Lightpost Repair
Update on Original Vendor and Manufacturer
The original vendor for the lampposts and fixtures (Midwest Lighting Center, Inc., N93 W14636 Whittaker Way, Menomonee Falls, WI 53051) no longer appears to be in business. Further, the original manufacturer (Dinico, Inc., 220 Goffle Road, Hawthorne, NJ 07506) no longer appears to be in business.
The ACB has been able to find replacement parts online that closely resemble the original lampposts and fixtures. Residents may secure replacement parts from their own preferred sources, but those parts must closely resemble the original fixtures to maintain a consistent presence throughout the subdivision. The ACB represents subdivision residents and must ensure that all replacement fixtures are similar to the original fixtures used in the subdivision. Residents are encouraged to contact the ACB prior to acquiring replacement fixtures to ensure suitability.
The plastic globe, called an acorn, has the following dimensions: 21 inches tall, 14 inches in diameter with a neck outside diameter of 8 inches and an inside diameter of 7.12 inches. The following is one example of a replacement globe.
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The Covenants, section N, state, in part: "A post lamp shall contain a 50 watt sodium vapor bulb and light sensing device that shall cause the bulb to come on automatically at dusk. Lot owners must keep the post lamp (including the bulb and sensing device) operative at all times and the Architectural Control Board may, without prior notice to a lot owner and at the lot owner's expense, repair or replace any post lamp that the lot owner fails to keep properly operative."
Please note that the Village authorized our individual security lamps rather than 'normal' street lights. We must maintain our own lot light as part of the subdivision covenant.
With many homes here now over 10 years old, the maintenance of these lamps have become an issue mainly because of the ballasts in the circuitry. The stated 50 Watt Sodium vapor bulb will only ignite via the ballasts. The ACB has researched the luminescence of the new style CFL (compact fluorescent light bulb) and have determined that the 100 watt dimmable 'warm white' light bulb generates about the same luminescence as the Sodium bulb and requires no ballast. This new style bulb is available at Menards for about $8.00. We encourage homeowners who are experiencing ballasts issues, to remove the ballast from the circuit and swap the Sodium bulb for CFL bulb. Using an electrician to perform this switch is recommended.
More research on CFL bulbs verse Sodium Vapor bulb Submitted by Ed Melchior, October 2011
To replicate the same luminescence of a 50 w. Sodium bulb, we need to use a 300 w CFL bulb. Cost is about $18 compared to $24 for the Sodium bulb.
But the CFL bulb does not require a ballast, which now costs about $80, if you can locate one. The life-span of the ballast seems to be about 10 years.
If your photocell is rated for fluorescent bulbs, then a Dimmable CFL bulb is not necessary.
- You do not need a dimmable CFL bulb as long as you use a photocell rated for fluorescent lights. The appropriate photocell at Home Depot is rated for 1800 watts of power and specifically states it is good for fluorescent bulbs. The reason some people say that you need a dimmable bulb is that some of the cheaper photocells are not compatible with fluorescent bulbs - the photocell acts more like a dimmer than a switch, whereas the higher quality photocells have real switches inside them. If you use an appropriate photocell, the choice of bulbs becomes much wider. The photocell I used is the Westek Model # 758CTC. At home Depot, it costs $9.97. Whatever someone gets, it MUST be rated for fluorescent bulbs!
- The sodium vapor bulb initially required in the covenants produces 4000 lumens. The 100 watt equivalent CFL recommended at the meeting produces 1400 lumens. The CFL I found at Home Depot with 150 watts equivalency produces 2600 lumens and costs $10.97. The one I found at Batteries Plus in Waukesha is a 300watt equivalent, consumes 55 watts, and produces 3700 lumens. I think I paid about $18 for it (make sure it's a standard ("medium") base, not a mogul base. I do not yet have that in, but I will be putting it in this weekend.
- The reason the 1400 lumen CFL bulb looks so bright is the color spectrum. It really does not provide a lot of useful light, but its color temperature makes it appear brighter. The light spectrum it produces is closer to that of the sun, so since it is right in the middle of the spectrum we see best, it appears brighter. Sodium vapor bulbs are on the lower end of the spectrum. The quote on the web site of "100 watt dimmable 'warm white' light bulb generates about the same luminescence as the Sodium bulb" is simply wrong, according to the facts on all of the products considered. I hope you correct that misstatement.
- From what I understand, in colder weather, the CFL bulbs will not produce as much light. That's another reason I would strongly prefer the subdivision go with a larger than 100W equivalent. I personally recommend the 300W equivalent, but I know some folks will not like the price of that bulb.
- Lifetime of the bulbs is quite different. Sodium Vapor bulbs are typically rated for 24,000 hours, and most of the CFL bulbs I see are rated for 10,000 hours. This means a typical sodium vapor bulb will last about 5 years (assuming an average of 12 hours per day), while a CFL bulb will last only 2.25 years. This means the cost of the bulb will be about $4.8 per year for a 150 watt equivalent CFL, while the sodium vapor bulb (costing around $22) costs about $4.2 per year. So if one goes with the 150W equivalent, the difference in bulb costs will probably be made up in electricity savings, or pretty close.
- If a bulb is cycling off and on during the day, like mine was, the problem is reversed wiring. The red and black wires need to be switched in that case.
Another component that may fail is the ballast. Several electricians we contacted stated the typical life of the ballast is about 5 years. Of course, that's just an estimate. They often last much longer, and can fail much sooner as well. We've experienced ballast lives of 1.5 years, and many have not yet failed for houses that have been here over 5 years. Replacement of this component requires electrical wiring competency, and we recommend engaging a licensed electrician to replace it. Costs reported by residents who have had this repair done run approximately $120 ($60 for parts, $60 for labor). If you've had this repair done and your costs are different, let us know and we'll update the information for others.
The original lampposts and fixtures were manufactured by Dinico; the two different sets of original parts for the subdivision are listed below.
| Part | Setup #1 | Setup #2 |
| Plastic Globe (called an Acorn) | TM21 | TM21 |
| Bulb | LU50/MED/CL | LU50/MED/CL |
| Post Top (includes acorn, fitter*, socket) | TM21-11 | TM21-11 |
| Light sensor/Photocell | A105 | A105 |
| Post | 303-NCA - 10 | 303-NCA - 10 |
| Ballast (there are two different ballasts, make sure you know which one you have before you order one!) And remember, we recommend engaging a licensed electrician to replace a ballast. If it's installed improperly, it'll cost a lot more to fix it! | *The "fitter" is the ring on the top of the post that the acorn mounts to and the socket fits into. If the ballast is in the fitter, it is a High-pressure sodium Integral Ballast and has a part number of: IHP-50 | If the ballast is cylindrical, hanging down in the post under the socket, it is a Post-line ballast, and has a part number of PHP-50 |
