Electrical News & Trends
Junction Box Insulation: Easy and Simple Energy Savings
July 25, 2022 - The insulation of our home or business is not as noticeable during the warmer months of the year (Spring, Summer and Fall), and you probably will not notice any issues until sometime during the winter months. For example, last February, I needed to replace a dimmer switch in a junction box located on an exterior wall. When I removed the faceplate cover, I could feel cold air pouring into the… Read More
EPCO Health Care Fixture Whips: Why They Meet NEC Article 517.2 Standard
July 25, 2022 - Lighting fixtures designed for use in health care facilities, must provide effective illumination and satisfy several demanding lighting and power requirements. Engineered Products Company’s (EPCO) Fixture Whips are the common thread among all health care and medical care facilities. Throughout our years servicing the electrical marketplace, EPCO has manufactured well over 200+ fixture whip… Read More
Illumination Control Fixture Whips to Meet Code Change of 2022
December 29, 2021 - NFPA CODE CHANGE FOR 2022 A new guideline will take effect in January 2022 for our Illumination Control Fixture Whip (ICFW). This code change is in response to the 2020 Edition of National Fire Protection Association* (NFPA 70), Article 410.69. Just so you know, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) changed the guidelines for 0-10 Volt dimming conductor colors. The 2020… Read More
Does Prefabrication Really Save Time and Money?
November 1, 2021 - Product customization and pre-fabrication services is a time and labor-saving investment for Distributors and Contractors that have taken advantage of this service from EPCO. Why? Because our customization and prefabrication service are built exactly to Distributor and Contractor specifications to meet their application requirements. GOOD PROJECT PLANNING Prefabrication involves identifying… Read MoreUpdated Vapor Tight Luminaires — Configurable, Reliable, and Durable: Part II
December 3, 2020 - To follow up on the article from earlier this summer (Updated Vapor Tight Luminaires), some of the key takeaways mentioned in addition to our vapor tight lighting products configurability were: “End-user” applicable LED Luminaires Light fixtures using T5/T8 LED lamps Fluorescent light fixtures (still relevant and manufactured) Design Lights Consortium (DLC) Certification The reference to the… Read More
Single vs. Dual End Powered Lamps - Which LED Lamp Do I Use, and When?
December 3, 2020 - by Allen Guidry, III Marketing Manager So I received a call from a contractor that just opened a lighting retrofit business. He was retrofitting an old warehouse and the lighting system was strip-type light fixtures using old T12 fluorescent lamps. He told me the building owner was on a very tight budget and wanted to get the best sustainable lighting at the lowest possible cost. In addition, he… Read More
Updated Vapor Tight LED Luminaires: Configurable, Reliable, and Durable
September 15, 2020 - It’s no secret that EPCO’s LED Vapor Tight Linear Luminaires are essential for industrial, commercial, and retail buildings, warehouses, convenience stores, manufacturing production, food service facilities, car washes — basically anywhere a reliable and durable, indoor and outdoor water-resistant lighting solution is required that will operate for years while withstanding the exposure to cold… Read More
Power Equipment Whips for Retrofit, Mobile, and New Facilities
May 21, 2020 - As more energy efficient products continue to flood the marketplace, EPCO responded in the summer of 2019 by introducing the Power Equipment Whip (PEW). This new, lower cost equipment whip was developed to electrically connect two (2) or more devices using 12 AWG conductors which cost-effectively supports the transfer of electrical power without using 10 or 8 AWG heavier gauge conductors. How It… Read More
Health Care Grade Fixture Whips for Retrofit and New Facility Applications
April 17, 2020 - Health care was one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy prior to the current worldwide Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Now, it is in extremely high demand as more and more people test positive for the virus every day. Hospitals are struggling to keep up with the pandemic. To prepare and accommodate the anticipated coronavirus surge, existing buildings (ex: dormitories, former nursing… Read More
EPCO is Open for Business to Support Your Business
March 25, 2020 - At Engineered Products Company (EPCO), we continue to monitor the Coronavirus (COVID-19) with the goal of protecting the health and safety of our employees as well as continuing to provide excellent service to our customers. We are still open for business and operating at 100% through this crisis As an essential business to our community and yours, EPCO is dedicated to delivering the highest… Read More
The (LED) Times They Are a-Changin'
October 30, 2019 - I might be dating myself, but I remember a time when an LED was a simple indicator light. Now, as Bob Dylan said... “The Times They Are a-Changin”. One major change in the electrical construction industry over the last three years has been the use of LEDs for job site lighting. Lamp-based string lighting has been the standard on the construction job site for decades, and we all know it as not… Read More
Where Can You Use EPCO's Ground Bonding Jumper Kits?
September 9, 2019 - Where Is Ground? For safety reasons, Engineered Products Company’s (EPCO) legacy products, Ground Bonding PigTails™, enables the electrical contractor to make a properly and solidly grounded connection to safeguard people and property from electrical shock hazards. Our 45+ year history of manufacturing a broad variety of configurations ranging from 12- and 14-gauge solid and stranded wire… Read More
Does LED Lens Color Matter?
