pro tips

Brands

Task Lighting’s Angled Power Strip Lets You Save Your Backsplash

At PROLIGHTING, we carry so many unique brands, it’s hard to feature them all! In early 2021, the opportunity came for us to distribute Task Lighting and Power products, and the response has been overwhelming. Task Lighting is an industry leader in professionally installed LED Lighting, patented tunable white lighting technology, and the patented Angled Power Strip. Homeowners, contractors, designers and architects alike have been decidedly impressed by the brand — who say their products balance “luxury and simplicity, with clean lines and forms combined with advanced, high-tech functionality and top-quality components.”

Brands

Product You Need This Spring: The Caséta Outdoor Smart Plug

Outdoor Smart Lighting That Just Works.

This summer, extend your Lutron smart home system outside with the Outdoor Smart Plug from Caséta by Lutron. The newest member of the Caséta by Lutron family — the Outdoor Smart Plug offers effortless smart control for your landscape lighting, decorative holiday lights and inflatables, motors and pumps, and more. Caséta lets you control your lights in a variety of ways both directly and remotely — via the free Lutron app, your voice, or a Pico Remote. Easily schedule and control your outdoor fixtures year-round, without the need for any manual adjustments. Read on to learn more about what else the Caséta Outdoor Smart Plug can do.

Lighting Applications

Choosing the Best LED Recessed Lighting: What You Should Know

Recessed lighting is easily one of the most practical and functional additions you can make to your home or commercial building. Recessed lighting — often referred to as downlighting or can lights — is designed to sit flush with your surface (usually a ceiling). These versatile lights work in practically any room. LED recessed lighting is the most common form of architectural lighting found today, and one of the fastest ways to update an existing space with minimal effort. As suppliers of LED recessed lighting, we’re seeing it used increasingly more in both new construction and LED retrofit recessed lighting applications.

Brands

Creating the Ultimate Comfort Zone with RadioRA 3

In our last blog post, we introduced you to Lutron’s newest lighting control system, RadioRA 3 and outlined the key features to expect — a new all-in-one processor powered by PoE (Power over Ethernet), new simpler PC programming software and app-based editing features, and the first-ever line of wall controls with both light bar design and IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity. Now we’ll see what else RadioRA 3 is capable of.

General

What is Low Voltage Lighting?

If you glance around your home, you’ll notice that many light fixtures are connected directly to the line voltage of your electrical system. Line voltage (also known as high voltage, or what is commonly referred to as household current), is the standard voltage -120 volts- that’s found in outlets and junction boxes here in the U.S. Line voltage fixtures are used for many types of traditional lighting including ceiling lighting and sconces. Low voltage LED lighting, which we’ll be discussing throughout this post, uses less than 50 (typically 12 or 24) volts of power. Low voltage lighting got its start in American residential settings in the 1950s. Originally developed to facilitate landscape lighting, low voltage lighting soon made its way indoors and is now very common for lighting applications like recessed lighting, track lighting, under cabinet lighting, strip and tape lighting, and more. So what’s the deal with low voltage…

General

Basic Rules for LED Closet Lighting

When it comes to lighting design, closets are one of the most overlooked areas in the home. Regardless of the size of your closet, proper closet lighting is important not only for aesthetic reasons, but because these areas also have their own set of safety requirements. Whether you’re building a brand new closet space or updating an existing one, these tips should help ease the stress of shopping for lighting. Note Important Safety Codes The National Electric Code (NEC), which is published every three years by the National Fire Protection Association, sets the rules and guidelines that apply to building regulations in most commercial and residential spaces, including closets and other storage areas. In the 2008 edition of the code, LED fixtures were allowed for the first time. Since then, modern homes have slowly integrated over to LED technology. However, people still utilize a pull chain and bare bulb method…

Lighting Applications

How to Choose the Best Light Bulb Color for Your Home

Shopping for LED lighting can seem like a challenging task when you’re presented with so many options. Our light bulb color chart makes it easy to understand the difference between warm, neutral, and cool LEDs, so you can choose the right one for your space. Understanding LED color temperature helps you create the perfect lighting atmosphere in every room. Whether you need cool, neutral, warm, or tunable LEDs will depend on how and where you’re using them, as well as the desired look and feel of your application. At PROLIGHTING, we want to help make the process of buying LED bulbs and fixtures easier. But first, let’s answer the question: What is Color Temperature? Most LED lighting products are offered in a variety of color temperatures in varying hues of white. Our light bulb color chart visually breaks down these temperatures, showing the range from warm (yellow) to cool (blue).…

Lighting Applications

A Guide to LED Under Cabinet Lighting

Why Under Cabinet Lighting? Under cabinet lighting is one of the most useful and convenient lighting applications on the market today. As the name suggests, under cabinet lighting refers to light fixtures that are installed most commonly underneath upper wall kitchen cabinets, illuminating the space directly below. These hidden fixtures are able to blend in seamlessly without looking obtrusive or clashing with existing decor. They’re used predominantly in kitchen areas where additional light is useful for reading recipes and preparing food. An under cabinet system will not only improve the brightness and overall look and feel of your space; it’s also one of the easiest ways to increase the resale value of your home. Modern LED under cabinet lights have revolutionized kitchen lighting, offering superior energy efficiency and longer lifespans compared to outdated fluorescent or halogen systems. Whether you choose hardwired under cabinet lighting for a permanent installation or plug in…

General

LED Lighting Terms Everyone Should Know

As LEDs continue to reign supreme over incandescent and fluorescent options, it’s important to familiarize yourself with certain LED terms so that you can understand the advantages and select the best LED products for your project. While early LED lighting was primarily used in commercial settings, advancements in technology has caused it to shift substantially to residential applications as well. More and more consumers are making the switch over to LEDs – realizing that while it may require a larger initial investment, the long-term benefits outweigh the cost. LED, which stands for “Light Emitting Diode,” is a two-lead semiconductor light source that emits light when an electrical current is passed through it. During this engineering process, energy is released in the form of photons. But let’s not get too technical – what you really need to know is that LEDs are more efficient at turning energy into light compared…

General

Understanding 0-10V Dimming with Today’s LED Commercial Fixtures

What is 0-10V Dimming? 0-10V dimming is a lighting control method that – on direct current voltage (DC) between 0 and 10 volts – can produce light at varying intensity levels. 0-10V dimming is the simplest control system for lighting, providing smooth operation and dimming down to 10%, 1%, and even 0.1% light level. At 10 volts, the light will go to maximum power. At 0 volts, the light will dim to its minimum light level, although sometimes a switch is required to turn the lights off completely. This easy lighting control system connects to your LED fixtures to provide flexible lighting solutions and ambiance. Dimming LED lights using a 0-10V dimmer allows you to create lighting to suit a mood or activity through a reliable technology. For example, designing an elevated atmosphere for areas like bar and restaurant seating. Where to Use a 0-10V Dimmer? 0-10V dimming was originally…