Help and FAQ
This page should help to answer any questions that you might have. If you question is not answered here, please get in touch and we will do our best to help.
Questions about low energy lighting
- Are these lights much more expensive than traditional lighting?
- What does "dedicated low energy" mean?
- What exactly do you mean by "low energy"?
- What is a compact fluorescent lamp?
- What are watts?
- What are lumens?
- How do I know what wattage I need to buy?
- Are these lights dimmable?
- Do I have to wait for a long time for the bulbs to reach full brightness?
- Can I get replacement bulbs in my local shop?
- These bulbs look great! They look the same size as my current bulbs; can I use them at home?
- Why would I want to buy a whole new light fitting when I can just buy low energy bulbs that fit my current lights?
- Do these bulbs flicker and flash when I switch them on?
- Which fittings can I put in my bathroom?
- Do you do down lighters?
- How long does each bulb last?
- What sort of guarantee do you offer?
- How much is a replacement bulb?
- Do I need any special wiring?
- Are your light fittings easy to install?
- Do these bulbs contain harmful stuff like mercury and lead?
- How does the amount of mercury in a CFL compare to other household articles?
- Will the mercury in CFL's cause damage to the environment?
- What should I do if a CFL gets broken?
- How do I recycle the bulbs when they reach the end of their life?
- I own a hotel / office building. Would your light fittings be suitable?
- Can I leave my lights on continually 24 hours a day?
Questions about ordering and delivery
- Do I have to place my order on-line or can I place an order by telephone?
- How will the products be packaged?
- What is your returns policy?
- How much does delivery cost?
- Who is tp24?
- What security does this web site use to protect me?
- I'm interested in re-selling your products or buying in large quantities. Do I get a discount?
Answers
Other low energy lights are really expensive. Are these lights much more expensive than traditional lighting?
No, our fittings are much the same price as traditional lighting. As more people switch to low energy products the price has reduced.
What does “dedicated low energy” mean?
The fittings only accept a low energy lamp designed for use with this fitting. This ensures that the lamp is not replaced by an incandescent light bulb that would then be 5 times more expensive to run. The fitting will not accept lamps with a regular cap such as BC or ES.
What exactly do you mean by “low energy”?
The bulbs use less energy or power to produce the light - 80% less electricity.
What is a compact fluorescent lamp?
A compact fluorescent lamp is a small fluorescent lamp which is usually referred to as a CFL or energy saving light bulb. They use less energy than a traditional (or incandescent) light bulb because they are more efficient at changing electricity into light and they have a longer lifespan.
Traditional lamps have always used watts as an indication of light that can be expected from the bulb; this hasn’t changed in over a hundred years. However, with new technology and more efficient lamps, watts are becoming increasingly irrelevant. The wattage of a bulb actually tells you how much electricity it uses, not how much light it produces.
Light is measured in lumens. For example, a 60 watt bulb will consume 60 watts of electricity but it provides light in lumens, typically around 700 lumens. An energy saving bulb might only consume 12 watts to provide the same level of light. As the phase out of traditional bulbs progresses, we will start to move from watts to lumens and you will see “lumens” printed on light bulb packaging. Lumens will be used to describe the light output of a bulb.
How do I know what wattage I need to buy get a similar amount of light as my old fittings?
Below are some conversion figures that you can use to help to work out what wattage of CFL light bulb you should buy to get the same (or similar) amount of light as you would from an old style incandescent bulb.
- 25 watts incandescent = 5 watts compact fluorescent
- 40 watts incandescent = 7, 8 or 9 watts compact fluorescent
- 75 watts incandescent = 15 watts compact fluorescent
- 100 watts incandescent = 20 watts compact fluorescent
No. There is new technology being developed which will allow the light bulbs to be dimmed but this is still a little way off.
Do I have to wait for a long time for the bulbs to reach full brightness?
No. The light will come on very quickly and in seconds will you will be able to see around you clearly. It takes less than 15 seconds to be able to read from the light and the main brightness will be achieved in about 30 seconds. The output will then increase a little to achieve maximum brightness after another minute.
Can I get replacement bulbs in my local shop?
Not yet. The stockist that sold you the light fitting will hold stocks on the new light bulb and you can buy them either on line or over the phone from tp24. The maximum price of the light bulb will be fixed so that you will not be forced to pay over the odds. We are negotiating with a number of distributors to stock these lamps.
These bulbs look great! They look the same size as my current bulbs; can I use them at home?
The Kyoto range has been designed for use in the domestic market. The light bulbs can only be use in fittings with an L1 lamp holder.
Why would I want to buy a whole new light fitting when I can just buy low energy bulbs that fit my current lights?
In the building industry it is a planning requirement to fit a minimum number of low energy fittings in all new houses and extensions. Only dedicated fittings that are approved can be used. When you change your existing light fittings for a low energy fitting you are making a commitment to save energy and to save money
Do these bulbs flicker and flash when I switch them on?
No. All our light bulbs are electronic soft start and come on gently in a gradual smooth increase. The old types of fluorescent tubes had a magnetic start that caused them to flash on and off and many used to flicker all the time. The new technology has improved dramatically and these problems no longer occur.
Which fittings can I put in my bathroom?
