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Useful information about festoon lamps
Festoon lamps are electric lamps in small size. They are offered as light bulb soffit and as LED soffit and points with versatile uses. You can find out how Soffitten is constructed, where it is used and what was to be observed when purchasing in our guide.
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What was festoon bulb?
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Light bulb festoon and LED festoon
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Our practical tip: Use soffit lamps as speaker protection
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Buying criteria for soffit lamps – what is it all about?
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FAQ – Frequently asked questions about soffit lamps
What was festoon bulb?
Soffit lamps are called soffit in the language jargon. The term is also used in stage technology and architecture and derives from the Italian soffita and the French soffitte, which was as much as the “fortified”. In the 1930er soffit lamps were used as ceiling lamps for room lighting. Today it is primarily used to illuminate speech and bell systems as well as smaller displays . They serve as indicators and position lights and are also found in the automotive sector. Soffit lamps are used, for example, in license plate or tail lights or for interior lighting of vehicles.
Soffitten are characterized by a characteristic tube shape and have a contact at each end. In order to fix a festoon lamp in a socket and supply it with power, it needs a suitable lamp socket . . A distinction is made between two types of soffit: Those with integrated filament and more modern variants that function on the basis of LEDs.
Light bulb festoon and LED festoon
Festoon bulbs containing a filament are to be considered as incandescent bulbs. Its operation is simple: The soffitte is fed through the base, which heats the filament inside until it starts to glow. The filament acts as a kind of resistance and converts the electrical energy into light and heat. Often, such filaments consist of tungsten, a grainy-white heavy metal with high density and very hohem and boiling If the filament is twisted, that is, like a helix, it is called a filament . If the filament is twisted twice (double filament), a higher light yield is obtained, since more threads fit in the festoon and thus higher temperatures can be achieved with the same amount of electricity. The glass in which the filament is located not only serves as a protection but also contains a gas that prevents the filament from burning too quickly or vaporizing. It is often a matter of nitrogen or an inert gas. Soffit, which contains a halogen (mostly iodine), is also available.
A general disadvantage of incandescent lamps is that they not only produce light, but also heat and can sometimes become very hot. The problem does not exist with LED soffitten. Instead of using a filament, LED soffittes are equipped with light emitting diodes, which consist of a semiconductor material and start to light up when an electrical voltage is applied. They convert electricity into light without any waste heat. t. The advantage of LED soffitten is that they have a long service life and consume less power than festoon lamps with glow wire.
Our practical tip: Use soffit lamps as speaker protection
Festoon lamps with filament need not only be used as illuminants, but can also be used as electronic components. For example, they can act as a loudspeaker protection or fuse by starting to light up and forming a resistor when excessive current flows through the device. The latter is the case when the loudspeaker is overloaded. If the current continues to increase, the glow wire will eventually burn out, causing the speaker to mute. Soffitten are suitable protective elements for tweeters as well as for mid-range speakers. With more powerful loudspeakers, a parallel connection of several soffitten is possible.
Buying criteria for soffit lamps – what is it all about?
The application purpose determines the selection of a suitable festoon lamp. If you want to use soffitten as protection elements in loudspeakers, the choice must necessarily fall on light bulb soffitten. If the soffits are more intended for lighting the luggage compartment in the car or the name plate at the door, lie correctly with LED soffit. They last longer, require little energy and do not get hot.
If the festoon lamp is to be installed in a signal device, the light color may play a role in the selection. In addition to soffittes that produce clear light, there are variants that generate green or red light that may be more suitable for warning or warning signals. The size of the socket must also be taken into account in order to be able to turn the soffit into an existing socket.
FAQ – Frequently asked questions about soffit lamps
Are there dimmable festoon lamps?
Yes, there are. Dimmable festoon lamps are always designated as such and are used, for example, to illuminate vehicle interiors. Some versions will continue to trim for a while after being switched off.
Can one simply exchange soffitten with glow wire for LED soffitten?
If the LED soffit has the same dimensions and the same socket size as the light bulb soffit, replacing the light bulb is usually no problem. Observe the manufacturer's instructions for this.