Category Archives: technical data

The Best GU10 LED Lamp on Durability, Performance, and Energy Saving (Video)

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The Best Buy GU10 LED Lamp on Durability, Performance, and Energy Saving (Video)In June 2014 Integral LED was awarded by “Which?” with the “Best Buy for GU10 LED bulb” on the categories of durability, performance, and energy saving.

The tests they performed and the results they obtained can be found on their website, but one thing is certain: after a rigorous testing against many of the big name LED manufacturer brands, Which? has awarded the “Best Buy (Spotlights)” in June 2014 to the Integral LED made GU10 PAR16 5.3W 3000K non-dimmable LED lamp.

What we are talking about is a retrofit LED lamp which delivers a warm light and brightness, being the equivalent to a 50W halogen bulb (see the manufacturer announcement on their blog).

Also, this LED lamp features quad high output Everlight LEDs, has an anti-glare refractor, and is finished in aluminium and plastic with a GU10 lamp cap and a thermally efficient body. Great for both commercial use and domestic applications.

This LED light bulb is a perfect replacement for the once-efficient but now energy-wasting and quite inefficient 50W halogen lamps, and this LED lamp can help you reduce your electricity bills by up to 85% instantly.

Think about it: you can save money every month on electricity with a fast pay back of less than a year!

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Technical specifications for this Awarded LED Lamp

  • Wattage: 5.3W (equivalent to 50W halogen lamp)
  • Dimming: non-dimmable LED lamp
  • Type: GU10 PAR16 LED light bulb
  • Light color: warm white 3000K
  • Anti-glare refractor, high quad output Everlight LEDs.
  • Lumens: 350 useful lumens (370lm nominal)
  • Lumens per watt: 69.8lm/W
  • Construction: plastic and aluminium heat-sink
  • Dimensions: 52mm length, 50mm diameter
  • Mains voltage LED lamp, 50Hz
  • IP rating: IP20 rated.
  • Energy rating: A+

More specifications and technical details together with more other pictures and videos for this awarded BEST LED Spotlight in 2014 can be found via our dedicated page for this GU10LS5W LED lamp at SparksDirect.co.uk.

More about the Green-I Energy Saving PIR Sensors, Dimmers, and Timer Switches

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CP Electronics - Intelligent Energy ControlWith 40 years of experience of producing Energy Saving Controls for lighting, heating, and ventilation, CP Electronics has the green-i range of stylish movement sensors, control systems, switches, and timers, allowing you to easily take control of your energy usage by providing simple and effective control solutions.

They boast of being the UK’s no. 1 lighting controls, with a wide experience and a great R & D department composed of engineers who work daily on new ideas and new technologies that are incorporated into their energy saving products.

There are different areas to look at in order to save the energy, and so you need:

  • Ceiling PIR sensors – automatically turn the lights ON or OFF when you enter or leave the room
  • Wall Mounted PIR sensors, Timers, and dimmers
  • A very simple lighting connection unit, the Vitesse Modular range.

Lighting control comes to the forefront of the specifier and builder’s mind when they consider a building, but unfortunately the general public is not yet aware of the benefits and potential of these energy saving devices.

If you visit our showroom we have a beautiful display of the wide range of Green-I energy saving devices from CP Electronics. The products come in a clam shell, which allow the customers to visually see the product and, on the back of the product, the diagrams and explanations show what the product actually does.

To understand what Green-I devices you need for your home or office in order to save the energy, there’s a brochure explaining what each and every device does, which you can pick up in our showroom. In short, this range has:

  • Ceiling PIR – can be installed on the ceiling in the store rooms, small offices, small rooms, etc, and they automatically switch ON the lights when presence is detected, and then turn the lights OFF when no one is in the room.
  • Wall PIRs – they fit a normal light switch, same size, being an easy and convenient replacement for the wall PIR switches.
  • Time delay switches – they retrofit into a normal light switch and start saving energy immediately.

Read more about the Green-I range from CP Electronics you can read our previous articles on the blog like: save energy with Green-I, Advanced Switch Technology, Energy Saving Replacement Like-for-Like, and, Save Money and Energy with Green-I.

The Best LED Dimmers for the Dimmable LED Lights – We’re Almost There!

