Q: “Randall, my wife and I have been saving for four years to restore the kitchen in our 1922 Mission Revival bungalow to near the original design and are investing in period light fixtures from Rejuvenation Hardware in Portland. Given the new Title 24 rules, can we simply outfit these fixtures with compact fluorescent bulbs, or are we required to rewire the room? When we moved in, we spent thousands of dollars rewiring much of the house to bring it up to code and can’t afford to do that again. So, we’ll just put off our remodel plan for several more years and keep saving. I’ve talked to several contractors and designers, and all of them are in the dark (bad pun, sorry). They know Title 24 exists, but they all give conflicting information about what it takes to comply.”
A: The bottom line is that 50 percent of the wattage in the kitchen needs to be hardwired fluorescent (or an equally high-efficacy type of lighting) with an electronic ballast. The good news is that Rejuvenation Hardware makes hardwire fluorescent versions of many of its fixtures, including the Clifton, Sumner, Venus, Fairmount, Atlantic, Grand Avenue, Jefferson, Mooreland, Rose City lines and more. I would select one in which the glass shade is not open at the bottom, so that the fluorescent bulb is hidden. If you use a 2,700 Kelvin bulb, it will appear incandescent in color.
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| This cozy, alfresco dining area sports a hanging lantern by Arroyo Craftsman, fitted with a 9W compact fluorescent lamp and an electronic ballast. But don’t go looking for this as a standard option in the catalog. You have to ask for it specifically when ordering. |
Many other manufacturers with vintage-looking fixtures also make fluorescent versions. They include Metro Lighting, Justice Design Group, Arroyo Craftsman, Mica Lamp Co., Hubbardton Forge and many more. Some do not list these options in their catalogs but offer them when requested, so don’t automatically think that a company doesn’t do it.
Q: “Being an electrician in the Washington, D.C., area for 25 years, I have not heard about California’s Title 24. As a newly certified lighting designer, should I be concerned and have designs to meet these requirements?”
A: No, this is a state code and not a national code. But hey, people in the rest of the country should take note, too. Why not save energy, even if the state code doesn’t require you to do it?
Tater Tool
If a bulb breaks off in the socket of a fixture, take half a potato, push it into the socket and turn. Voila, problem solved. See, not all carbohydrates are bad. |
| GOT A QUESTION FOR RANDALL?
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Send questions to:
Residential Lighting magazine
attn: Last Word in Lighting
400 Knightsbridge Pkwy.
Lincolnshire, IL 60069
Fax: (847) 634-7885
E-mail: cpalermo@vancepublishing.com
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