Lamp Information
Common Bases
GENERAL EDISON SCREW BASES (ES)
MES
E10
CES
E12
SES
E14
ES
E27
ES
E39
GES
E40
GENERAL BAYONET BASES (BC)
MBC
BA95
SBC
B15d
SBC
BA15d
HALOGEN
CAPSULES
HALOGEN CAPSULES
BC
B22
CAPSULES LINEAR
CAPSULES LINEAR
R7s
G4
GY6.35
HALOGEN SPOTLIGHTS
GZ4/ GU4
GX5.3/ GU 5.3
FLUORESCENT TUBES
G5
GU10
COMPACT BASES
G13
G23
FLUORESCENT CIRCULAR
G10q
G9
G24d
FLUORESCENT LAMP
2GX13
GX53
G12
RX7s
METAL HALIDE LAMPS
G8.5
INCANDESCENT STRIP LIGHTS
FLAT
PEG
SCC
Lamp Information
Using Lamps Safely
Please keep the following points in mind to ensure your safety when handling, installing and disposing any type of
lamp
•Lamps are fragile and should always be handled with care and stored appropriately to minimise the possibility
of glass breakage. If you do break a lamp please remember that some lamps, particularly fluorescent tubes and
discharge lamps, contain potentially harmful substances and should be handled and disposed of accordingly
•All lamps should be easy to both install and remove from their fitting. Excessive force should never be applied to
lamps as this can result in breakage of the glass or in the bond that holds the glass to the base. If excessive force is
applied to a lamp when removing it from a fitting the base may remain inside the lampholder. If this occurs please
contact an electrican and do not attempt to remove the base yourself
•Most lamps become very hot during operation and should always be installed in a way that minimises the
possibiity of injury and the risk of fire. With this in mind, lamps should never be installed close to combustible
materials or furnishings and any other instructions contained on packaging or in this catalogue should be strictly
adhered to
•Always install the correct lamp for your fitting and never exceed the maximim recommended wattage specified
for it. Using a higher wattage lamp to that recommended or a physically larger bulb than that specified (i.e others
lamp instead of a fancy round lamp) can cause damage to the fitting and even a fire risk. If you require a greater
light output from a fitting consider using a low energy electronic compact fluorescent lamp. These offer a high light
output at a low wattage
•Most lamps are designed for indoor use only or for use in enclosed fittings that are protected from the elements
Most incandescent lamps are not suitable for use in open exterior fittings and can crack if splashed with water when
hot. Ensure that you use an appropriate lamp for outdoor applications exposed to the weather
•Do not touch tungsten halogen bulbs such as linear halogen lamps and bi-pin lamps with your bare hands. If the
quartz envelope of these bulbs is contaminated with oils from your skin a hot spot can develop leading to a dramatic
reduction in lamp life. To ensure this does not happen tungsten halogen lamps should be wrapped in tissue when
being installed. If you do touch a tungsten halogen lamp remove your fingerprints using a tissue moistened with
methylated spirits
What Makes Lamps Fail?
As a manufacturer committed to ensuring complete customer satisfaction we are obviously concerned about any
issues pertaining to the quality of our products. Although our lamps are of a very high standard lamps can fail or
exhibit a short lamp life if subjected to any of the following conditions:
•Over Voltage: 240V Lamps are generally designed to be operated at 240V AC. During off peak periods the
voltage available in the mains often rises in excess of 250V. The voltage increase is a ‘normal’ phenomenon. The
supply authorities work to provide 240V according to AS60038 / NZS60038 Standard Voltages where there
is a permissible tolerance range of 216 – 253V. In practice a 5% over voltage condition, ie, 252V instead of 240V
will result in a lamp delivering a shorter lamp life. Many consumers deal with this failure rate by fitting our ‘extra
long life’ lamps or lamps rated at 250V
•High ambient temperatures: If the luminaires are mounted in a semi enclosed or insulated space the
temperature that the fitting is operating at may be above that at which it is designed to perform which in turn may
cause the lamp to fail
•Vibration: If a lamp is frequently subjected to vibration the filament may become vulnerable to breaking when the
lamp is turned on. Many consumers deal with this by installing our ‘rough service’ lamps which are designed for
use in applications where the lamp is subjected to excessive vibration
What makes Long Life Lamps Last Longer
Many of Crompton Lighting’s lamps are available in long life versions. These have been specially designed to last
longer using different construction and manufacturing techniques. It is important to note that ‘long life’ is a relative
term and the life of a lamp depends more upon the technology it is based on as shown in the table below:
Lamp Technology
Incandescent
Tungsten Halogen
Fluorescent Tube
Electronic Compact Fluorescent
Standard Life
1000 hours
1500 to 2000 hours
8000 to 10000 hours
3000 hours
Long Life
2500 hours
15000 to 20000 hours
15000 to 20000 hours
8000 hours
Lamp Information
What is a Watt?
All light bulbs are rated in Watts, but what is a Watt? Watts are named after James Watt, the inventor of the steam
engine and are the international standard unit of power. In the case of lamps, the wattage of a lamp defines the amount
of electricity it consumes and can also be related to the brightness of the lamp. However, since different types of lamps
are more efficient in producing light than others the Watt is not in itself a measure of brightness. For example all of the
following give about the same amount of light:
75W
Light Bulb
Electronic Compact Fluorescent Lamps - Traditional GLS Equivalent
=
=
50W
Halogen Bulb
15W Electronic
Compact Flourescent
5W
25W
11W
60W
15W
75W
20W
100W
Did you Know?
The candela (cd) is a standard measure of luminous intensity and allows a direct comparison of the brightness of
different light sources. Unlike wattage is can be used to compare the relative brightness of incandescent, fluorescent,
halogen and discharge lamps
What does Colour Temperature Mean?
Colour temperature is measured in Kelvin (K) and is a measure of the warmth or coldness of the light produced by a
lamp. Lamps that produce a warm or yellow light have a low colour temperature, where lamps producing a white or
bluish light have a higher colour temperature as shown in the table below:
Colour
Temperature K
Colour Code
(Triphosphor
Fluorescents Only)
Colour
Description/Application
2700K
827
Very Warm White
Similar to the light emitted from traditional GLS globes, creating a warm and cosy atmosphere
3000K
830
Warm White
The colour of most halogen lamps. This appears slightly whiter than traditional GLS lamps.
3500K
835
White
The standard colour for many fluorescent and compact fluorescent lamps. This gives a pure white light.
4000K
840
Cool White
This gives a more clinical or technical feel.
5000K 6000K
860
Daylight
Lamps with this colour temperature most closely simulate natural daylight.
6500K
865
Cool Daylight
Lamps with this colour temperature produce an extremely white light and are used in specialist applications.
Lamp Life Explained
In regard to life expectation of any lamp it is important to understand the definition of lamp life rating as used by the
lighting industry generally - ie “average rated life”
“To determine the “average rated life” of a lamp, a large quantity of the lamps are operated under controlled conditions
for an extended period of time. The life rate is determined by the time in hours that it takes half of the test lamps to
stop operating
Because the test is performed under controlled conditions, the “average rated life” of a lamp does not tell you how
long a lamp or group of lamps will last in a particular application. It indicates only how long a particular lamp is expected
to last on average relative to other lamp types