FAQ's - Commercial Lighting Information

CovRguard Saf-T-Gard lamps offer extraordinary protection with minimum light loss, block most ultraviolet light emissions, and meet FDA, NSF, and OSHA standards, keeping your surroundings bright and protected.

The new incandescent lamps utilize a coating for breakage protection, and offer superior energy-efficient and an outstanding quality of light for whatever the application. The fluorescent lamps have a polycarbonate coating. Both coatings help contain the glass in the event of breakage protecting the area from flying glass.

Because incandescent and halogen bulbs create light through heat, about 90% of the energy they emit is in the form of heat (also called infrared radiation). To reduce the heat emitted by regular incandescent and halogen light bulbs, use a lower watt bulb (like 60 watts instead of 100).

Fluorescent light bulbs use an entirely different method to create light. Both compact fluorescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes contain a gas that, when excited by electricity, hits a coating inside the fluorescent bulb and emits light. (This makes them far more energy efficient than regular incandescent bulbs.) The fluorescent bulbs used in your home emit only around 30% of their energy in heat, making them far cooler.

Incandescent lamp life can be shortened by vibration or shock and supply voltage swings. If a lightbulb is going to be in an environment where it is exposed to vibration or shock, such as a garage door opener light or ceiling fan, you should try to use a lamp with a stronger filament. GE manufactures lamps specifically for these two applications along with the Survivor vibration-resistant and "Ruff-n-Tuff" rough service lamp.

Another cause of general incandescent lamp failure (other than leaving them on all the time) is high voltage. While utilities usually do a pretty good job of voltage regulation, they sometimes have little control. State regulatory boards allow them certain specified leeway because of anticipated load, local load peaks, and other criteria. The allowable limits are usually in the order of ten percent, which on your nominal house voltage of 120 volts would allow a range from 108 to 132.

Incandescent lamps are very sensitive to voltage. A lamp rated at 120 volts, for example, would only last 1/2 of rated life if subjected to 125 volts, or 1/3 of rating if the average voltage applied were 130 volts.

The first thing you should do is to keep track of how long the worst offenders are lasting. How long are your lamps burning? Be sure not to count the time that they are turned off. Typical incandescent bulbs are rated at 750-1000 hours, meaning approximately 2-1/2 changes per year.

The next step may not be easy. The only way to tell what average voltage your bulbs are experiencing is to attach a recording voltmeter to the circuit you are testing so that it records only when your lights are on. This step should only be accomplished by a licensed electrician. If you determine that you are receiving higher than rated voltage you will need to contact your electric utility to fix it.

In general, the PAR family of lamps, which typically includes spotlights and floodlights, is preferred for outdoor applications over lamps made with thinner glass and glass that is not heat resistant. However, PAR lamps are susceptible to breakage if cold water drips or splashes on hot glass. Therefore, many of our spotlights and floodlights contain caution statements on the package warning about use outdoors to alert you to the possibility that if water splashes or drips on the glass when the glass is warm or hot the glass could break. If you want to use this lamp in an outdoor application, the possibility exists that water could drip or splash on the glass. Thus, an outdoor lighting fixture that protects the glass from dripping or splashing water should be installed.

Insects and humans have different visual perceptions. This allows for people to have better control of nocturnal insect nuisances by adjusting the color of lighting.

The human visual system is activated by radiant energy in the color range from deep blue to dark red, which we call light. The vision of flying insects, however, is shifted away from long-wavelength red toward the shorter blue and near ultraviolet (black light) wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. Sources which radiate ultraviolet energy and blue light are most attractive to flying insects, while those with a deficiency of ultraviolet and blue are less attractive. Insects see black light fluorescent, mercury, and metal halide best. Lamps which insects have a difficult time seeing include incandescent, high-pressure sodium, and bug light incandescent (yellow).

RESIDENTIAL AREAS Homeowners can reduce insect annoyance by using incandescent "bug lights", gold fluorescent, or high-pressure sodium near entrances. Unfortunately none of these sources render complexions, flowers, or greenery very well because of their lack of blue light. In addition, any light source near doorways should be shielded from horizontal view so that the flying insect will be less apt to see it. If possible, the light source should be located a short distance from the entrance and the light should be directed to illuminate the entrance. Note that incandescent "bug lights" do not repel bugs - they just don't attract as many as plain bulbs because the insects cannot see the yellow light as well as they can see blue or ultraviolet light. Another tip is that decks, patios, and particularly barbecue and eating areas should be lighted from a distance. The custom of stringing colored bulbs for a festive atmosphere will work reasonably well if the majority of light in the area is beamed in from some distance away.

COMMERCIAL AREAS Elimination of insect pests from commercial food preparation and serving areas is particularly important for health reasons. Many food preparation areas are protected from flying insects by a combination of lighting systems and insect traps. Due to the fact that insect systems need to comply with the National Electrical Code or the Canadian Electrical Code, specialists in the field of insect lighting should be involved with any design.

INSECT TRAPS Most insect traps use black light fluorescent lamps as an attractant. Some traps destroy the insects by use of an electrified grid while others trap the insects on a renewable sticky surface. An obvious caution is to install the traps outside the area you are trying to protect. The 9th edition of "The IESNA Lighting Handbook" recommends placing trap lamps 30- to 60-m away from the perimeter of the area you are trying to protect from entering insects. Specialists should be consulted to determine specific types of traps and their locations.

According to "The IESNA Lighting Handbook," incandescent lamps are frequently used to light flowering plants since they are strong in the red portion of the spectrum. However, incandescent lamps give off considerable heat and if used without care can damage plants. This includes reflector lamps.

To avoid excessive heat, consider using GE's new compact fluorescent reflector lamp (GE FLE20TBX/L/R40, Product Code 40332). It provides light with less heat than the incandescent reflector lamp. Plus, it uses only 20 watts of electricity, has a 10,000-hour average life, and a warm color (2700K) useful for flowering plants.