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More and more of our customers are preferring the LED lights to the halogen or fluorescent lights, and most of those looking for LED lights want to dim them. Using an LED light bulb is energy saving enough, and dimming it will make it even more energy saving.

The LED lights and LED light bulbs are being constantly developed and improved, with more and more “dimmable LED lights” available on the market from reputable manufacturers.

However, there seems to be a problem when it comes to dimming the LED lights: who does LED dimmers that would work across the different existing LED lights that can be dimmed?

Some of the Best Manufacturers of LED Dimmers are…

There are at least three main manufacturers we distribute that can offer effective LED light dimmers:

Varilight came out with their V-Pro Eclique range of LED dimmers, offering one or more touch LED dimmers on a flat plate for remote dimming the LED lightsVarilight came out with their V-Pro Eclique range of LED dimmers, offering one or more touch LED dimmers on a flat plate for remote dimming the LED lights. They come with a tactile touch button with a blue LED glow surrounding it, and they pride of dimming mains voltage, ESL’s, GU10, and almost all low voltage applications, as well as most good quality dimmable LEDs.

The V-Pro Eclique 1G – 4G (both the master and the slave units) are flying off the shelf, since many people prefer to have a high quality LED dimmer that allows you to dim the lights both from one location or from multiple locations. The question is: will this work with ALL the dimmable LED ights out there?

MK Electric also has a wide range of new LED dimmers for a wide variety of LED lampsMK Electric also has a wide range of new LED dimmers for a wide variety of LED lamps, assuring us they offer a reliable dimming solution and allowing us to create an ambiance for comfortable surroundings. You can have either a standalone regular 1 Gang or 2 Gang rotary dimmers or as a MK grid dimmer, both compatible with tungsten filament lamps, low voltage halogen lamps, and dimmable LED lamps.

With a load of 4W – 70W (300W/240VA), these MK LED dimmers can take maximum 10 lamps per circuit and have an intelligent load protection that will prevent lamp wattage exceeding the rating of the dimmer.

Danlers offers a few LED dimmers and LED dimmer units such as DPDLEDDanlers offers a few LED dimmers and LED dimmer units such as DPDLED. They are compatible with many dimmable LED lamps and LED light fittings and are ideal to retrofit onto many existing wall plates (or they can be fitted onto original equipment manufacturers own plates).

Taking a load of max. 250W, the LED dimmer with rotary dimming control and push ON/OFF switching can be used in both 1-way and 2-way switching circuits, and the adjustable spindle on the back of the product allows you to specify the minimum dim level (to help eliminate lamp instability).

LED Dimmers – We’re Almost There!

Looking at the technical specifications of all these LED dimmers we can all agree that we are almost there when it comes to LED dimming. There are many dimmable LED light and LED light bulbs, and there are quite a few LED dimmers made by reputable manufacturers.

However, when someone asks us, What LED dimmer should I buy? – we don’t have an exact answer YET. The most recommended thing to do at the moment is to check with the LED lights manufacturer’s specifications and see which LED dimmers and brands they recommend.

Some LED lights don’t work with some LED dimmers, while some LED dimmers work only with some LED lights. Always read the specifications. Always check with the LED lighting manufacturer.

We are almost there. We’re almost at the point of no return, where ALL the dimmable LED lights will work with ALL the LED dimmers. Until then….read the specifications!

Question: what do you guys think? Which work with what? What’s the situation with the LED dimmers and the dimmable LED Lights? What is your experience? Leave us a comment below.

Did You See the New Illuma High Powered LED Track Spotlights Video Presentation?

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A little over 1 week ago we had the privilege to be visited by someone at Illuma Lighting, and so we took this opportunity to have him filmed as he is introducing range after range from their fantastic offer.

