Uncluttering a room with recessed lighting!

Avoid the airport runway look by not installing recessed lights in a row closely. The common rule is that if it’s a 4” recessed lighting fixture, place it 4’ apart. If it’s 5” recessed lighting fixture, place it 5’ apart. If you’re lighting a special feature such as art work, center the light fixture and 12-18” in front of it. If you’re lighting a 3D object, place the recessed lighting fixtures from 2-3 different angles. Also, use smaller sizes for smaller areas. If you’re lighting a tall hallway, then use 6” recessed lighting fixtures.

When deciding, be sure to know your home or business. For new construction or major remodeling projects, it will be fairly easy. Some recessed lighting fixtures are designed to retrofit applications and can slip into an existing ceiling space through holes made to accommodate wiring. Get advice on what parts you would need.

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Shopping at Savio Lighting

Savio lighting offers 110% price match guarantee and free shipping on thousands of lighting products! Our sales representatives are available to guide you in selecting lighting products for your home or business according to your needs. We carry a wide range of designer lights and fans, finest lamps, chandeliers, pendants, outdoor and landscape lighting, ceiling fans and much more. The showroom is conveniently located in the Boston area, less than a mile off interstate 95 in Needham.

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How confusing can Krypton, Xenon and Halogen bulbs get?

Krypton and Xenon are actually a variant of Halogen (Argon). It’s the different gases used that alters their performance and characteristics.  Selected gases are used to retard the evaporation of the filament and to minimize heat loss from the filament. Argon is ok, krypton is better and xenon is even better.  Xenon gives the whitest light and the most expensive. Argon emits the most heat.

If you would like to know more details about a specific bulb, contact sales@saviolighting.com or visit our Boston showroom – Savio Lighting, 30 Wexford St, Needham, Ma 02494. Xenon and Krypton bulbs tend to be more readily available in smaller sizes. These are popular for under the cabinet accents, producing less heat than argon.

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Looking for an energy saving bulb?

Looking for an energy saving bulb? Well, compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) are a type of energy saving fluorescent lamp. Many CFLs are designed to replace incandescent lamps and do fit incandescent fixtures.

CFL use less energy and has a longer life span than incandescent. The upfront cost of CFL is higher but it can save at least $30 over the lifetime of the CFL. 




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Ceiling fans can save you money!

In order to maximize comfort and energy savings, it is necessary to choose the correct size of fan for your room.  To determine the correct size, measure the dimension (L x W) of the room and multiple those two numbers together. This total is your square footage. Generally, boxes will have the square footage size labeled for the fan inside.

Rooms that are up to 75 sq/ft should have a blade span of 29”-36”. Rooms that are 76-144 sq/ft should have a blade span of 36”-42’. Rooms that are 145-225 sq/ft should have blade span of 50”, 52”, 54”, or 56”.

Ceiling fans have a wind chill effect for cooling, similar to opening a window for a breeze. The fan should be on counter clockwise for this effect. For circulating heat trapped towards the ceiling the fan should be turning clockwise. This would help push the warm air back down.

In warmer months, using ceiling fans can save up to 40% energy. As for colder months, it can be up to 10% savings. This is very valuable for New Englanders or anywhere else that has crazy weather! 

The ceiling fan in the photo is a Monte Carlo fan.  For more details, visit Savio Lighting  on web or at our showroom in the Geater Boston area.

Savio Lighting

30 Wexford St, Needham, MA 02494

T5 vs T8 fluorescent lighting

T5 lamp is increasingly popular development in fluorescent lighting. It entered in the US market in 1995. Today, 3 major lamps manufacturers aggressive market this. The marketing and innovative design leaves people wondering if they should use T5 instead of T8. There isn’t a huge difference between the two – 10 degree Celsius differences in optimal temperature.

T5 are slightly shorter than T8 so T5 cannot be used as replacements for larger lamps. Some fixtures can be made to fit both by changing sockets and ballasts. Standard T5 and T8 have the same lamp life. However, the new prolonged –life T8 has 4k-10k more hours than T5.

As for illumination, standard T5 and T8 produces the same amount of light per unit length.  However, the T5 HO (high output) produces more light output per unit length than standard T8. Moreover, T5 maintains a higher light output than most T8. Manufacturers claim that T5/T5HO retain more than 95% of light output at 8,000 burning hours.

In general, T5 performs better in enclosed fixtures and T8 performs better in open fixtures. This is due to the fact that T5 is designed to produce maximum light output at 95°F.

T5 is greener than T8. T5 is smaller in size so it reduces materials used, the potential for toxic contamination, and packaging material for shipping. Aside from that, T5 have an improved phosphor coating that prevents mercury from being absorbed into the phosphor and glass.