The Document Library contains downloadable PDFs, including the latest full-line catalog and product sell sheets with in-depth product specifications.

GE does not offer fixtures (sockets, lamp bases, lampholders, etc.) for the Circline fluorescents. Electrical distributors often carry lighting fixtures. Look in your local Yellow Pages or on the Internet to find the distributors or manufacturers of lighting fixtures.

Because incandescent and halogen bulbs create light through heat, about 90% of the energy they emit is in the form of heat (also called infrared radiation). To reduce the heat emitted by regular incandescent and halogen light bulbs, use a lower watt bulb (like 60 watts instead of 100).

Fluorescent light bulbs use an entirely different method to create light. Both compact fluorescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes contain a gas that, when excited by electricity, hits a coating inside the fluorescent bulb and emits light. (This makes them far more energy efficient than regular incandescent bulbs.) The fluorescent bulbs used in your home emit only around 30% of their energy in heat, making them far cooler.

Halogen is a type of incandescent lamp. It has a tungsten filament just like a regular incandescent that you may use in your home, however the bulb is filled with halogen gas. When an incandescent lamp (one which produces light by heating a tungsten filament) operates, tungsten from the filament is evaporated into the gas of the bulb and deposited on the glass wall. The bulb "burns out" when enough tungsten has evaporated from the filament so that electricity can no longer be conducted across it. The halogen gas in a halogen lamp carries the evaporated tungsten particles back to the filament and re-deposits them. This gives the lamp a longer life than regular A-line incandescent lamps and provides for a cleaner bulb wall for light to shine through.

The life of incandescent and halogen light bulbs, referred to as tungsten filament lamps, is limited by the state of the filament. The filament is the wire inside the bulb that produces light when heated. The light bulb will not work if the filament is broken which may occur as a result of the application of force, such as dropping the bulb, or by lack of tungsten in a particular area over the filament. During the operation of tungsten filament light bulbs, tungsten from the filament evaporates into the gas inside the light bulb. When the tungsten comes in contact with a cool surface it will condense. Often, with incandescent products, the tungsten condenses on the bulb wall. Because the tungsten is redeposited on the wall instead of the filament, the filament grows thin over time. Eventually, there will be a point on the filament with so little tungsten that the filament will break and the light bulb will stop working.

Halogen light bulbs have a special gas inside their bulb containing halogens. The halogen gas facilitates the "halogen regenerative cycle" which means that the halogens carry the evaporated tungsten back to the filament instead of allowing it to deposit on the bulb wall. By placing the tungsten back on the filament instead of the wall, it delays the filament breaking due to lack of tungsten. Although the halogen cycle significantly increases the life of the light bulb, it cannot last forever because the halogen gasses cannot place the tungsten on a specific spot on the filament to avoid any place having too little tungsten and breaking.

To avoid unnecessary self-induced short life problems with Halogen and HIR lamps, follow these simple guidelines and you will receive the extraordinary benefits derived by their use.

• Avoid striking, jolting or rough handling of the lamp when installing it or aiming it.
• During operation, lamps are extremely hot and should not be touched to adjust or aim them.

Get more detailed information (PDF | 57KB)

The term "dichroic" applies to GE MR16 lamps specifically, not in general to low-voltage halogen lighting. For the GE MR16 lamp, dichroic describes the type of coating on the reflectors. These coatings can also be described as "multi-layer interference films". They are made up of dozens of layers of thin materials that have the unusual property of selectively reflecting or transmitting certain wavelengths of visible light, IR, and UV. Such dichroic coatings have been used since the 1960s to reduce the heat in the beam of certain reflector lamps (GE calls them "Cool-Beam" lamps). MR16 ConstantColor™ coatings are more sophisticated since they not only reduce the heat in the projected beam (up to 66%), but also absorb UV and control the color and amount of the light from both the front and back of the lamp - keeping it constant over the life of the lamp. The coatings are also very durable and will not flake off or deteriorate as the lamp burns.

MR16 lamps without cover glass should only be used in a closed fixture (fixture that keeps all parts of bulb enclosed) since the filament tube of all MR16 lamps is pressurized. In the unlikely event that the filament tube breaks, the closed fixture keeps glass particles from leaving the fixture. MR16 lamps with a built-on cover glass can be operated in an open fixture since the cover glass will contain any broken pieces of the filament tube.

In general, the PAR family of lamps, which typically includes spotlights and floodlights, is preferred for outdoor applications over lamps made with thinner glass and glass that is not heat resistant. However, PAR lamps are susceptible to breakage if cold water drips or splashes on hot glass. Therefore, many of our spotlights and floodlights contain caution statements on the package warning about use outdoors to alert you to the possibility that if water splashes or drips on the glass when the glass is warm or hot the glass could break. If you want to use this lamp in an outdoor application, the possibility exists that water could drip or splash on the glass. Thus, an outdoor lighting fixture that protects the glass from dripping or splashing water should be installed.

Tungsten filament lamps, such as halogen and incandescent, provide minimal UV. GE's ConstantColor® MR16 lamps are made using special quartz, which has properties that enable it to filter out nearly all of the UV portion of the spectrum.

The coating used on infrared halogen PAR lamps is made from tantala and silica. It is applied only to the outside of the bulb.

GE's ConstantColor™ lamps with dichroic coatings and halogen-IR lamps are the two best halogen options for reducing IR. The halogen-IR lamps have a coating on the filament tube to redirect the IR back to the filament to make the lamp emit light that is not only cooler, but also brighter for the same amount of energy as a comparable halogen lamp. In the case of our MR16 ConstantColor™ lamp, a special dichroic reflector allows two-thirds of the infrared radiation emitted by the filament to be directed back toward the base of the lamp. Thus, the forward beam of light contains up to 66% less heat.

MR11s and MR16s are a directional light source, and are only measured by center beam candle power, which is the average amount of luminous intensity, or how bright the light is, at the center of the beam.