LED spot lights, LED track spotlights, commercial and retail lighting systems, track systems, classical and innovative, you name it: Illuma is a brand everyone who’s into track lighting and spotlights has heard of! Without further a due, here’s the 6 minutes and 45 seconds of the video presentation (see notes below):

Introducing Illuma Rotaspot and Other LED Track Spotlights

  • The Lumapar range of spotlights, with adaptor for the single circuit track system: as simple as “click it and flip it in”. Great for a cafe or bar lighting, hanging on the ceiling or track system.
  • Consistency of design: 15 years from now you will be able to change the fittings with a similar yet more updated track spotlight or fitting.
  • The Illuma Rocket spotlights: a bit of bezel (T425) with a good lumen output. Great for galleries and museums. It uses the latest LED technology.
  • The high powered fittings, the Illuma Rotaspot: 2000lm, 3000lm, and 4500lm LED. It’s a premium range, the best product Illuma does, both in white and black. Put it on the track, and then rotate it / adjust it at the angle you want: 90 degrees, 180 degrees. It goes around, and it allows you to rotate the head both ways. If you mount it on top of something, you can “hide the fitting” and still get the effective light it shines.
  • The Wing LED: similar to Rotaspot, with Phillips inside, but narrower depth and wider surface: a different design.
  • The Torp LED spotlight: slightly more mobility, and it locks in at 190, 150, and 90 degrees.
  • The lighting pattern: high powered LED, you get no “patches” but the light fades out smoothly. Smooth lighting in warm white, bringing out the greens and yellows. If people are involved, it is recommended to have a warm white lighting.

The best people to advise you on the LED spotlights, track systems, and high-power LED lights is, among others, Sparks Electrical Wholesalers.

With our apologies for the many background noises – this filming was ad-hoc, not planned – including the phone ringing (it’s a “problem” we have daily) and other noises, we hope you enjoy their presentation as much as we do! And, we promise, we’ve got more to show you! More videos coming soon.

Are the Most Expensive Chandeliers also the Best Ones for Your Lighting Needs?

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Are the Most Expensive Chandeliers also the Best Ones for Your Lighting Needs? [in the picture: Tiara Pendant Light, one of the best chandeliers at Sparks]We are not called and known as “the Sparks and Lights” showroom simply because “we sell lights”.

Rather, we have been in Archway, North London, for over 20 years now, providing the latest in the lighting design and light fittings, and at the same time offering you the best advice for the light fittings you need either at home, in the office, or for the project you’re working on.

So, we know a thing or two concerning the light fittings. Many times our customers would ask us,

What’s the Best Chandelier You Guys have in Stock?

It is a general question, but the answer is not as easy as you think. We can tell them that a certain crystal chandelier looks great, or a pendant with elegant mother of pearl chips would be nice.

But we first need to know where the chandelier will be installed, what will that room or venue serve as, what kind of lighting you have in the room, what is the design of the room, what is the traffic like for that room, what’s the purpose of the chandelier, what is the room size, what’s the height of the ceiling, etc.

There are many questions which need to be answered before the decision about, The Best Chandelier for Me, can be made. This brings us to our initial question,

Are the Most Expensive Chandeliers the Best Ones?

First of all, yes, the most expensive chandeliers like the Black Umbrella with Gold Interior (introduced here), the Tiara Star Pendant (featured above), the Flos Fucsia 3 Cone Pendant, and other Artemide, Flos, Nemo, and Franklite chandeliers – they all are excellent, with amazing designs and finishes, and they are also manufactured to the highest lighting industry standards.

However, is the most expensive chandelier in a lighting showroom meet the need you have at home? Do you really need the most expensive crystal chandelier in the living room? Do you really need the fanciest chandelier at the office as a centerpiece above the table?

These chandeliers may be the best ones, but you need to consider whether they are the best ones for you, meeting your lighting needs.

Some of the Most Popular Chandeliers and Pendants

This blog post is not meant to discourage you to purchase the fancy chandeliers in our showroom or on our website, but it is only a reminder: make sure you know what type and style of chandelier you need!

You can always pop into our showroom to get more exact advice on this matter, but if you would allow us to suggest you one range of pendants that people prefer, it would be the Balun pendants. In the picture: a wide range of finishes and colors for the Balun Pendants, available at Sparks

You can always pop into our showroom to get more exact advice on this matter, but if you would allow us to suggest you one range of pendants that people prefer, it would be the Balun pendants.

Large umbrella-style hanging lamps coming in different transparent or opaque finishes, the Balun pendants are great especially for companies, offices, waiting rooms, restaurants, modern homes, and other similar settings (read more about the pendants on our blog here, here, and here.

Many of our customers prefer them, and so we would like to recommend them that you would also have a look here to check them out!