. Protect it from the spray and water, though its waterproof designed, the spray and the water will be easily turned the light to yellow.
3. Perfect workmanship and high quality pure material.
Which kind of material of the light can be used in Marine environment?
1. For using lights in Marine, there are two kinds of material such as stainless steel and aluminum. Why? For example, 316 Stainless steel has passing resistance to salt fog test. It can withstand such harsh environment. For copper material, when the metal activity is weak, and in the air, water, carbon dioxide, water vapor with sodium chloride, it is difficult to react.
2. What is resistance to salt fog test?
The salt spray test is a standardized test method used to check corrosion resistance of coated samples. Coatings provide corrosion resistance to metallic parts made of steel, zamak or brass. Since coatings can provide a high corrosion resistance through the intended life of the part in use, it is important to check corrosion resistance by other means. When lighting material in Marine environment, it is necessary to built in brass and stainless steel for rough environments, all lights include connection box and cable gland, the wide range covers vessels ranging, it is from 12 meters and up. Pay high attention and very carefully selected materials are used to ensure maximum performance, low maintenance and a long trouble free life.
3. Naturally, these need to be very powerful sources of light, such as LED work light or other Marine lights, its advantage of anti-explosion, waterproof, heatproof, more durable light sources, energy efficient with great working condition on it. It is with a perfect aluminum body that provides such powerful lighting in the sea and resistant to high temperatures and chemical reactions and passes the `salt fog test'. Being a powerful source of light, they often heat up leading to high temperatures. Therefore, while production of these LED work lights, appropriate care is taken so that it does not explode in such high temperature while providing lighting. Further, the aluminum metal body does not react with saline water or even with air.
How do I read a seller of significant errors on the product information?
1. You can compare the lights before you start to purchase, firstly read the description of wattage, lumens, quality, sizes, the cover of the light, or its advantages of lights. A necessary test after you have purchased the light is also considerate. For example, compare the luminous efficiency between two light is also a way to present the truth.
Normally for the luminous efficiency:
Halogen is 10-15lumen per watt
LED is 50-80lumens per watt
CFL is 5-125/60-80 lumens per watt
What is the luminous efficacy going on?
How well a light source produces visible light is so called Luminous efficacy to measure. It is the ratio of luminous flux to power. Depending on context, the power can be either the radiant flux of the source's output, or it can be the total power (electric power, chemical energy, or others) consumed by the source. Now let's choose two kinds of lights, wattage from 8 to 16, then to distinguish luminous efficacy between them.
As you have read the E27 product explanation about luminous efficacy as above, they are same products but different lifespan because of functions are different. As the no.4 wattage is 16, lumens is 590-980, lifespan is reached 150000. For surely it's the most luminous efficacy light when compare others. So I got the conclusion is that the higher the wattage is, the brighter the light will be.
2. There are some sellers claiming that their MR16's wattage could reach 12W. As Philip and cree are well known lighting company, let's see what are the highest wattages of MR16 can be reached between them.
Please take a look at below two, MR16 wattage in Philip is just reached 10W, and Cree MR16 reached 12W, what a surprise, from those two I have figured something out are that sometimes you can find significant errors on the product information, how they describe the products, compare the one you read with others about veracity.
"The equivalent wattage between LED bulbs and halogen bulbs"
"LED: Halogen=1:10"
1. As the innovation and development technology has become more and more creative, to choose the best light, is becoming a confusing thing. When you face hundreds and hundreds lights, how to choose the one I want and what is the best solution for my application? When people compare halogen bulbs and LED lights, most people know that LEDs are more energy efficient, have a longer lifespan, but are more expensive than halogen bulbs. But when you read the form as below then i'm not sure you still think the same.
Halogen bulbs include traces of halogen in their fill gas. It helps deposit evaporated tungsten back to the filament which makes the bulb last longer. LED lights are small but can be clustered together to broaden their applications.
The function of LED light produces lights when an electrical current flows in an arc pattern between two electrodes. Halogen lights produce light by heating up a tungsten filament.
2. Comparison of LED lights versus Halogen lights regarding consumption, Performance (Lumen), Durability, Costs. During the average lifespan, 30 000 hours, of a LED light, you can save almost 3000＄.
3. There are people who purchase a light are mostly considering about the wattage first. Usually they think if the wattage is high, then it will cost low or even better lighting conditions. Actually it's not exactly. For example when a halogen bulb's wattage is 10, but LED is only 1 to or 1.5. Another situation is that when people have a halogen bulb, they think that their bulbs connectors are same. But it is not. Whenever you purchase a light, you have to see the specifications between them.
Three tips for you to know better about LED replacement bulbs efficiently.
What type of fixture to use?
1. LED bulbs are manufactured to fit standard lighting fixtures, so if you use a standard light bulb in the fixture, then you will be able to use a LED replacement bulb.
2. What wattage to buy?
LED bulbs wattage are much less than halogen or fluorescent bulbs, to make the selection as easy for the consumer as possible, you will be able to see something like 4.5W=50W, it means LED bulb uses 4.5watts for an equivalent of 50 watts on a regular bulb. You can just select the wattage of bulb that you want to replace.
Now let's choose two kinds of light and compare about "the equavilant wattage between LED bulbs and halogen bulbs". And that is "LED: Halogen=1:10".
See the form as below.
4. Two LED lights pictures as below for your reference.
Can I control a programmed switch light by an external switch?
LED Strip/bar lights: 13601C
Not work! Why?
As a customer, you can find more and more LED lights equipped with a programmed switch at market. A dimming mechanism included in the switch, so that the light can be adjust to different brightness level, or can be adjust from different lighting colour by pressing the switch. This kind of light seems more intelligent, so it is achieving more popularity.
