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Index: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | O | P | R | S | T | V | W


A
:
Accent Lighting: is a term used for highlighting an area to create a mood or to enhance specific features of a space. Directional lighting to emphasize a particular object or draw attention to a display item
Ambient Light: background and or general illumination.
Ampere (or amp): a unit of measure for current flow that indicates the number of electrons flowing past a point in time.
Anodized Aluminum: to subject aluminum to electrolytic action of an anode cell in order to coat with a protective or decorative film. Benefits: durable, easy to maintain, corrosion resistant
Aperture (of a luminaire): the size of the opening of a recessed luminaire.

B:
Baffle: an element to shield glare at normal viewing angles in one direction along a single axis.
Ballast: electrical device which supplies proper voltage, current, and wave form conditions to start and operate discharge lamps. All fluorescent and HID lamps require a ballast for proper operation.
Beam Spread: the angular cone of light created by the distribution of the lamp, in the plane of the beam axis

C:
Chandeliers: decorative luminaries generally; having many small incandescent lamps that simulate the effect of candle flames. They are hung from the ceiling used for general illumination, typically used in dining rooms, foyers.
Color Temperature: the color appearance of the light that emanates from a source, measured in Kelvin(K). Describes whether the light appears warm (reddish), neutral, or cool (bluish) Incandescent lamps color temp- 2600K to 3100K. Fluorescent lamps color temps 2700K to 7500K
Cove: a concave or canted interior corner or molding, especially at the transition from wall to ceiling. Can be used to shield a light source.

D:
Die-cast Aluminum: silvery-white ductile metallic element shaped by forcing it through molten metal into a die; “a die-cast seal”. Benefits: light and strong, adds value over stamped pieces
Diffused Lighting: refers to when the light is emitted in all directions and most commonly through some type of diffuser such as glass or acrylic.
Diffuser: a material (glass, plastic etc) that disperses light from a source in all directions.
Dimmer: a device that provides variation in the intensity of a luminaire by controlling the voltage or current available. Allows the lamp to operate at less than full light.
Direct Lighting: When the light emitted is directed downward only form a specific light source.
Down Light: surface mounted recessed or pendant luminaire which emits light in a downward direction.

E:
Examples: for reading, food preparation ect
Extruded Aluminum: a silvery-white ductile metallic element shaped by forcing it through a die. Having good conductivity, and thermal properties, it is used to form many hard, light, and corrosion-resistant alloys. Benefits: light, strong with excellent surface characteristics

F:
Fiber Optics: thin flexible fibers that are enclosed by a material of lower index of refraction transmitting light throughout their length by internal reflection.
Filament: the thin fine tungsten wire in an electric lamp, which acts as a conductor and becomes incandescent by the passage of an electrical current.
Filter: a transparent material that modifies the color and or quantity of light by transmission or reflection.
Fluorescent lamp: a low pressure, mercury vapor, electric-discharge lamp having a phosphor coating on its inner surface that transforms the ultraviolet energy generated by the discharge into visible light.
Footcandle (fc): quantity of light on one square foot of surface area one foot away from light source of one candela.
Fully Gasketed: a material (as rubber) or a member (as an o-ring) used to make a joint fluid tight. Benefits: prevents water entry
Fuse: a Safety device that monitors the flow of current; when too much current flows through a fuse, a thin metal strip melts—the fuse “blows”—to stop the flow of current.

G:
Ground wire: a safety conductor that is part of the home wiring system: The ground wire safety shunts dangerous current to earth/ground in the event of a short circuit.

H:
Halogen lamp: is an incandescent lamp with a filament that is surrounded by halogen gases, such as iodine or bromine. Halogen gases allow the filaments to be operated at higher temperatures and higher efficacies. The halogen participates in a tungsten transport cycle, returning tungsten to the filament and prolonging lamp life
Hand-blown Glass: formed or shaped with a hand-held blowpipe. Benefits: delicate and intricate shapes are achievable when designs are created by hand-blown shaping. Consistent forms and shapes are achieved when designs are blown and shaped into molds.
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lamp: A general term for mercury, metal halide and high-pressure sodium lamps. HID lamps contain compact arc tubes which enclose mercury and various gases with other chemicals and operate at relatively high pressures and temperatures.