HIR stands for Halogen-IR. An IR (infrared) coating is placed on the filament tube of some of our halogen lamps. This multiple layer coating not only absorbs UV but also re-directs IR (heat) back onto the filament. By re-directing the IR back to the filament, the lamp produces more light for the same amount of energy and the amount of heat generated by the lamp is reduced when compared to standard Halogen products. Therefore HIR saves money by:

• Lowering UV emissions
• Reducing energy costs
• Lessening A/C loads
• Improving preservation of perishable displays

The Document Library contains downloadable PDFs, including the latest full-line catalog and product sell sheets with in-depth product specifications.

Yes. Visit the Lighting Solutions website to learn more.

The Document Library contains downloadable PDFs, including the latest full-line catalog and product sell sheets with in-depth product specifications.

With GE's new line of UltraMax™ ballasts, lighting systems save more energy, become more adaptable, and deliver optimal lamp performance.

• UltraMax ballasts can virtually "read" the incoming voltage and adapt automatically to any voltage from 108V to 305V.
• Multi-Voltage Control (MVC) means fewer models handling more jobs, which reduces inventory requirements.
• UltraMax's high efficiency design results in ultra-cool operation, providing AC energy savings during peak demand periods.
• UltraMax is the only full line of T8 ballasts with a UL type CC anti-arc rating.

View Product Brochures

Fluorescent light bulbs need a ballast because they use a gas to create light. When the gas is excited by electricity, it emits invisible ultraviolet light that hits the white coating inside the fluorescent bulb. The coating changes the ultraviolet light into light you can see. (Because fluorescent bulbs don't use heat to create light, they are far more energy-efficient than regular incandescent bulbs.)

The combination of gas, electricity, and coating in a fluorescent bulb is so effective at producing light that, without something to regulate the electricity flowing into the bulb, the light will continue to gain intensity until the bulb stops working. That's where a ballast comes in. It supplies the initial electricity that creates the light, and then it regulates the amount of electricity flowing through the bulb so that the right amount of light is emitted.

Lamp manufacturers generally strive to minimize ultraviolet light (UV) radiation in all lamps used in general lighting applications.

The amount of UV produced by standard fluorescent lamps, such as those in your office, home, or school, is not hazardous and does not pose a major health concern. In fact, a paper by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) explores this subject in more detail. It cites a study in which it was determined that UV exposure from sitting indoors under fluorescent lights at typical office light levels for an eight-hour workday is equivalent to just over a minute of exposure to the sun in Washington, D.C. on a clear day in July.

Some applications require the absence of UV. To completely eliminate UV, we would recommend using CovRguard® shatter-resistant lamps. Where CovRguard is not available, UV sleeves or filters are also used to eliminate UV.

Puncture resistant gloves are recommended for cleaning up broken glass. After picking up all large fragments, wipe area thoroughly to clean any remaining glass or phosphor residue. If necessary, ventilate area to remove any remaining fine phosphor dust. After handling broken lamps, wash hands and face thoroughly. Incidental exposure to lamp contents is not harmful. The basic phosphor used in the manufacture of fluorescent lamps is a relatively inert phosphate. The small amount of mercury contained in each lamp will not cause any significant amount of airborne mercury, since most of the elemental mercury remains adhered to the phosphor surface. No adverse health effects are expected from exposure to a broken fluorescent tube.

The question of "turn them off or let them burn" is a common one in lighting. Since there is no surge involved in the starting of any residential bulb, the answer is "if you are not using them, turn them off." The cost of operating a light bulb is the wattage consumed while lighted thus the general answer is turn them off.

High intensity discharge lamps (rarely found in indoor household applications) and fluorescent lamps have different operating needs. If you have a fluorescent lamp, the general rule is turn the lamp off unless you are going to need it again within fifteen minutes. Frequent cycling, turning on and off for short periods of time such as in a closet application, can reduce the life of a fluorescent lamp.

Audible noise from a fluorescent light is likely due to a loose or faulty ballast. The ballast is an electrical device inside the lighting fixture that supplies the proper starting and operating power to the lamp.

Sometimes, changing a lamp loosens the ballast mounting or other parts of the fixture and the slight vibration from the ballast during normal operation causes a buzzing or hum. The volume of the sound may change - louder or softer - as the fixture warms up. You might try tightening any screws or loose fixture parts to see if this alleviates the noise problem. Checking the ballast mounting screws is a little more complicated since the fixture has to be opened, but that would be the next step.

Be sure that anyone servicing a lamp, ballast, or fixture first turns off the electricity to avoid the chance of electrical shock.

Noise can also be an indication that the ballast is about to fail. Ballasts normally last 10-20 years, but often become noisy just before they fail. If the light goes out and then comes back on unexpectedly after initially operating for a while, it means that a thermal switch inside the ballast has opened and closed - another indication that the ballast is at its end-of-life.

If the ballast needs replacing, inquire about an electronic replacement unit. Electronic ballasts are inherently quieter than older electromagnetic designs.

Yes, only if the fluorescent light is using a dimmable ballast. Any time a dimmable ballast is used, a compatible dimming switch needs to be installed. The ballast manufacturer can provide a list of compatible switches.

The germicidal wavelength is short. Wavelengths shorter than 300nm are generally most effective for killing bacteria. The peak emission of the GE Germicidal lamps is 254nm.

About 90% of all energy emitted by tungsten filaments (including those in halogen lamps) is infrared, or radiant heat. The way to decrease heat from your fixtures is to use lower wattage lamps, or to use compact fluorescent bulbs.

The common types and colors of fluorescent lamps radiate an estimated 30% of their energy in the infrared range -"principally far infrared (wavelengths beyond 5000 nm)". More information is included in "The IESNA Lighting Handbook" by the Illuminating Engineering Society.

Regular fluorescent light bulbs used in your home and office do not produce a hazardous amount of ultraviolet light (UV). Most light sources, including fluorescent bulbs, emit a small amount of UV, but the UV produced by fluorescent light bulbs is far less than the amount produced by natural daylight. (Ultraviolet light rays are the light wavelengths that can cause sunburn and skin damage.)

