What Lighting Accessories Are Offered?
We have a deep inventory of fixture accessories designed to support any lighting project. Some of our accessories include:
Ballasts are used with gas discharge lamps like fluorescent and high intensity discharge (HID) lamps. Some LED fixtures are also adapted for use with an existing ballast, though LEDs are designed to work with a driver instead.
Ballasts regulate the flow of electricity into the lamp, setting up the perfect conditions for proper startup and operation. This prolongs the life and performance of the lamp. Some ballasts can provide additional functionality, like warming up the lamps before powering them up or accelerating the startup process.
Electrical connectors are used to securely and safely attach wires to each other. They are usually found in electrical boxes and keep wires from either contacting each other or a metal surface, which can result in a short. Electrical connectors are also made with fire-retardant materials as an additional layer of safety.
There are several types of electrical connectors, including twist-on, winged twist-on, crimp-on, underground, waterproof and push-in connectors. Each comes in a variety of sizes and colors for easy identification.
Induction lamps pair traditional gas discharge technology with a magnetic field to produce light. They look and operate similarly to fluorescent lights, but a critical difference is that induction lamps do not have metal electrodes inside the glass lamp envelope. Instead, they use a nearby generator to create a magnetic field, and this field is what excites the gas inside the lamp and results in light.
Induction lamp engineering has improved greatly in the last few decades and offers much better reliability and longevity than competing fluorescent lights. With no metal electrodes inside the lamp envelope, induction lamps wear out much more slowly.
Lamp base adaptors can be used to help interface a lamp with a socket that wouldn’t normally fit it. These adaptors can extend or reduce the length of the lamp base, making it possible to slot otherwise incompatible lamps and power them without issue. Most adaptors are formatted for screw-in bulbs and fixtures, but some adaptors can be fitted for less common fixtures, like PL lamps.
Every lamp needs a socket and Bulb Daddy has one for nearly every fixture out there. This includes 2 and 4-pin PL and CFL sockets, E26 sockets, GU7 and GU10 sockets, HO and VHO lamp holders and tombstones, T4, T5, T8 and T12 tombstones, and universal sockets for 4-pin lamps.
LED drivers and emergency drivers
Instead of ballasts, LED lighting uses LED drivers instead. These drivers perform many of the same functions that ballasts do, in that they regulate electrical flow into the lamps and ensure the LEDs do not fail due to excess heat buildup. They are an essential component for guaranteeing safe operation.
Emergency LED drivers kick on when power to the fixtures are suddenly cut out. They ensure the LEDs operate normally even in an emergency situation. Like with ballasts, LED drivers and emergency drivers can provide additional functionality, such as dimming capabilities.
Motion and occupancy sensors are responsible for detecting the presence of people in the light’s vicinity. With the right sensor in place, the lights are only switched on when they are needed, which improves the system’s cost efficiency. Motion and occupancy sensors are also effective in security applications, where they can trigger in response to a potential intruder.
Photocells are another popular sensor that can be used with lighting systems, including LED lighting. They detect the amount of ambient light present, so lighting that’s attached to a photocell will only switch on when ambient light has dropped below a specified threshold. They turn on when the sun goes down and turn off when the sun rises.
Photocells automate switching lighting on and off, and they give the impression that a building is occupied. They are a common option for security lighting, as a result. Because they respond to light levels and not time, they automatically adjust to changing day/night cycles and are unaffected by daylight savings time.
All electronics can be shielded from “dirty power” with a surge protector, and lighting is no different. Whether it’s caused by a storm or a power plant failure, spikes in electrical flow can cause early failure in lighting systems, resulting in costly replacements. Surge protectors prevent this from happening, and they can be installed during an LED retrofit without additional downtime nor with minimal costs.
Transformers “step down,” or reduce voltage from one source and feeds a different level voltage into the lighting. Without this step, electrical flow would overwhelm the lights and result in potentially dangerous failures. Many forms of home lighting, like landscape fixtures, require a transformer to operate safely. When installed properly, a transformer can last for several years before it needs to be replaced.
Bulb Daddy also provides adjustable tripods, designed for use with work lights. Our tripods are made of aluminum and ABS plastic, are height-adjustable from 26 inches to 61.5 inches and come with a screw adaptor that can be used with our 80W LED work light. With a work tripod, you can position high-output work lighting wherever and whenever you need it.
Bulb Daddy’s Accessories, Ballasts and Drivers Can Optimize Your Lighting System
Every lighting system requires more than just the lights to function. Additional accessories, like ballasts, drivers, connectors, transformers and various sensors are needed to ensure your lighting operates properly. These components can optimize efficiency, improve safety, enhance security and protect your lighting investment in the event of electrical issues.
Some lighting accessories are necessary while others aren’t, but each add valuable functionality. Our team can help you determine which accessories make sense for your lighting, whether you’re replacing a single fixture or retrofitting an entire system.
Some of the above accessories and technologies aren’t optional, and all of them can improve the versatility and effectiveness of your lighting system. With so many pieces to put together, though, it may not be clear which lighting accessories your system requires. That’s where Bulb Daddy comes in, because our team can help match up the right components to your fixtures.