I:
Incandescent lamp: an electric lamp with a filament that produces light when heated. Also known as: medium base, A19, E26. Dimming an incandescent source increases lamp life and efficiency. One of the oldest electric lighting technologies available. Light is produced by passing current through a tungsten filament, causing it to become hot and illuminate. Incandescent lamps are available in many shapes and sizes.
Indirect lighting: the method of lighting a space by directing the light from luminaries upwards towards the ceiling. The light scattered off the ceiling produces a soft, diffuse illumination for the entire area.

J:
Junction Box: commonly known as a J-box, a container of wires located in a wall or ceiling that electrifies a luminaire.

K:
Kelvin: the unit of absolute temperature used to designate the color temperature of a light source.

L:
Lacquered Steel: steel coated with a clear or colored synthetic organic coating that typically drys to form a film by evaporation of the solvent. Protects the metal from corrosion. Benefits: highest strength, corrosion resistant
LED: Light Emitting Diode
Low Voltage Lamp: lamp operates at 12v and requires a transformer. Lamp that provides both intensity and good color rendition.
Lumen (lm): unit of light energy used to specify light output of sources. It is the rate at which light falls on one square foot of surface area one foot from a source of one candela.

M:
Matte: a dull finish or surface, lacking in luster
Metal Halide: a high intensity discharge lamp in which light is produced by an electric discharge through the combined vapors of mercury and metal halides, which are introduced into the arc tube as compound iodizes.
Molded Thermoplastic: Any of various organic compounds produced by polymerization, capable of being molded, extruded, cast into various shapes; soft when heated and hard when cooled. Benefits: thermoplastic construction allows for the same mold to be used on different models but allows for flexibility in the color and the finish of the canopy. Canopy construction: no exposed screws canopies snap on to a hidden mounting plate. No screws eliminate the possibility of a scratched canopy during mounting. Much more aesthetically pleasing.

O:
Opaque: blocking the passage of light.

P:
Pendants: a luminaire that is suspended from the ceiling by a stem, cord, rod, chain, or support cable.
Pin-Up kit: a wall sconce that has a mounting that contains an electrical plug and the ability to be plugged into a wall outlet. The benefits of this configuration, is it does not have to be hardwired.
Polycarbonate: any of a family of thermoplastics characterized by high-impact strength, lightweight, and flexibility, and used as a shatter-resistant substitute for glass. Benefits: lightweight, excellent resistance to UV rays.
Polyester Powder Coating: painted finish made up of polyester material in the form of powder which is electrostatically sprayed onto metal surface Benefits: extremely durable finish with excellent corrosion resistance.
PVC: a common thermoplastic resin, used in a wide variety of manufactured products, including rainware, garden hoses, records and floor tiles. Benefits: lightweight and flexible

R:
Reflector: devise used to redirect light from a source.

S:
Sconces: are decorative wall mounted luminaries.
Solid Stainless Steel: an alloy of steel with chromium and sometimes another element that is partially immune to rusting and ordinary corrosion. Benefits: unsurpassed corrosion resistance, optimal for harsh coastal environments

T:
Task Lighting: specially designed to illuminate a desk area while minimizing reflections. Gives concentrated lighting to a specific area used for tasks.
Tempered Glass: created by the mixing of materials in the glass to form strong and resilient glass. Benefits: excellent heat and shatter resistance
Thermo-extruded Glass: heated and shaped by forcing through a die Benefits: excellent finish and clarity can create designs that are in long thin pieces.
Thermoformed Sanded Glass: to give final shape to the glass with the aid of heat and pressure. After the glass is formed it is sandblasted. Benefits: excellent diffusion characteristics, less expensive than hand-blown glass.
Torchiere: a portable luminaire suitable for standing on the floor, which directs most, or all, of its light upward.
Transformer: a device with two or more coupled wingsing, used to convert the supply of electric power at one voltage in a primary circuit to a lower voltage in a secondary circuit.

V:
Voltage: the electrical power needed to operate a lamp. US standards are: 120v in most building types, 240v, 277v, 480v typically in commercial buildings and large industrial buildings.

W:
Watt: The unit for measuring electrical power. It defines the rate of energy consumption by an electrical device when it is in operation.