Your safety is important to us; that's why, for all of our light bulbs designed for general public use, we strive to minimize the amount of UV light emitted.

If you're looking for a low-UV bulb for an especially sensitive area, try our Saf-T-Gard® bulbs. They block most ultraviolet light emissions, and they're also shatter-resistant.

CovRguard Saf-T-Gard lamps offer extraordinary protection with minimum light loss, block most ultraviolet light emissions, and meet FDA, NSF, and OSHA standards, keeping your surroundings bright and protected.

The new incandescent lamps utilize a coating for breakage protection, and offer superior energy-efficient and an outstanding quality of light for whatever the application. The fluorescent lamps have a polycarbonate coating. Both coatings help contain the glass in the event of breakage protecting the area from flying glass.

Blacklight lamps emit light in the 350-400 nanometer region of the spectrum. That band is within the UV-A region of the spectrum that is from 315-400 nanometers.

GE manufactures the following blacklight lamps:

• F15T8/BL
• F4T5
• F20T12
• F40/U3 (U-tube)
• F40

Please refer to our state disposal policies page. In most states, fluorescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs used at home can be disposed of in the same way as regular light bulbs. While all fluorescent bulbs contain a trace amount of mercury, the quantity is so minute that household disposal is not regulated by federal standards (established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).

However, if you are disposing many fluorescent lamps you should know that because they contain mercury they are classified as hazardous waste unless:

1. You, as the end user, generate less than 100kg of hazardous waste per month (approx. 360 4' T12 lamps)

OR

2. The lamps pass the EPA Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) Test.

If the lamps meet these criteria and your state's regulation on TCLP is not stricter than the EPA's regulation, the lamps can be disposed of the same way as normal waste. However, if the lamps do not meet the criteria to be classified as normal waste, they will need to be either recycled by a lamp recycler or disposed under the hazardous waste guidelines of your state.

GE Ecolux® lamps pass federal TCLP regulations and therefore, by federal standards, are not considered hazardous waste. However, you should check with your state regulations to determine if they are stricter than the federal regulations. Other non-Ecolux lamps are not consistently TCLP-compliant.

Look for Ecolux lamps in the fluorescent section of our Product Catalog.

Since fluorescent lamps have such a long life compared to incandescent lamps, eventually the brightness (lumen output) of the lamp will begin to decrease.

Because of this, fluorescent lamps have an initial lumen rating and a mean lumen rating. The mean lumen output is measured at 40% of the lamp life.

NOTE: Decorative or colored bulbs do not have a lumen rating since they are not considered a primary source of lights, only decorative.

GE does not offer fixtures (sockets, lamp bases, lampholders, etc.) for the Circline fluorescents. Electrical distributors often carry lighting fixtures. Look in your local Yellow Pages or on the Internet to find the distributors or manufacturers of lighting fixtures.

The Document Library contains downloadable PDFs, including the latest full-line catalog and product sell sheets with in-depth product specifications.

Be sure to check the lamp package, which will indicate if the lamp is not intended for use with electronic timers or photocells. Some electronic timers and photocells contain parts that are incompatible with compact fluorescent light bulbs; using these bulbs in incompatible products will result in a shorter light bulb life. To find out if an electronic timer or photocell is compatible with compact fluorescent bulbs, check with the manufacturer of the timer or photocell.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs may generally be used in enclosed fixtures as long as the enclosed fixture is not recessed. Totally enclosed recessed fixtures (for example, a ceiling can light with a cover over the bulb) create temperatures that are too high to allow the use of a compact fluorescent bulb.

Many CFLs can be used outdoors in an enclosed fixture. Check the lamp or package to make sure it is approved for outdoor use, and verify the lowest operating temperature for the area where the product is being used. If the lamp or package does not state it can be used outdoors, then it is not approved for outdoor use, even in an enclosed fixture.

To use a compact fluorescent bulb on a dimmer switch, you must buy a bulb that's specifically made to work with dimmers (check the package). GE makes a dimming compact fluorescent light bulb (called the GE Longlife Plus Soft White Energy Saving Bulb) that is specially designed for use with dimming switches. We don't recommend using regular compact fluorescent bulbs with dimming switches, since this can shorten bulb life. (Using a regular compact fluorescent bulb with a dimmer will also nullify the bulb's warranty.)

Compact fluorescent light bulbs work best if they are left on for over 15 minutes each time they are turned on. These types of lamps can take up to 3 minutes to warm-up. Warm-up will probably not be noticeable from a user stand point, but the lamp needs to warm-up in order to reach the point of most efficient operation. Frequently switching them on and off will shorten the life of the product. If the life of the lamp is shortened significantly, you will not reap the financial benefits (includes energy & life of lamp), that are common to CFL lamps.

Currently it is not recommended to use CFLs in vibrating environments. Vibration can cause the electronics in the CFL to fail.

Fluorescent lamps contain mercury. Mercury at atmospheric pressure is a silver colored liquid that tends to form balls. Mercury is a hazardous substance. When one lamp is broken, the best thing to do is to wear chemical resistant glove to clean it up. The gloves can be vinyl, rubber, PVC, or neoprene. The gloves you buy in the supermarket for household cleaning are sufficient. The gloves protect your skin from absorbing mercury and from getting cut by the glass. The remains of one lamp can be disposed as normal waste since the amount of mercury is small. However, for future reference, when large quantities of lamps are being disposed you must follow your state and the federal regulation for disposing of mercury-containing lamps.

The variation in lamp color at start-up of the lamp is a result of phosphor activation. Phosphor is the coating on the inside of the bulb that glows when bulb has an electrical charge to give the lamp a "white" light effect. Different phosphor combinations produce different colors and may have slightly different response times. These differences are why the lamp sometimes looks pink or purple when you start it.