But customer may ask, can I control a programmed switch light by an external switch?
The answer is No!
The lights with a dimming mechanism in the switch can not be controlled by external switch.
Most this kind of lights are using a kind of technology called Pulse-Width Modulation to realize the purpose of controlling the brightness level or transfer to different lighting colour.
What is PWM?
PWM controller pulse width modulation refers to the use of microprocessor digital output to analog circuits to control. It is a kind of method of analog signal level for digital encoding. Digitally controlled analog circuits, can greatly reduce the system cost and power consumption. Many micro controllers are contained within the PWM controller.
In ALLED Lighting online store, you can find a wide range of this kind of light which includes a programmed switch.
They are as following.
AL13603, AL13601, AL13604, AL13606
AL16937
AL12172C
These modes are listed above can not be controlled by external switch.
If you have question at this aspect, please feel free to contact the customer staff before placing an order.
How many LED lights can be controlled by LED Dimmer?
Some of our customers are wondering about how many LED lights can be controlled by LED dimmer?
Normal customer may have the concept that every dimmer switch has its max load current, if the lights added to the dimmer switch has exceeded the max load current of the dimmer switch. Then the dimmer switch may be overloaded, which will have adverse effect.
As a normal customer, you can make an estimation yourself by taking reference of the label information of the dimmer switch and the lights.
Firstly, read the label information of the dimmer switch. You can find its instructed max load current requirement.
Secondly, read the label information of the lights to find its working current.
Then use the formular below to calculate the maximum number of lights you can connect to the dimmer switch.
Number of lights=max load current of dimmer switch/ current draw of each lights.
For example, if you have a dimmer switch of ALLED at hand which max load current is 8A.
Then you are wondering how many LED Down Lights(0.24A) I can use at it?
Use the formular above.
No. Of LED down light=8/0.24=33.
That is to say, you can connect 33 LED down lights(0.24A) with this dimmer switch.
In a word,
1. Make sure that your light's accumulated load current has not exceed the max load current of the LED dimmer.
2. The load wire must be connected according to installation instruction. Any damage caused by improper operation is not included in in the warranty scope of the manufacture.
12V DC transformer, 2.5A.
How many lights I can connect to my 12V transformer?
There are some people who reflected that why transformer load current appears overloading when they changed halogen bulbs to LED lights?
As you know, using halogen bulbs in domestic environment is usually input voltage 110/240v AC output 12v AC transformers, some people would think that the bulb connector between halogen and LED lights are same, so all they can do is just "Plug-in-play" replacement to LED bulbs. That is so wrong. LED light is especially designed with output 12v DC transformer, if you change your halogen bulb to LED light then you'd better change 12v AC into 12v DC transformer also. If you use input voltage 110/240v AC to 12v AC transformer halogen bulb, then it is fine, but still the wattage must be under the transformer's capacity limit, like halogen down lights, it is especially suits for 12v AC transformer.
How to calculate if the transformer is overloaded?
If the output of a transformer is lower than the consumption of the lights we have an overload situation.
This can be calculated using a formula:
Output of the transformer: Volt x Ampere = Watt
Consumption of the lights: Number of lights x Watt of the lights = Watt
Example:
Output of the transformer: 12 Volt x 1.5 Ampere = 18 Watt
Consumption of the lights: 10 lights x 3 Ampere = 30 Watt
Then we have an overload situation. The lights need 12 Watt more than the maximum capacity of the transformer. This situation will first cause dim lights and after a while the transformer will blow.
In this case 5 Halogen lights with 20 Watt each, they are connected to 1 transformer with an output of 12V, 2.5A.
Transformer Electric output: Volt x Ampere = VA or Watt
In this case 12V x 2.5 A = 30VA (Watt)
Halogen Power Consumption:
5 lights, 20 Watt each = 100VA (Watt)
The light is higher output of the transformer.
If the consumption of the over loading of the transformer,
We can calculate the output of the transformer with the familiar
Then you will have
This leads to a serious overload ratio of the transformer by factor 3.3 and the wiring is too thin by a factor of 4. The question in this case is: Will the transformer first give up and blow or the wiring start to burn. Here the wiring gave up first. During that period of the lights surely flicker.
If one would want to change from Halogen to LEDs in this circuit he would have to alter the Voltage. A white LED is usual driven with 3V, 350mA = 1W. A current limitation of 350mA should be within the circuit of every single LED.
On a transformer with an output of 30VA you can connect, theoretically, 30 LEDs. But the
circuit of the LED will also use about 1.5 VA and you have to adapt the voltage. So you can use around 10 LEDs on a transformer with an output of 30VA.
Transformer loaded current by changing halogen light to LED lights, how many lights I can connect with my transformer?
How many halogen bulbs, or LED lights you can be connect to your transformer depends of the minimum- and the maximum load of the transformer you use and the length of the cables from the transformer to the lamp.
For the first the wattage summery of all connected halogen bulbs- or LED lights should be higher than the minimum wattage of 20-35 W and a bit lower (5-10%) than the maximum wattage of the transformer you use. If the load is too low halogen remain dark, LED's start to flicker.
If it's too high the transformer gets hot, can burn through and the danger of fire is very high.
The second point is that the cables you use must fit to the current that runs through the wire. The longer the wire, the bigger the resistance of the wire will be, the warmer the cable will become, the higher is the risk of fire.
For example a 12V transformer connected with some lights (halogen or LED) with totally 105 W (VA) and a standard cableØ of 2.5mm² the maximum cable length should be no longer than 2m (already included a safety range). See also attached table.
When using LED lights with a 90% lower wattage in combination with a special LED transformer you have no flickering problems and also for a normal LED light installation the cable length is no problem.
So LED lights together with special LED transformer is always the solution to be on the safety side
