Lighting Fixtures & Lamps Blog

Lighting Fixtures & Lamps Questions Answered

I am getting close to making a decision on the pendant light. On your website, Tech Lighting Firefrost mini pendant light, 700FJFIRF, the red option shows that it is darker and top and bottom. Does this picture depict the true color of the pendant light fixture? I am looking for a darker burgundy color on the pendant light as opposed to a tomato red. Also, what color is the cable? I am going to choose the bronze canopy - will the cable coordinate? (I don’t want silver or clear).

Answer: For the red glass shade, it is indeed a dark burgundy red color on the top and bottom of the shade. If you are ordering the canopy in bronze, the cord would also be in the same bronze finish. Tech Lighting’s bronze finish is very nicely done.

What is the inside diameter of the Nora Lighting beam concentrator (nt-351) track lighting accessory?

Answer: The inside diameter of the Nora Lighting NT-351 track lighting beam concentrator is 1.5″.

What an excellent Q&A site. I enjoyed it. My specific query is not addressed. On the four outdoor lamp posts outside my house (not purchased from you), I have on the top of each an incandescent lamp in an enclosure. Every now and then one of them explodes in their enclosue leaving the light bulb and some of the glass still in the screw socket and a piece of the bulb glass on the side. I used to have 60 watt bulbs and now have 40 watt bulbs from Osram. The problem still occurs. I have subsequently fitted a night light switch which turns them on and off depending on the light levels. The exploding still occurs, about one bulb (and not always the same one) about every two weeks. I also tried one of those long lasting bulbs which did not last very long. Can you please help me as I keep having to change the bulbs which is becoming costly and also a pain as they are not that easily accessible. I do not know if there is a link but the phenomena appears to occur more often after a rain or thunderstorm, but not always.

Answer: There is a couple of possible causes that we can think of. The first is that your power source for those outdoor lighting fixtures may have abnormal power surges. The second possible cause could be that your outdoor post lanterns may be faulty; the connection between the bulb base and the socket is not ideal; sparks and arching occurs, causing the bulb to fail prematurely. However, it is very odd that the bulbs explode. Typically, it’s just the fuse of bulb that burns out. Incandescent bulbs very rarely explode. If it’s halogen bulbs, then it occurs more frequently, due to the high pressure inside the bulb.

We would suggest trying to install a surge protector of some sort and see if that fixes the problem. Also, we assume the bulbs are fully enclosed inside the light fixtures. If it’s not, perhaps it could be external factors, like animals or kids that break the bulbs. Hope this helps.

Are your low voltage track lights compatabile with 2-circuit Halo Power Trac? We are using a Lutron Dimmer system and it requires a magnetic transformer as opposed to electronic. Do any of the Nora Lighting track lights meet this requirement? I am looking for a low voltage track head with a magnetic transformer that is compatible with a 2 circuit Halo Power Trac.

Answer: Almost all of the track lights (by Nora Lighting) we carry are Halo compatible. However, the NTL-2200 series track lights would not be compatible with 2-circuit track lighting systems; they only work with single circuit track systems. With regard to compatibility with your particular Lutron dimmer system, there are 2 track lights that come with magnetic transformers: NTL-221, and NTL-222.

Is there any way to find out the measurement of the backplate for the Quoizel Lighting Heritage Traditional Wall Sconce? I would like to order it if it will fit my space.

Answer: Thank you for your inquiry. The measurements of the backplate for the Quoizel Heritage wall sconce are as follows: 7.75″ Long x 4.75″ Wide. We have updated our website with the additional information.

I am interested in the Access Lighting Tethys Contemporary Pendant Light (AC-50107).  I know the width for the light part is 36″, but what is the length of the brush steel plate or track on the ceiling?

Answer:  The canopy of this contemporary pendant light is 13.75″ x 4.5″.

I want to install 2 standalone mini pendant lights that will hang no more than 12 inches from the ceiling. I really like the Nora Lighting Duo Cube pendant light but can’t figure out what my options are for cord length - they are all very long?? Can I cut the cord down to any length? And is the Monopoint a stand-alone mounting option? Please give me more information - I would also like to get my contractor started on the light fixture preparation ASAP if I can get the information…

Answer: The cord can cut to any length from 8.5 feet. The general rule of thumb is hang the pendant lights 30-36″ above the countertop, measured from the bottom of the glass shade. Thus, don’t cut the cord too short the first time.

Monopoint is a stand-alone mounting option, which comes a with a canopy. If you want the 120V line voltage, pick “Mount: NRS99-P45S: Monopoint 120V, 8.5′ cord, 40W G9 bulb”. The G9 bulb is a line voltage and gives off more diffused light.

If you want more of a focused light, then pick Mount: “NRS99-P45S/12: Monopoint 12V, 8.5′ cord, 50W MR16 bulb (+$15)”. The MR16 Halogen is a low voltage halogen bulb. Please note that there is a $15 upcharge because it includes an additional transformer.