Regular fluorescent light bulbs used in your home and office do not produce a hazardous amount of ultraviolet light (UV). Most light sources, including fluorescent bulbs, emit a small amount of UV, but the UV produced by fluorescent light bulbs is far less than the amount produced by natural daylight. (Ultraviolet light rays are the light wavelengths that can cause sunburn and skin damage.)

Your safety is important to us; that's why, for all of our light bulbs designed for general public use, we strive to minimize the amount of UV light emitted.

If you're looking for a low-UV bulb for an especially sensitive area, try our Saf-T-Gard® bulbs. They block most ultraviolet light emissions, and they're also shatter-resistant.

Fluorescent light bulbs (including compact fluorescents) are more energy-efficient than regular bulbs because of the different method they use to produce light. Regular bulbs (also known as incandescent bulbs) create light by heating a filament inside the bulb; the heat makes the filament white-hot, producing the light that you see. A lot of the energy used to create the heat that lights an incandescent bulb is wasted. A fluorescent bulb, on the other hand, contains a gas that produces invisible ultraviolet light (UV) when the gas is excited by electricity. The UV light hits the white coating inside the fluorescent bulb and the coating changes it into light you can see. Because fluorescent bulbs don't use heat to create light, they are far more energy-efficient than regular incandescent bulbs.

While a regular (incandescent) light bulb uses heat to produce light, a fluorescent bulb creates light using an entirely different method that is far more energy-efficient - in fact, 4-6 times more efficient. This means that you can buy a 15-watt compact fluorescent bulb that produces the same amount of light as a 60-watt regular incandescent bulb. Plus fluorescent light bulbs last up to 13 times longer and use 2/3 to 3/4 less electricity than incandescent bulbs with similar lumen ratings.

Here are the watts needed by regular incandescent bulbs and compact fluorescent bulbs to produce the same amount of light.

• 20 watts incandescent = 5 watts compact fluorescent
• 28 watts incandescent = 7 watts compact fluorescent
• 36 watts incandescent = 9 watts compact fluorescent
• 40 watts incandescent = 10 watts compact fluorescent
• 52 watts incandescent = 13 watts compact fluorescent
• 60 watts incandescent = 15 watts compact fluorescent
• 75 watts incandescent = 20 watts compact fluorescent
• 100 watts incandescent = 26-29 watts compact fluorescent
• 150 watts incandescent = 38-42 watts compact fluorescent
• 250-300 watts incandescent = 55 watts compact fluorescent

Because incandescent and halogen bulbs create light through heat, about 90% of the energy they emit is in the form of heat (also called infrared radiation). To reduce the heat emitted by regular incandescent and halogen light bulbs, use a lower watt bulb (like 60 watts instead of 100).

Fluorescent light bulbs use an entirely different method to create light. Both compact fluorescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes contain a gas that, when excited by electricity, hits a coating inside the fluorescent bulb and emits light. (This makes them far more energy efficient than regular incandescent bulbs.) The fluorescent bulbs used in your home emit only around 30% of their energy in heat, making them far cooler.

ENERGY STAR® is a voluntary partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, product manufacturers, local utilities, and retailers. Partners help promote energy efficient products by labeling them with the ENERGY STAR logo and educating consumers about the unique benefits of energy efficient products. ENERGY STAR-labeled products use less energy than other products, save you money on utility bills, and help protect the environment.

Many compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are ENERGY STAR labeled because they are energy-efficient alternatives to standard incandescent lamps. CFLs use approximately 75% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and can last many times longer. The super efficient performance of CFLs can save consumers at least $25 in energy costs over the life of each CFL that replaces an incandescent bulb.*

You can find out more about ENERGY STAR lighting products from GE by visiting our Environmental Information Center.

*Based on a minimum life of 6,000 hours at $0.10 kWh.

The Document Library contains downloadable PDFs, including the latest full-line catalog and product sell sheets with in-depth product specifications.

The Document Library contains downloadable PDFs, including the latest full-line catalog and product sell sheets with in-depth product specifications.

The Document Library contains downloadable PDFs, including the latest full-line catalog and product sell sheets with in-depth product specifications.

The Document Library contains downloadable PDFs, including the latest full-line catalog and product sell sheets with in-depth product specifications.

With GE's new line of UltraMax™ ballasts, lighting systems save more energy, become more adaptable, and deliver optimal lamp performance.

• UltraMax ballasts can virtually "read" the incoming voltage and adapt automatically to any voltage from 108V to 305V.
• Multi-Voltage Control (MVC) means fewer models handling more jobs, which reduces inventory requirements.
• UltraMax's high efficiency design results in ultra-cool operation, providing AC energy savings during peak demand periods.
• UltraMax is the only full line of T8 ballasts with a UL type CC anti-arc rating.

View Product Brochures

Fluorescent light bulbs need a ballast because they use a gas to create light. When the gas is excited by electricity, it emits invisible ultraviolet light that hits the white coating inside the fluorescent bulb. The coating changes the ultraviolet light into light you can see. (Because fluorescent bulbs don't use heat to create light, they are far more energy-efficient than regular incandescent bulbs.)

The combination of gas, electricity, and coating in a fluorescent bulb is so effective at producing light that, without something to regulate the electricity flowing into the bulb, the light will continue to gain intensity until the bulb stops working. That's where a ballast comes in. It supplies the initial electricity that creates the light, and then it regulates the amount of electricity flowing through the bulb so that the right amount of light is emitted.

Yes. Visit the Lighting Solutions website to learn more.

For high intensity discharge lamp fixtures, visit the GE Lighting Solutions Website.

Electrical distributors often carry lighting fixtures. Look in your local Yellow Pages or on the Internet to find the distributors or manufactures of lighting fixtures.

GE does not make light fixtures for the home. If you're looking for home light fixtures, you might try your local lighting distributors and home improvement centers.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs may generally be used in enclosed fixtures as long as the enclosed fixture is not recessed. Totally enclosed recessed fixtures (for example, a ceiling can light with a cover over the bulb) create temperatures that are too high to allow the use of a compact fluorescent bulb.