July 25, 2019 - Does the color of our sustainable LED Utility Luminaires matter? That depends on the application. Different colors have different meanings. EPCO’s ProSeries LED Color Luminaires are an investment essential to visual messaging, ensuring public safety, and there is important consideration when selecting the appropriate LED indicator color. So how do you know what color is best for your application… Read More
LED Lamp Types
February 27, 2019 - Convert your existing linear fluorescent fixture to LED lighting without needing a comprehensive reinstall. LED lamps are ideal for those seeking high energy savings with minimal installation time. These are the three (3) LED Lamp Types: TYPE A LED LAMP - EASIEST INSTALLATION: LED Lamp with Integrated Driver – Works with Existing or New Linear Fluorescent Lamp Ballast Type A Lamps are designed… Read More
As Seen On: EPCO’s LED Closet Luminaire featured on Ask This Old House
July 21, 2017 - Engineered Products Company’s (EPCO) Motion Sensing LED Closet Luminaire was featured on the TV Series Ask This Old House: Season 15, Episode 3. The LED Closet Luminaire is a simple solution to upgrade small spaces to sustainable, energy efficient LED lighting. The Energy Star Rated Motion Sensing LED Closet Luminaire provides more lumens per watt and includes a three-way operating mode switch,… Read More
Understanding LM-79 Report
July 27, 2015 - LM-79 testing captures performance characteristics of EPCO’s solid-state LED luminaires. This testing provides a snapshot of our LED luminaires performance under specified operating conditions typically referred to as initial measurements. However LM-79 testing does not address or include lifetime luminaire ratings, changing performance over time (e.g., lumen maintenance), or EPCO’s luminaire… Read More
Luminaire vs. Light Fixture: What is the Difference?
July 10, 2015 - The Illuminating Engineers Society (IES) uses luminaire. The United States Congress uses fixture. And it’s not uncommon to hear someone use lamp when pointing out a source of light. But which term is correct when referencing a lighting unit? While both identifiers are technically correct,luminaire is actually the proper technical term. The IES Lighting Handbook and the 2014 National Electrical… Read MoreLED Technology Has Come a Long Way
February 24, 2015 - In addition to overcoming early performance problems with heat, moisture and color, improvements in LED technology have significantly lowered the cost of LED luminaires and lamps. Not only are today’s LEDs more energy efficient as a light source compared to the 1980’s when they were used as equipment indicators, but also produce more lumens per watt. Energy Star LEDs are rated at more than 100… Read More
Beyond UL Certification: EPCO Products ETL Certified
January 30, 2015 - Because UL is a well-known testing laboratory that also develops standards and test procedures, people have a misconception that a UL standard is exclusively tested and certified by UL. This is not the case. While UL and other organizations (CSA, NSF, etc.) are authorized to write standards, the process is done in collaboration with other vested parties such as other Nationally Recognized Testing… Read More
ON or OFF
December 4, 2014 - If you’re in the lighting business, you probably get asked every now and then whether you should turn the light off every time you leave the room. The answer depends on the type of lamp and how long you’ll be gone. Incandescent Lighting – Turn Off! Incandescent lights are the least efficient type of lighting we use and should be always be turned off when not in use. Since 90% of the energy… Read More
Defining the Life of White LEDs
November 3, 2014 - One of the main benefits of LEDs is their very long life. But just how long do LEDs really last—50,000 hours or even 100,000 hours? What is the useful life of an LED? Over time, all electric light sources experience a decrease in the amount of light they emit— lumen depreciation. A very basic incandescent filament will evaporate over time, with output declining from 10-15% over the 1,000-hour… Read More
The New Way to Shop for Light Bulbs
August 13, 2014 - Let me take you back to January 1, 2014. This is the day that marked the end of a seven-year effort to outlaw the ordinary light bulb, thanks to the 2007 Energy Independent Security Act (EISA)* that raised minimum efficiency standards for traditional incandescent bulbs far beyond what the technology can manage. Simply put, it’s lights out for the traditional light bulb, which was essentially… Read More
[INFOGRAPHIC] Why Switch to LED Lights?
August 11, 2014 -
DLC Energy Efficiency Requirements for Commercial LEDs
June 4, 2014 - When announcing a new EPCO lighting product, fluorescent or LED, the first question I receive from distributors and sales agency personnel is, “Is the fixture DLC approved?” The Design Lights Consortium (DLC) is a voluntary certification initiative for LED technology that requires lighting products to comply with minimum performance standards for qualifying products based on efficiency. The… Read More
Affordable LED Adoption is NOT an Oxymoron
April 3, 2013 - Solid-state LED lighting’s biggest asset is longevity—around 30,000–50,000 hours—three to five times longer than CFLs (10,000 hours) and about 30-50 times longer than that obsolete, inefficient technology known as incandescent (1,000 hours). The biggest obstacle standing between LEDs and building owners right now is expense. LEDs are more expensive than CFLs, but prices continue to come down.… Read More
CFLs vs. LEDs: Illuminating the good, the bad, the confusing
July 10, 2012 - CFLs and LEDs have found the spotlight (and scrutiny) with the impending disappearance of incandescents. Nearly everyone finds a reason to complain about these newer lamps and stock up on incandescents. Bad experiences and rumors have caused prejudice and shortsightedness among facility managers and consumers. Here’s an update to share. CFLs CFLs in their early years flickered shed poor color,… Read More