Who do I speak to for sales?
The Warehouse is open 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday for Sales on 020 7371 9000. Alternatively email: sales@johncullenlighting.co.uk
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Which lamps are affected by the European Commission lamp phase out?
The European Commission has ruled to stop the sale of certain types of inefficient lamps for household use in a series of dates up to 2016. The lamps that this currently affects are those most commonly found within decorative fittings such as table lamps and pendants. Full full information, click here.
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Will the European lamp ban affect my John Cullen fittings?
No, currently all John Cullen products are exempt from the current guidelines on efficiency. Tungsten halogen lamps that are usually found in ceiling recessed downlights such as the Polester are not included in the directive until 2016. John Cullen is working with lamp manufacturers to improve the efficiency and are on target to produce a compliant lamp by 2016.
Our incandescent versions of fittings eg Box and Small Box Lantern will only be affected from 1st September 2012, however we currently have many lamp options that can be easily used to update these fittings.
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How does the design service work?
Please refer to our Design Service page.
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How do I obtain technical or design advice
Our Product Pages allow you to click on the thumbnail for further information and notes, there is also a link on that page to our full technical notes in PDF format to download and print. The Effects & Inspiration pages allow you to click through to many products being used in the images. Also our Designers at the Showroom (0207371 5400) would be able to help with any individual product design or placement questions and our Sales & Technical staff at our Warehouse (020 7371 9000) can assist with any installation or suitability questions you have.
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What are Part L Building Regulations?
Since April 2006, at least one in four light fittings in new and refurbished homes must be energy efficient (Part L Building Regulations). John Cullen's range of energy efficient fittings are not only practical but also decorative and well-designed. They are ideal green solutions for anyone renovating a house.
Our designers will always discuss regulation requirements but ultimately it is the client’s responsibility to ensure contact with their local authorities building control service inspector as they do vary from region to region, inspector to inspector.
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What's the difference between mains and low voltage?
Mains voltage is normally 240v in the UK. Low voltage means that the bulb fitting operates at 12v. The advantage of 12v is low voltage bulbs use halogen gas, which provides a much whiter and brighter light with higher clarity than the more traditional mains voltage incandescent bulbs.
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What does a transformer do?
A transformer reduces the voltage from 240v to 12v. A traditional coil or toroidal transformer works very well for whole circuits of low voltage fittings, or for outside use. Electronic transformers are small enough to use per fitting and hide easily in most ceiling recesses.
In most cases a John Cullen product will require a transformer, please refer to the products specification sheet for deatils.
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How much recess depth do I need?
Most JCL recessed downlight fittings require a ceiling recess depth of 120mm minimum. This allows room for the movement of directional fittings, and allows a good airspace around the back of the fitting for air ventilation and fireboxing if necessary and allows for easy installation of transformer. Our collection of wall and floor recessed fittings have individual recess depth requirements - please refer to the specific detailed product information available.
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What is the difference between a JCL Polestar and a standard directional low voltage downlight?
We have designed the Polestar to be a very discreet fitting in several ways. Its visible bezel on the ceiling is very small at just 76mm diameter, and we have reduced the glare of the fitting by setting the lamp away from the surface 25mm deep into the fitting, whilst our unique design of a black baffle inside the fitting further reduces the glare. The Polestar is also compatible with the use of lenses to create different effects, including wall washing or picture highlighting and a honeycomb louver for extra low glare. The effects can be altered as the use of the space changes by simply changing a lens, without needing to change the fitting itself. The Polestar is designed and manufactured in the UK.
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How easy is it to change the lamp?
Several of our fittings, including the Mira and Polestar, use a unique concealed ceiling ring for easy lamp changing. These ceiling rings stay permanently in place in your ceiling and there are no long coils of metal to maneuver. When the lamp needs changing you just pull gently on the bezel of the fitting and the central lamp holding part of the fitting will move. This also enables you to change lenses very easily without damaging your ceiling. This ring works well with a more delicate lathe and plaster ceiling and a description of installation is provided on a Specification Sheet.
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How can I light my artwork?
There are several ways of lighting artwork depending on the location of your power supply and the budget involved. The most discrete way of lighting a picture is with a Framing Projector as the picture is precisely framed with light. A Polestar with a narrow beam lamp and softening lens is also an effective picture light. Alternatively, we supply several styles of picture lights where the power supply is located on the wall. If these options are not possible, a freestanding Table Top Spot can be a useful tool to light upwards onto the picture.
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What are LED's and when do you use them?
Light emitting diodes provide a very low heat source with a very long lamp life - around 50,000 hours and usually come in red, blue or cool white. John Cullen uses state-of-the-art new warm white LEDs in its latest fittings such as the Lucca, Riva, Siena and Alexander.
They can be used to introduce accents of colour or are ideal in situations where no heat is a requirement such as uplighters and floor washers where little fingers could be burnt. Linear versions can now be used for shelf lighting such as the Contour. They are also more energy efficient than standard halogen fittings which help in our efforts to be greener consumers.
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What are fibre optics and when would you use them?
These are created by a single light source located remotely in what is known as a light box. A special reflector focuses the light down individual glass fibres, usually enveloped in black sheaths, which emit light at their ends. They emit no ultra-violet rays and no heat. If side emitting, they have no black sheath and their entire length is lit. They are best used where a cool source of light is reguired eg walk over uplighters, water features, where maintenance is an issue eg swimming pool or inassessable spaces where very small light sources are required eg in cabinets, water spouts etc and for the introduction of colour - a colour wheel can be used for a changing array of colours.
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Do you sell decorative fittings?
At JCL, we supply discreet light fittings which concentrate on the effect of light as we believe that good lighting should not really be noticed. We do not supply decorative fittings except for some wall mounted, bathroom wall lights and exterior wall lights. However, decorative wall lights or table lamps for example, when combined with other light sources, give a good balance of light to a space and can be very effective. We would always allow supplies for this type of lighting within our design service.
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Do you sell bathroom lights?
There are government safety restrictions to the lighting that can be used in the bathroom. We sell recessed downlights that are IP rated for bathroom use and the Bathroom Light which is very effective for bathroom walls. Aside from these, many exterior fittings can be used within the bathroom to create more dramatic effects, including uplights and floor washers.
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Do you install lighting?
JCL does not employ electricians directly to install your lighting scheme. If you require an electrician, local government websites can often recommend NICEIC qualified electricians (www.niceic.org.uk) in your area, or recommendations from friends and family can be helpful. We can also supply a list of electricians which we can recommend for certain areas.
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