Many CFLs can be used outdoors in an enclosed fixture. Check the lamp or package to make sure it is approved for outdoor use, and verify the lowest operating temperature for the area where the product is being used. If the lamp or package does not state it can be used outdoors, then it is not approved for outdoor use, even in an enclosed fixture.

GE does not offer fixtures (sockets, lamp bases, lampholders, etc.) for the Circline fluorescents. Electrical distributors often carry lighting fixtures. Look in your local Yellow Pages or on the Internet to find the distributors or manufacturers of lighting fixtures.

If you have questions about an existing order, placing an order, or pricing — and you have an existing account with GE Consumer & Industrial — please contact Lighting Customer Service at 1-800-327-0097.

If you do not have an account with GE and are interested in creating one, contact a GE lighting sales office in your area.

If you have an lighting account with GE and would like to place orders online, visit EliteNet.com (formerly LightNet.com). You must have a valid account number to place orders.

If you are interested in purchasing lighting products for your business, we sell direct to a network of distributors and retailers who:

• Carry a full line of GE lighting products in large quantities
• Purchase on an ongoing basis, with the intent to re-distribute the product
• Have a warehouse location(s) and sales operation
• Are registered with Dunn & Bradstreet

• Consumers, homeowners, hobbyists
• Commercial end-users such as:
  • Electrical contractors
  • Lighting maintenance and janitorial companies
  • Office and apartment buildings
  • Schools
  • Charitable or fund-raising organizations
  • Government agencies
• Businesses interested in one-time purchases
• Businesses that do not have warehouse facilities or employ a sales staff

View our Sales Offices page.

Find a GE Lighting sales office in your area.

For information on products purchased or intended for use outside the United States and Canada, please visit one of our International GE Lighting websites.

Light meters can be purchased through any local lighting distributor. We currently make model 217 (21475). This model can measure from 10-1000 footcandles, and carries a 1-year warranty.

For repair and calibration on GE light meters, contact:
Weschler Instruments
1-800-557-0064 or 440-238-2550
Hours Mon - Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST

The Document Library contains downloadable PDFs, including the latest full-line catalog and product sell sheets with in-depth product specifications.

British Thermal Units (BTUs) are the measurement of heat output. One BTU is the heat that will raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. It is approximately the amount of heat generated by burning one blue-tip kitchen match. There are approximately 3.4 BTUs per watt per hour. High bulb temperature usually does not affect the life of the lamp unless the temperature is extreme. The filament of an incandescent lamp operates at a very high temperature (nearly 4750 degrees Fahrenheit for a 200-watt standard lamp). An increase of a few hundred degrees in bulb temperature does not noticeably increase the filament temperature, and there is practically no effect on the lamp life or light output. Glass in most general service bulbs withstands 700 degrees Fahrenheit safely.

GE does not publish the surface temperatures of our lamps because there are too many factors which can affect the measurement of the bulb wall temperature, such as:

• The ambient temperature of the room
• Whether or not the surrounding air is still or moving (from wind, a fan, air conditioning, etc.) and at what rate
• The specific characteristics of the recessed fixture, such as its baffling, reflection, insulation, and ventilation properties

Color temperature (or correlated color temperature, CCT) is a number indicating the degree of yellowness or blueness of a white light source. Measured in kelvins, CCT represents the temperature an incandescent object (like a filament) must reach to mimic the color of the lamp. Yellowish-white (warm) sources, like incandescent lamps, have lower color temperatures in the 2700K-3000K range; white and bluish-white (cool) sources, such as cool white (4100K) and natural daylight (6000K), have higher color temperatures. The higher the color temperature the whiter, or bluer, the light will be.

For more about color temperature, visit the Selecting the Best Color Lamp section of our website.

Efficacy is a term used to describe the efficiency of a lighting product. This is measured in LPW, or lumens per watt. To determine the efficacy of a lamp, divide the lumen output of the lamp by the watts consumed. For example, a 60-watt soft white has 840 lumens and has an efficacy of 14 LPW.

Quality of light is determined by the relationship between the color temperature of the light, and the color rendering index.

The color temperature indicates the appearance created by the light source. The higher the color temperature, the "cooler" the color.

Typically, color temperatures of 2000K -3000K create a warm (yellow) appearance; above 4000K are cool (blue) in appearance. Between 3000K and 4000K are considered intermediate and tend to be preferred.

Color rendering index (CRI) rates a light source's ability to render colors in a natural way, based on a scale from 0 to 100. In general, light sources with high CRI (80-100) will make people and things look better than those with lower CRIs.

For more, visit the Quality of Light section of our website.

Since fluorescent lamps have such a long life compared to incandescent lamps, eventually the brightness (lumen output) of the lamp will begin to decrease.

Because of this, fluorescent lamps have an initial lumen rating and a mean lumen rating. The mean lumen output is measured at 40% of the lamp life.

NOTE: Decorative or colored bulbs do not have a lumen rating since they are not considered a primary source of lights, only decorative.

The shape of a bulb is followed by its maximum diameter, expressed in eighths of an inch. For example, a R40 has a maximum diameter of 40 eighths of an inch which equals 5".

The chart below will help you to quickly make these conversions.

Eighths of an inch - Inches

For an up-to-date list of GE Lighting & Electrical Institute conferences, including schedule and registration information, visit the Conferences section of our website.

A footcandle is unit of illuminance or light falling onto a surface. It stands for the light level on a surface one foot from a standard candle. One footcandle is equal to one lumen per square foot.

To calculate the footcandles of a lamp, divide the lamp's lumens square footage of the room. The lumen rating is usually listed on the lamp package. It's a lot easier (and probably more precise) to just take a reading with light meter.

Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, are a group of industrial chemicals that were widely used before 1979 as insulators in electrical equipment. Use and disposal of PCBs is federally regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Toxic Substances and Control Act (TSCA).