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Oriental Lamps

Oriental lamps provide an elegant decorative accent. When electricity was introduced in the 1900s, handpainted & glazed porcelain vases, ginger jars and temple urns were converted into elegant table lamps. When lamps are classified as oriental lamps, it means that the lamps are East-Asian inspired design.  The oriental lamps can be made of porcelain, lacquered wood, stone, metals or ceramic.

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Replacing a light switch with a dimmer

Some dimmers get hotter than others due to the design. This is because the older dimmers turn electricity to heat while dimming. These older dimmer do waste a lot of energy. If you have one of these, consider getting a modern one for energy savings.

Modern dimmers use internal electronics to dim lights so less heat is produced. The technology behind this is turning the light on and off that the naked eye cannot see which can be 120 times per second. By altering the time that the bulb is off, you will see the light dim as you lower the dimmer.

No special wiring is required to connect a typical residential dimmer. However, dimmers can only handle a specific amount of light load. Be sure to calculate the amount of wattage that the dimmer while control and purchase the correct dimmer size. If you are putting multiple dimmers next to one another, you will probably be snapping off the sides. So remember to derate the capacity – about 100 watts per side you snap off from the heat sink as allowed in the instructions.

To replace a light switch to a dimmer, you need the following:

-Screwdriver

-Circuit Tester

-Needlenose pliers

-Wire connector nuts

-Electrical tape

First, flip the breaker. Then remove the face plate and test the ground wire. Remove the old switch and straighten out the wires from the wall with the pliers. Next, connect the new dimmer wires to them with the wire connector nuts.  Tape up any bare wires to prevent sparks or fire. Screw the dimmer to the electrical box and mount the face plate. Flip the breaker and turn on the dimmer!

Visit Savio Lighting for your lighting needs.

MR16 Replacement high output spot & flood - 7 LED

For those who are into energy savings, LED is a good alternative. This product is a 7 white LED high output spot and flood which is dimmable with some dimmers. IT has an aluminum heatsink housing so it’s not as hot as a halogen lamp.

To give you an idea of how much energy savings if you decide to replace your halogen, the LED lamp offers an 75% reduction in electricity. It’s a savings of $175.00 per lamp based on $.10/Kwh and typical halogen consumption and maintenance costs. In the warmer months, you will save on air conditioning costs because of less heat emitting from the lamp.

Hate climbing up ladders to change lamps in those high ceilings? What if that can be reduced to only once every 3+ years? Well, the MR16 replacements have a guarantee. No maintenance for 3 years when operating 24/7 or 5 years when operating 12/7.

Visit http://www.saviolighting.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=MR16+led for more information or contact support@saviolighting.com.  

How to install a pendant light

Pendant lights are hot in the illumination market. These lighting fixtures add grace, elegance and modernize homes and businesses.  They are also referred as swag lights. Although they’ve been around, their appeals are timeless.

You should consider the height of the fixture when choosing the length of the fixture. You don’t want to send anyone to the hospital if they bang their head against it. There is an average height you can use as a guide, about 68”-72” off the floor to the bottom of the fixture. This puts the fixture at eye level for an average person. If you know someone that is taller than that, of course, adjust accordingly. This rule can be applied over dining room tables.

To install one, you need the following:

• Ladder
• Wirecutter
• Screwdriver
• Digital multimeter

You should consider the location of the new lamp. Some areas require more lighting, such as for reading or preparing a meal. Other places utilize lighting for accent or modern décor.

If there is no light to replace, more work is involved for installation. It will be necessary to go into the attic and use a Romex to tie into an existing power source. Then an electrical box should be secured to a joist or a cripple between 2 joints.

If this is a replacement, first thing to do is flip the breaker off and test it.  Next, remove the old fixture. Install any mounting brackets that came with the new fixture to the electrical box. Match up the electrical wires on the fixture to the old wires and ground it. There should be a manual from the new fixture for reference. Use electrical wire nuts to connect the wires. Any home improvement store (Home Depot/Lowes) should carry these if you don’t have them handy. Screw in the bulb, flip the breaker, and test it out!

Visit http://www.saviolighting.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=180 for the latest styles. 

Aladdin Light Lift

Have you wondered how do people clean those chandeliers high up in the ceiling? Perhaps, you can climb up 15 feet up a ladder. Thanks to technology, you can a key and the chandelier comes down in front of you.

For this to happen, there are two locking systems installed above the ceiling to securely hold the chandelier. While in motion, the electrical current is shut off to prevent electrical shock.  There are different models to match the weight of your chandelier.  Visit http://www.saviolighting.com/Aladdin-Light-Lift-s/18.htm for specs of each model.

This lift system is easy to install by a licensed electrician. Once the system is in place, the chandelier can be installed at floor level.