Lamps for ceiling fans and light kits

Which types of lamps are available?

Consumers might find the huge selection of different light sources confusing at times. We would like to shed light on this matter and introduce the most popular illuminants.

Halogen lamps
Halogen lamps are a type of incandescent bulb that is filled with a halogen. This ensures a service life twice as long as standard incandescent lamps. The emitted light is brighter (whiter) than its precedessors. The minor energy savings in comparison to the “original” still do not make it the most suitable solution for the future.

Fluorescent lamps
Fluorescent tubes come in various colours and shapes and can even be used as a black-light lamp. Among others they are filled with mercury vapour that triggers the fluorescent coating once the current flows. Energy efficiency and service life of these tubes range from a medium to long duration, though the toxic mercury makes production and recycling difficult.

Energy-saving lamp
Do not be fooled by fancy descriptions drawn up in the marketing department. The generic term “energy-saving light” or “low-energy light bulb” simply refers all lamps that consume less power than old incandescent bulbs. Usually the name is used for compact fluorescent lamps that are filled with neon or mercury vapour. Compact fluorescent lights come with tubes that are wound in a way that allows them to fit into common fittings like E27. This ensures use with all prevalent electric devices with standard lamp socket and screw bases. After turning the light on this lamp needs a couple of seconds to reach its full brightness.

Definitions and reference values

The brightness of the lamps is not so easily derived from the wattage nowadays. The lumens value is what really matters, it describes the visible brightness of the luminous flux. If you have the values of Lumen and Watt, simple division will tell you the light efficiency.

Example:
Standard incandescent bulb with 60 Watt, 730 lm = 12 lumens per Watt
LED bulb with 17 Watt, 1200 lm = 71 lumens per Watt

The Lux value indicates the illumination level (light intensity) in a certain spaces.
Lux = lumens/m²
In comparison: Lighting in the office that we perceive as pleasant has about 500lx, in our living room at home 50 lx have the same effect.

The higher the angle of the reflected beam is, the bigger the diameter of the light cone is. For example, some diodes shine tightly focussed at a pinpoint directin, other lamps cover a large area and are used for illuminating living rooms. A beam angle of 120° is sufficient to light up a room.

Natural sunlight during the day equals a colour rendering index Ra100 and a colour temperature of 5000 K. The closer artificial lighting gets to these value, the more “natural“ we perceive it. For a warm, cosy atmosphere in the evening a high amount of red colour (2500 K) feels pleasant, in the office the light can be more blue and stimulating with about 6500 K. LED with colour shift feature have the benefit of adjustable colour temperature, meaning you are free to switch from warm to cool white as you like.

Low-energy lamps that are operating with warm gas have a heat-up phase because the brigthness depends on the temperature. The timeframe required until 100% output is reached is often stated in seconds.

Switching the lamp on and off frequently comes at the price of wear and tear. The swtiching capability determines how many switch cycles the lamp can survive on average. The incandescent bulb can be switched about 1000 times until the tungsten filament broke down. 2 operations per day (on and off) therefore equal 500 days, meaning the actual service life of 1 year is realistic since the light is used more often than that.
The operating life of modern lamps is often stated in hours. Assuming 50,000 hours and the supposable (estimated) operating duration of 3 hours per day this results in a service life expectancy of about 45 years.

3 h = 1 day
50,000 h = 16,666.67 days
= 45.67 years

Common lamp bases and sockets

When Edison first started with mass production of bulbs in 1880, the need for a uniform base became clear. For years the original Edison screw base became the standard. This invention was seen as an irrefutable part of everyday life and for a long time bulbs were designed with this base. The lamps are often screwed into the socket. The digits of the bulb description indicate the diameter of the contact point in mm, for example E24 measures 24mm, E14 measures 14mm and so on.

In order to allow the use of new LED and other low energy bulbs in existing sockets, they were designed with conventional bases and sizes. Within the scope of a world-wide distribution manufacturers began adding new bases to cater to international demand.

Replacing and disposing of illuminants

Used bulbs in a ceiling fan can be replaced as long as they are easily accessible underneath the lamp shade (screwed in, not integral). Safety precautions are essential, the power must be turned off on the fuse box! It is not enough to switch of the lights with a wall control or remote control, because the power is still there. Find out whether you hit the right switch on the fuse box by trying to turn on the ceiling light / fan. If the device does not react you can begin to exchange the bulb. If you are using a step ladder, please make sure it is placed firmly on the ground.

Thermal radiators must cool down before you can touch the glass without the risk of getting burned. LED lamps also develop heat after a long time of operating. Lamps with a screw base can be taken out easily. Do not squeeze the bulb too hard though, otherwise it will shatter. The glass of the new bulbs you are inserting should also be touched as little as possible to prevent finger prints and grease spots.

- First step as always: disconnect the power supply.
- In case of smaller devices with lights, e.g. a desk lamp it is enough to pull the plug.
- Bulbs with pin base, e.g. LED are squeezed a little at their base and then pulled out.

When buying a new bulb you should make sure that the wattage of the bulb does not exceed the maximum permissible wattage of the lamp. In the item descriptions of our ceiling fans with lighting you will always find the specs about lamp base and how many Watt the bulb can have. In case of several lights (spots) you will be give the maximum value per spot or the total value. Example: 3 x E27 base, 3 x max. 40 Watt
If you forgot which wattage the lamp has, simply check the indication at the side of the screw base. Do not use an incompatible lamp, it increases the risk of a short circuit and fire hazard.

What does “Integrated lamp“ or “Bulb cannot be replaced“ mean?
Integral lamps, usually diodes, cannot be replaced with commercially available standard lamps. It is recommended to contact the manufacturers and brands of these items directly about potential replacements and spare parts.