All high-power-factor fluorescent lamp ballasts manufactured by GE Lighting prior to May 1977 include a small metal capacitor (an electronic device used to store an electrical charge) that contains approximately 10 grams of PCB fluid. The capacitors in our fluorescent lamp ballasts manufactured after January 1, 1979, do not contain PCBs. Ballasts manufactured between May 1977 and January 1, 1979, may include either type of capacitor.

To find out if your GE Lighting ballast contains PCBs,

• Download the Date of Manufacture Codes chart.
• Look for the two-letter date code that's stamped into the mounting feet at one end of the fluorescent ballast.
• Find the ballast's two-letter code on the chart to find the month and year of manufacture.

PCB-containing ballasts may be restricted from disposal in a normal landfill. If disposal is restricted, please go to www.lamprecycle.org for a list of national lamp and ballast recyclers. Under federal regulations, leaking PCB-containing ballasts may not be disposed of in a landfill; they must be disposed of or recycled in an approved facility.

Download additional information about disposing of PCB-containing ballasts.

Please refer to our state disposal policies page. In most states, fluorescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs used at home can be disposed of in the same way as regular light bulbs. While all fluorescent bulbs contain a trace amount of mercury, the quantity is so minute that disposal is not regulated by federal standards (established by the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency).

However, if you are disposing many fluorescent lamps you should know that because they contain mercury they are classified as hazardous waste unless:

1. You, as the end user, generate less than 100kg of hazardous waste per month (approx. 360 4' T12 lamps)

OR

2. The lamps pass the EPA Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) Test.

If the lamps meet these criteria and your state's regulation on TCLP is not stricter than the EPA's regulation, the lamps can be disposed in the same way as normal waste. However, if the lamps do not meet the criteria to be classified as normal waste, they will need to be either recycled by a lamp recycler or disposed under the hazardous waste guidelines of your state.

GE Ecolux® lamps pass federal TCLP regulations and therefore, by federal standards, are not considered hazardous waste. However, you should check with your state regulations to determine if they are stricter than the federal regulations. Other non-Ecolux lamps are not consistently TCLP-compliant.

Look for Ecolux lamps in the fluorescent section of our Product Catalog.

ENERGY STAR® is a voluntary partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, product manufacturers, local utilities, and retailers. Partners help promote energy efficient products by labeling them with the ENERGY STAR logo and educating consumers about the unique benefits of energy efficient products. ENERGY STAR-labeled products use less energy than other products, save you money on utility bills, and help protect the environment.

Many compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are ENERGY STAR labeled because they are energy-efficient alternatives to standard incandescent lamps. CFLs use approximately 75% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and can last many times longer. The super efficient performance of CFLs can save consumers at least $25 in energy costs over the life of each CFL that replaces an incandescent bulb.*

You can find out more about ENERGY STAR lighting products from GE by visiting our Environmental Information Center.

*Based on a minimum life of 6,000 hours at $0.10 kWh.

Please refer to our state disposal policies page. In most states, fluorescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs used at home can be disposed of in the same way as regular light bulbs. While all fluorescent bulbs contain a trace amount of mercury, the quantity is so minute that household disposal is not regulated by federal standards (established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).

However, if you are disposing many fluorescent lamps you should know that because they contain mercury they are classified as hazardous waste unless:

1. You, as the end user, generate less than 100kg of hazardous waste per month (approx. 360 4' T12 lamps)

OR

2. The lamps pass the EPA Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) Test.

If the lamps meet these criteria and your state's regulation on TCLP is not stricter than the EPA's regulation, the lamps can be disposed of the same way as normal waste. However, if the lamps do not meet the criteria to be classified as normal waste, they will need to be either recycled by a lamp recycler or disposed under the hazardous waste guidelines of your state.

GE Ecolux® lamps pass federal TCLP regulations and therefore, by federal standards, are not considered hazardous waste. However, you should check with your state regulations to determine if they are stricter than the federal regulations. Other non-Ecolux lamps are not consistently TCLP-compliant.

Look for Ecolux lamps in the fluorescent section of our Product Catalog.

For information about lamp and ballast recyclers in your state or Canadian province, visit the Lamp and Ballast Recycling area of our website.

Most of our commercial lighting products are packaged in cardboard that can be recycled in most areas that have recycling programs.

Some of our packaging includes a plastic shell or "blister pack" made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC has a SPI resin identification code of 3 (also known as the plastic container code; it is the number you usually see inside the recycle triangle, although it may not be stamped on our packaging). These packages are accepted by recycling centers that allow this code number.

The question of "turn them off or let them burn" is a common one in lighting. Since there is no surge involved in the starting of any residential bulb, the answer is "if you are not using them, turn them off." The cost of operating a light bulb is the wattage consumed while lighted thus the general answer is turn them off.

High intensity discharge lamps (rarely found in indoor household applications) and fluorescent lamps have different operating needs. If you have a fluorescent lamp, the general rule is turn the lamp off unless you are going to need it again within fifteen minutes. Frequent cycling, turning on and off for short periods of time such as in a closet application, can reduce the life of a fluorescent lamp.

Some cities have regulations concerning the amount of light that can be used after dark, commonly referred to as a Dark Sky Ordinance. Any consumer who is requesting assistance to comply with such an ordinance will need to contact the fixture manufacturer. Dark Sky Ordinance regulation concerns the amount of light output, spill-over/ambient light, etc. and is determined by the reflective and design characteristics of the fixture. This obviously will vary for different fixtures and GE does not maintain this information. Decorative lamps are often used in porch lights. Since these are considered "optional use" lamps, they are not rated for lumen output.

GE has been working with the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) since the inception of the organization and several of GE employees are IDA members. In fact, a GE retiree is a member of the IDA Board.

GE has a full line of energy-efficient shielded and cut-off lighting equipment and, of course, the appropriate light sources for that equipment.

