Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions

1) Where can I buy OSRAM SYLVANIA products in my local area?

2) What should I do if I have defective product?

3) How do I cross-reference a competitors product to OSRAM SYLVANIA products?

4) Who should I contact about technical problems with your web site?

5) Who do I contact for product or company information if located outside North America?

6) How much does it cost to run a light bulb?

7) Why can't I run the compact fluorescent on a photocell dimmer or timer?

8) Is it cheaper to leave lights on than to turn them on and off several times during the day?

9) Where do I find parts or replacements for Sylvania brand fixtures/vacuum tubes/circuit breakers?

10) How can I find Sylvania flash bulbs?

11) What if I want to offer a link to your website on my website?


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1. Where can I buy OSRAM SYLVANIA products in my local area?

Customers can locate retail establishments in their area using our "Store Locator" feature. You can find links to our "Store Locator" at the top, right and the bottom of any SYLVANIA.com web page.


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2. What should I do if I have defective product?

In accordance with our Guarantee, "If you are not satisfied with the performance of this bulb, return the proof of purchase seal and/or the light bulb to the address on the bottom of this package along with your name and address. It will be replaced with a new bulb free of charge."

All replacement requests should be forwarded to the factory Quality Control Department at the address listed on the package. In addition, defective product, accompanied by a receipt, may be returned to the place of purchase for a replacement bulb.

We hope you will purchase OSRAM SYLVANIA lamps in the future and that you will call on us if we may be of service to you.


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3. How do I cross-reference a competitor's product to OSRAM SYLVANIA products?

Click on "Product Catalogs" on the top navigation bar.  Enter the Business catalog. There you will find an extensive cross-reference guide.


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4. Who should I contact about technical problems with your web site?

For your convenience, we offer many ways to contact us through our "Contact Us" form. You will find links to this form conveniently placed at the bottom of each OSRAM SYLVANIA web page.


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5. Who do I contact for product or company information if located outside North America?

OSRAM is headquartered in Munich, Germany and can be contacted for all inquiries outside of North America. You can reach OSRAM GmbH Headquarters in Munich or subsidiaries in other countries at www.osram.com or www.osram.de.


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6. How much does it cost to run a light bulb?

If you know the wattage of any electrical device then you can figure out the cost over time with this formula:

Cost to run =  wattage x cost per kilowatt hour x average rated life
1000


Note the cost per kilowatt hour is available from your utility.

For example cost to run a 100 watt lamp with an average rated life of 750 hours at a rate of .10/kWh would go like this:

Cost =  100 x .10 x 750 which works out to be $7.50.
1000


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7. Why can't I run the compact fluorescent on a photocell dimmer or timer?

CAUTION: Not for use on dimming circuits, enclosed indoor fixtures, or where exposed to weather, emergency exit fixtures or lights, electronic timers or photocells. Never disassemble or modify the lamp. Use only on 120V 60Hz circuits. Install and remove lamp from fixture by grasping plastic base.

Photo cells contain a silicon chip that converts radiant energy into electrical current. Most photo-cells today do this in a manner that is incompatible with the electronic circuitry in electronic compact fluorescent bulbs, resulting in a shortened lamp life.

Timers are devices that allow a trickle voltage to cycle through the built-in transformer when the lamp is off. This causes the lamp to try and start itself when there is not the proper supply voltage present. Short lamp life is the result.

In both cases our compact fluorescent bulbs are labeled as unsuitable for such use because the user would not realize the average rated life from this bulb when used in this manner. Using these lamps in a manner inconsistent with the documentation on the package voids the warranty.


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8. Is it cheaper to leave lights on than to turn them on and off several times during the day?

There is not a higher energy requirement for starting lamps that outweighs running them for any period of time. Although shorter burning cycles (more "on and offs") can reduce lamp life, it is always better to turn lights off when they are not in use. Since the cost of the electricity (even in the cheapest markets) is so much more that the cost of replacing lamps a little sooner, you would maximize your savings by turning off the lamps when you don't need the light.


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9. Where do I find parts or replacements for Sylvania brand fixtures/vacuum tubes/circuit breakers?

Fixtures

GTE Products Corporation, which owned SYLVANIA (and its fixture division) sold the SYLVANIA fixture division to a company called Powerlight before OSRAM bought SYLVANIA in 1993. Powerlight has since gone out of business. In order to obtain a comprehensive list of current fixture manufacturers, we recommend visiting www.lightsearch.com. The Lightsearch.com list of fixture manufacturers is updated monthly.

Vacuum tubes

OSRAM SYLVANIA has not manufactured vacuum tubes in over 20 years. Please contact a dealer such as:

Antique Electronic Supply
6221 S Maple Avenue
Tempe, AZ 85283
Phone: (480) 820-5411
Fax: (800) 706-6789 (U.S.and Canada)
Email: info@tubesandmore.com

Circuit breakers

OSRAM SYLVANIA does not manufacture these products. For comparable products, please contact the Energy and Automation division of Siemens at (800) 964-4114 or Thomas & Betts at (800) 888-0211.


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10. How can I find Sylvania flash bulbs?

