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    Specialty and Architectural Lighting

    How to Evaluate LED vs. HID Horticulture Lighting

    How to Evaluate LED vs. HID Horticulture Lighting

    Posted by on for ProLampSales

    A 2018 study by the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensallear Polytechnic provides detailed guidelines for comparing LED and HID light sources for use in commercial greenhouse and other horticulture facilities. The report is also a cautionary advisory on transitioning to LED based only on the criteria of improved energy efficiency and longer lamp life compared to HID. Scope of LRC Study Commercial environmentally-controlled greenhouses in the U.S. account for nearly 900 million square feet...

    What is the Voltage of Fluorescent and Ultraviolet Bulbs?

    What is the Voltage of Fluorescent and Ultraviolet Bulbs?

    Posted by on for ProLampSales

    You may have noticed that the specifications for fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent bulbs, and ultraviolet lamps provide watts, but almost never volts. Why not? Ballasts, invisible inside the fixture, are required for all fluorescent bulbs to operate. Ballasts modify the line voltage they are connected to (120V, 277V, etc.) so the proper current is supplied to the bulb. Because ballasts are hidden, it is easy to assume the bulbs are simply operated directly off line voltage from the...

    How UVA Blacklights Help Veterinarians Diagnose Pet Skin Infections

    How UVA Blacklights Help Veterinarians Diagnose Pet Skin Infections

    Posted by on for ProLampSales

    Blacklights are not merely for special effects and lighting up cool posters. They also have an important clinical use by veterinarians. These bulbs are very common for diagnosing ringworm in cats, dogs, and other animals. The most common tool veterinarians use to diagnose ringworm on pets is a Wood's Lamp, which is another name for the common blacklight bulb with a blue filter. According to Wikipedia, Wood's lamps have been used since 1925 to detect...

    The Difference Between Ballast Factor and Ballast Power Factor

    The Difference Between Ballast Factor and Ballast Power Factor

    Posted by on for ProLampSales

    Reading fluorescent ballast and HID ballast specification sheets can make your head hurt. Case in point: ballast factor vs ballast power factor. Ballast Factor Affects Light Output Ballast factor is a number normally between 0.70 and 1.2. This number is a multiplier applied to the rated initial lumens of a fluorscent or HID light bulb. The result tells you how many lumens are actually delivered from the bulb-ballast system. In some cases, the result will be...

    What Are Amalgam Fluorescent and Ultraviolet Bulbs?

    What Are Amalgam Fluorescent and Ultraviolet Bulbs?

    Posted by on for ProLampSales

    The performance of fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and low pressure mercury ultraviolet bulbs deteriorates in ambient temperatures that rise above certain design parameters. At high fixture and room temperatures, light output and color characteristics deteriorate. CFLs are particularly affected by this, as anyone who has had a CFL bulb in a porch light or the garage fail on a hot summer day has learned. But this effect on ultraviolet germicidal bulbs can be...

    What to Know About Mercury in Fluorescent, Ultraviolet, and HID Bulbs

    What to Know About Mercury in Fluorescent, Ultraviolet, and HID Bulbs

    Posted by on for ProLampSales

    Reasonable care should be taken in both the handling of broken light bulbs and the disposal of burned out bulbs that contain mercury. For decades, fluorescent and CFL bulbs have been used widely in commercial and residential general lighting settings, but there has been a vast increase in homeowners, businesses, and institutions utilizing ultraviolet bulbs to purify air and sanitize surfaces due to the COVID-19 situation. Fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent, UVC germicidal, UVA blacklight, metal...

    Research Shows 285nm UV LEDs Kill Coronavirus

    Research Shows 285nm UV LEDs Kill Coronavirus

    Posted by on for ProLampSales

    Researchers at a university in Israel used 285nm emitting UV LEDs to destroy coronaviruses. This shows again that ultraviolet disinfection is an important tool in fighting pathogens and improving air quality.

    Overcoming the Unique Challenge of Biofilms to Ultraviolet Disinfection

    Overcoming the Unique Challenge of Biofilms to Ultraviolet Disinfection

    Posted by on for ProLampSales

    While no pathogen has been discovered that is immune to ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, biofilms present a unique challenge due to their structure. They allow harmful microbes a way to protect themselves against ultraviolet penetration and are ubiquitous on Earth. Biofilms are microbial communities in a wet complex matrix attached to a solid surface. The microbes produce polysaccharides that allow them to attach to a surface, and they can be found all over the planet, including...

    How to Use UVC to Sanitize Car & Truck Interiors

    How to Use UVC to Sanitize Car & Truck Interiors

    Posted by on for ProLampSales

    UVC light can effectively sanitize the air and surfaces of car and truck interiors, but there can be significant challenges. With so many people using UVC for the first time to disinfect areas, these best practices can help ensure a higher level of sanitation in any vehicle using ultraviolet germicidal devices.

    The Curious History of Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation

    The Curious History of Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation

    Posted by on for ProLampSales

    In the 1940s and 1950s, ultraviolet irradiation of human and animal blood was researched, providing some surprising results for a wide range of conditions. The research was halted due to the rise of antibiotics and vaccines, but is it time to reevaluate this abandoned treatment?