GE's overall approach has traditionally been to develop and promote equipment and designs for high quality outdoor lighting. That means lighting, which is energy efficient, economical, long lasting, and puts the appropriate amount of light where it is needed with a minimum of stray and wasted light.

Each year, GE sponsors the GE Edison Award, which recognizes high-quality lighting designs and the lighting designers involved. The winners are featured in GE advertising and promotional material for a year. Some of these designs have been used in the IDA Slide Sets as examples of astronomy-friendly lighting practice.

However, even the best lighting equipment can be used incorrectly, misaimed or operated in an inefficient manner.

Areas of particular concern are:

• The continued use of non-cutoff roadway lighting equipment
• Poorly-shielded sports lighting (especially municipal tennis, football, soccer and baseball installations)
• Lighting which is unswitched or operates when it is not needed
• Service station "over" lighting

No. GE does not make a UV-B lamp designed to keep reptiles, fish and plants healthy.

To improve the appearance inside your aquarium or terrarium, GE makes the F40PL/AQ Plant & Aquarium Wide Spectrum lamp. This lamp has a major emission in the blue and red regions with emissions in the UV-A (315 nm to 400 nm) and near IR (700 nm to 800 nm). The amount of UV-B is minimal.

See the complete line of lamps for aquariums and terrariums.

Lamp manufacturers generally strive to minimize ultraviolet light (UV) radiation in all lamps used in general lighting applications.

The amount of UV produced by standard fluorescent lamps, such as those in your office, home, or school, is not hazardous and does not pose a major health concern. In fact, a paper by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) explores this subject in more detail. It cites a study in which it was determined that UV exposure from sitting indoors under fluorescent lights at typical office light levels for an eight-hour workday is equivalent to just over a minute of exposure to the sun in Washington, D.C. on a clear day in July.

Some applications require the absence of UV. To completely eliminate UV, we would recommend using CovRguard® shatter-resistant lamps. Where CovRguard is not available, UV sleeves or filters are also used to eliminate UV.

Regular fluorescent light bulbs used in your home and office do not produce a hazardous amount of ultraviolet light (UV). Most light sources, including fluorescent bulbs, emit a small amount of UV, but the UV produced by fluorescent light bulbs is far less than the amount produced by natural daylight. (Ultraviolet light rays are the light wavelengths that can cause sunburn and skin damage.)

Your safety is important to us; that's why, for all of our light bulbs designed for general public use, we strive to minimize the amount of UV light emitted.

If you're looking for a low-UV bulb for an especially sensitive area, try our Saf-T-Gard® bulbs. They block most ultraviolet light emissions, and they're also shatter-resistant.

Tungsten filament lamps, such as halogen and incandescent, provide minimal UV. GE's ConstantColor® MR16 lamps are made using special quartz, which has properties that enable it to filter out nearly all of the UV portion of the spectrum.

No. UVA and UVB output of fluorescent lamps, specifically Sunshine bulbs are minimal and comparable to other standard fluorescent lamps that you would find in places such as office buildings.

The only full spectrum lamps GE manufactures are in the visible light range. They do not incorporate the ultraviolet (non-visible) output found in natural sunlight.

Full spectrum lamps in the visible range are designed to simulate the color range of sunlight. These include the sunshine, Chroma 50, and Chroma 75 fluorescent lamps. Visible light is found in the wavelength range of 400-700 nanometers and emits some UV, but the amounts are well below those found in daylight and sunlight, even when filtered through a window. These are not considered harmful. This is where normal, everyday use lamps (incandescent and fluorescent) fall.

For practical purposes, ultraviolet radiation is any radiant energy within the range of 100-380 nanometers. It is beyond the blue or violet region of the spectrum, and is invisible to the eye just like the silent ultrasound dog whistle is inaudible to the ear.

Incandescent lamps are not a source of ultraviolet radiation, and do not normally need UV filters. Incandescents do, however, generate heat (infrared radiation, or IR), which should be considered when illuminating plants or materials subject to drying damage.

The only lamps we make in this range are germicidal (UVC 100-280M) and blacklight / blacklight blue (315-400NM). We do not make any UVB lamps which are sometimes used for medical purposes or tanning beds.

You can find more information and spectral distribution curves in the Tools area of our website.

GE does not publish the surface temperatures of our lamps because there are too many factors which can affect the measurement of the bulb wall temperature, such as:

• The ambient temperature of the room
• Whether or not the surrounding air is still or moving (from wind, a fan, air conditioning, etc.) and at what rate
• The specific characteristics of the recessed fixture, such as its baffling, reflection, insulation, and ventilation properties

Please contact:

GE One Stop
1-800-431-7867
7:00am - 7:00pm EST, Monday-Friday

You will receive a prompt asking for a 3-digit group number. If you do not have a group number, just wait on the line and a representative will answer your call.

Light meters can be purchased through any local lighting distributor. We currently make model 217 (21475). This model can measure from 10-1000 footcandles, and carries a 1-year warranty.

For repair and calibration on GE light meters, contact:
Weschler Instruments
1-800-557-0064 or 440-238-2550
Hours Mon - Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST

For general lighting LED products, visit the LED area of our website.

For specialty LED products, like those used in traffic signals, signs, and other specialty applications, visit the Lighting Solutions website.

We're sorry if you've encountered a problem with one of our lighting products. We strive to deliver the highest quality products available. For the quickest and most effective service, please return the product to the lighting distributor or retailer where it was purchased. They will be able to provide you with an immediate solution. If you have a problem that prevents you from returning the product to the point of purchase, please contact us.

If you think you have a defective holiday light set, please return it to the retailer where it was purchased for the quickest and most effective service.

GE holiday light sets and holiday replacement bulbs are available from Nicolas Holiday, Inc., which has a licensing agreement with GE to make and distribute all GE holiday lights. From their website, www.geholidaylighting.com, you can get instructions on replacing fuses and bulbs, get live online help from a customer service representative, send them e-mail, and more. You can also call toll-free at 1-877-398-7337 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (EST). (Hours may be extended during the holiday season.)