We have a number of specialist lights for use in bathrooms including some pendant and spot fittings. Bathrooms are divided in to zones and only certain types of lights can be fitted in these zones. Generally the lights rated IP44 can be used in all locations other than close to the bath. This is zone 2. Flush fittings can also be used in zone 3 in areas not over the bath. In larger bathrooms other lights can be used but please check with an electrician.
Yes we have a number of low energy down lighters that also meet the new building requirements for fire and sound insulation.
The candle and standard GLS products last 8,000 hours. Depending on the room usage this would typically be 4 to 5 years. A standard light bulb lasts about 1,000 hours. The spot bulb lasts 10,000 hours.
What sort of guarantee do you offer?
We cannot guarantee the current from your electricity suppliers and it is these fluctuations which do most damage to light bulbs. However we will replace any light bulbs that fail within one year of purchase. This excludes bulbs that have been physically broken by misuse. This does not affect your statutory rights
How much is a replacement bulb?
The maximum retail price for candle bulbs will be £5.41 and £5.64 for the GLS The spot lamp is £7.05. Prices are likely to drop as more manufactures develop L1 products.
No. All our fittings are suitable for standard mains voltage.
Are your light fittings easy to install?
Yes, extremely! - the majority of our fittings are supplied with our unique, patented HSR and HSS head systems that allow the light fitting to be fitted over a standard ceiling rose, eliminating the need to rewire the loop or switch drop. For more details see our HSR and HSS systems download.
Do these bulbs contain harmful stuff like mercury and lead?
All our lamps are lead free and meet the new requirements set down by the government on heavy metals. All low energy lamps have a very small amount of mercury, but this has been significantly reduced with the ROHs regulations introduced in 2006
How does the amount of mercury in a CFL compare to other household articles?
An L1 lamp contains between 1.2 milligrams and 4 milligrams of mercury. A typical mercury thermometer may contain between 0.5 and 3 grams of mercury whilst a mercury barometer may contain 100 to 600 grams of mercury which is around 25,000 to 150,000 times more than an energy saving bulb!
Will the mercury in CFL’s cause damage to the environment?
Over the lifetime of both lamps energy efficient bulbs produce less mercury. This is because mercury is emitted from power stations during the generation of electricity and energy saving bulbs are more energy efficient thus saving on the amount of electricity that needs to be generated. Total mercury emissions have fallen by 80% since 1990.
What should I do if a CFL gets broken?
Should you break a bulb in the house, it is advised that the broken lamp is swept up using a damp cloth and both the debris and cloth put into a double layered plastic bag which is then sealed and taken to a collection point for disposal. The room should then be well ventilated for at least 15 minutes. Accidental breakage of a lamp is most unlikely to cause any health problems but it is always good practice to minimise any unnecessary exposure to mercury as well as risk of cuts from glass fragments.
How do I recycle the bulbs when they reach the end of their life?
Ideally all light bulbs should be separated from the normal waste and properly re-cycled. There are a number of sites being set alongside regular bottle banks to accept fluorescent lamps. Please contact your local authority for the nearest facility. tp24 are registered under the WEEE directive. Lamps can be sent back to us for recycling.
I own a hotel / office building. Would your light fittings be suitable?
Yes. Our fittings and light bulbs are ideal for hotels and offices. If you have a specific requirement or project we can design fittings to your requirements. Some of our larger fittings also have switching options enabling the light output to be reduced at times of less need and to create various mood settings. However, as with all compact fluorescent fittings, they do require a rest period so it is not recommended that they are left on continually for 24 hours a day.
Can I leave my lights on continually 24 hours a day?
No – because of the way that these lamps work they are not designed to be left on 24/7 i.e. they need a rest period – a bit like us! Also it is not environmentally friendly to leave them on all the time so we would recommend the use of a timer or sensor switch.
Do I have to place my order on-line or can I place an order by telephone?
We will be happy to take your order over the phone if you wish, please contact us on 01354 695384
How will the products be packaged?
Any products that you order from us will be packaged in high quality cardboard cartons, all packed by hand to ensure that items reach you in perfect condition.
Faulty goods can be returned to us at no cost to yourself. Please contact us to arrange collection of the faulty products.
If you have ordered goods you are entitled to a full refund if you change your mind within 14 days of receiving the products. please contact us within these 14 days to tell us that you have changed your mind. You will be responsible for the cost of returning the goods to us, and the products must be returned to us complete with their original packaging. You are are responsible for ensuring the safe delivery of the returned products, we recommend that you use an insured delivery service.
All purchases from our web site incur a delivery charge of £9.25 (inc. VAT), however this charge is reduced to £1.95 (inc. VAT) if your purchase consists entirely of light bulbs.
tp24 has been providing a first class service, supplying lighting to the new homes market since 2001. Currently we dispatch more than 1200 light fittings per month. We started life as part of Seymour Design Ltd - a major show house specialist and interior design company with 20 years experience in the new homes market.
What security does this web site use to protect me?
All the pages on this web site that require you to enter and and submit your financial details are protected by industry standard 128bit SSL encryption. Any details that we hold about you will never be passed to any third party without your consent.
I'm interested in re-selling your products or buying in large quantities. Do I get a discount?
We would be most interested to hear from you, discounts can often be arranged for large quantities of the same item and we are always willing to discuss options regarding re-selling or licensing our products.