We no longer manufacture these products and no replacements are available. One possible source for these products is:

Cress Photo
PO Box 4262
Wayne, New Jersey 07474-4262
Phone: (973) 694-1280
Fax: (973) 694-6965
Email: wcress@ix.netcom.com
Web Site: http://www.flashbulbs.com


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11. What if I want to offer a link to your website on my website?

You are welcome to do so, but we do ask that you observe a few guidelines:

Please do not write any copy in which you would be speaking on behalf of OSRAM SYLVANIA;
Note that the legal company name, OSRAM SYLVANIA, always appears in capital letters;
And, if you choose to include our logo, which you may download directly from our home page at http://www.sylvania.com, please do not alter it in any way. Our preference is that it appear on a white background.
In addition, so that we may track the sites that provide a link to us, you must fill out our Link Form*.

* If you link to a page that gives an error stating that permission must be obtained, you may obtain permission by filling out our Link Form.

 

Lighting Questions

Lighting Industry FAQs including:

This section provides answers to some of the frequently asked questions (FAQs) that relate to lamps and issues with which the industry is concerned. Topics covered here are not specific to OSRAM SYLVANIA products, but rather are generic issues. In a few instances, reference may be made to particular SYLVANIA products for ease of explanation, but the response pertains to similar products regardless of manufacturer.

FAQs are organized according to the categories listed above. Under each heading are the topics addressed, where the title is a link to a PDF file (Adobe Acrobat format). FAQs may be searched by navigating through the categories or by using the Edit...Find function from the toolbar to search for key words.

Note: PDF files require Acrobat Reader to view. Download the reader by clicking here

  1. Light & Color
  2. Health Issues
  3. Light Sources
  4. Lighting Equipment
  5. Specialty Applications
  6. Industry Contacts

Light & Color

MacAdam Ellipses
   What are MacAdam Ellipses or color ovals?

Lumens and Mesopic Vision
   How do lumens change in the area of mesopic vision?

Perceived Changes Related to Fluorescent Retrofits
   What changes can I expect to notice when retrofitting T12 lamps with T8 lamps?

Fading and Discoloration in Relation to Lighting
   How can controlling limit the fading and discoloration of materials?

Sources of Ultraviolet Blocking Materials
   Where can I get materials to block ultraviolet (UV) radiation?

Color Codes
   How do I relate the European color designations to those used in North America?

Dichroic Filters
   How do dichroic filters work?


Health Issues

Winter Blues or Cabin Fever
   How can I use to help cure cabin fever?

Neonatal Intensive Care Areas & Fluorescent Lighting
   Should I avoid using fluorescent in neonatal care areas?

Full-Spectrum Lighting
   What is full spectrum and are there any related health benefits?

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
   What is SAD and which lamps can be used to treat it?

Fluorescent Lighting and Ultraviolet
   Does the ultraviolet output from fluorescent present health risks?


Light Sources

General Information

Dimming of Lamps
   What is meant by "dimming" lamps?

Mean Lumens for Various Lamp Types
   What are some mean lumen values for different lamp types?

Incandescent & Halogen Lamps

Temperature Concerns: Halogen Lamps
   Are halogen lamps hot enough to cause fires?

Halogen Lamp Ultraviolet Output
   Do tungsten halogen lamps emit ultraviolet radiation?

Performance of AR-Type Lamps
   What is the lumen output of AR70 and AR111 lamps?

250-Watt Infrared Heat Lamp Warnings
   What are the safety issues where heat or infrared lamps are concerned?

Temperature of Heat Lamps
   Is there a difference in temperature between red and clear or inside frosted heat lamps?

Fluorescent Lamp Systems

Spectral Power Distributions of SYLVANIA Fluorescent Lamps
   Can you send me the SPDs of your most popular fluorescent lamps?

Ballast-Lamp Technology Update
   What are the differences among fluorescent lamp starting & operating technologies?

Cold Temperature Operation of Fluorescent Systems
   How do cold temperatures affect the performance of fluorescent lamps and ballasts?

Compact Fluorescent Ballast Manufacturers
   Who makes ballasts for compact fluorescent lamps?

Radioactive Materials in DULUX® Lamps
   Are there radioactive materials in DULUX compact fluorescent lamps?

High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lamp Systems

Mercury and Metal Halide Lamp Operation
   What happens when mercury lamps are operated on metal halide ballasts, and vice versa?

Photo-Optic and Other Specialty Lamp Types

XBO® Lamp Disposal
   How do I properly dispose of XBO lamps?


Lighting Equipment

Power Factor
   What is power factor?

Fluorescent Fixtures with Battery Back-up Systems
   Can I retrofit a battery back-up system with electronic ballasts?

Electronic Ballasts and GFC Protection
   Is it possible for electronic ballasts to trip circuits with ground fault circuit protection?


Specialty Applications

Light and Plants
   How does the light produced by different GRO-LUX® lamps affect plant growth?

Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) Units
   How can I evaluate the effect of different light sources on plant growth?

Color Change and Appearance of Meat Due To Lighting
   What color light source should I use to display meat?


Industry Contacts

Lighting Industry Related Organizations
   How do I contact organizations related to the industry? (ANSI, CBM, IESNA, UL, LRC)