Frequently Asked Questions

Products

You carry some products from manufacturer X, but I don't see the model I need. Can I still order it from you?
I see the product I'm looking for, but the exact configuration I need isn't one of the options shown. Can I get the configuration I need?
I see a 120V product I'd like to use in a hardwire installation, but it has a power plug on the end. Can I cut off the plug in order to hardwire the fixture?
How can I protect my lighting investment?
Can I get samples?
How much can I bend linear accent lights? (rope light, neon flex, tape light, etc.)

Lighting

Ordering

Products

You carry some products from manufacturer X, but I don't see the model I need. Can I still order it from you?
Absolutely. Only a small sampling from our manufacturer's product lines are shown on the website, but the full range of products is available to you.

I see the product I'm looking for, but the exact configuration I need isn't one of the options shown. Can I get the configuration I need?
You bet. The product options shown on the website are the most common configurations for our products. But if you're in need of a different set of options for the product, just let us know.

I see a 120V product I'd like to use in a hardwire installation, but it has a power plug on the end. Can I cut off the plug in order to hardwire the fixture?
While snipping the molded plug off a 120V fixture's power cord and stripping it back to bare wires in order to hardwire the fixture is not uncommon, it is not a recommended practice. Doing so can void the safety rating (UL, ETL, etc.) as well as potentially void the product's warranty.

How can I protect my lighting investment?
Here are some basic guidelines to follow to improve the reliability of your linear lighting product and protect your investment:
- Power Quality: In order to help product your investment, we highly recommend the use of power conditioning and surge suppression equipment on any line voltage power that will be supplying your lights. This will help provide high quality power to the lights and reduce the risk of voltage drops or spikes in the power, which could damage LEDs or inner components/circuitry.
- Mounting: Care has to be taken with how fixtures are mounted so that the product is not physically stressed. Always refer to the manufacturer's installation instructions. For linear products (rope, neon, tape, etc.) do not hang products vertically, twist, or leave them unsupported along a length. A continuous support structure, such as mounting track or a custom project-specific solution, is ideal for weight distribution. For point supports, such as mounting clips or zip ties, etc., we recommend a spacing of 6"-12" apart. Anything further than 12" and the weight begins to pull down on the light over time, causing sag and straining the inner wiring.
- Outdoor Connections: If you are installing a luminaire outdoors, make sure it is designed for outdoor use and is rated for damp/wet locations. If you are installing a linear lighting product (rope, neon, tape, etc.) outside, care has to be taken during installation at all vulnerable points along the run of the lights, namely the connection points where either accessories are attached to the light, or light sections are spliced together. Please be sure to review our Outdoor Installations page for tips on how to handle these areas to resist moisture from entering the lighting assembly.
Following these guidelines will give you clean power to a well secured product, all the while resisting the passage of moisture into the product assembly.

Can I get samples?
Yes, you can. When looking to acquire lighting for a large-scale project, it is a smart idea to get samples first in order to make sure the light meets your requirements. We provide samples via a reimbursement-method. What this means is that you would purchase a single unit of the light you need as a regular order. Then if the light meets your requirements and you purchase the full order needed, we would provide a credit adjustment on the full order to offset the cost of the initial sample product. If you are interested in obtaining samples, please contact us for additional details and to coordinate your sample and purchase needs. Take Three Pro Account clients are eligible for free samples!

How much can I bend linear accent lights?
The ability to bend flexible linear accent lights is what gives them much of their appeal and makes them suitable for a wide variety of applications. See our article on Bending Linear Lights for more information.

Lighting

What is the difference between "lumen" and "candela" brightness measurements?
Both lumens and candela are units that can be used to measure the brightness of a light source, but they represent different things. A lumen (the unit of luminous flux) is a measure of the total amount of visible light emitted by a light source in all directions. A candela (the unit of luminous intensity) is a measure of the intensity of a light source at a particular angle. Light bulbs have their power expressed in lumens, but often times the brightness of individual LEDs is expressed in candela (or millicandela, abbreviated "mcd") by the manufacturer.
A great example of how these measurements work is a light bulb comparison. Let’s assume we have three different PAR38 directional light bulbs from the same manufacturer. All three are of the same wattage and have similar specifications with the exception of their beam angle. Bulb #1, with a beam angle of 32°, has an overall output of 780 lumens and an intensity of 1,650 candela. Bulb #2, with a slightly narrower beam angle of 23°, has an overall output of 780 lumens and an intensity of 3,600 candela. Bulb #3, with the narrowest beam angle of 8°, again has the same overall output of 780 lumens but an intensity of 12,500 candela. All three are outputting the same amount of visible light, but the intensity of that light increases as the angle gets smaller. (This example is for illustration only, but is based on actual bulb specifications.)

How many watts is that LED?
Because of incandescent light bulbs, most people are used to looking at wattage to determine the light output of a light source: a 100-watt lamp puts out more light than a 60-watt lamp. All general service incandescent lamps use the same filament material heated to the same temperature, so the only way to increase their light output is to increase the wattage. This is one of the main reasons why incandescent lamps are so energy wasteful. LED light sources are much more efficient at converting watts to lumens. Different materials can be used within the LED sources themselves, each of which has its own light extraction efficacy. For these and other reasons, two different LED sources can consume the same number of watts but differ widely in lumen output.
Because watts can’t be used as an index of light output, evaluating the “brightness” of LED sources for a given situation requires you to think differently about lighting. A standard 60-watt incandescent lamp emits a total of about 800 lumens, but the light is emitted equally in all directions. When you’re reading at your office desk, your book does not receive all 800 lumens from your desktop lamp, nor do you need it to. The crucial measurement is delivered light. According to the IES, serious reading requires an average of 50 footcandles (fc) or 500 lux (lx) on the page. Many LED products can deliver this level of light while consuming far, far less than 60 watts. You can refer to this article on lumen comparisons for more information.

Ordering

What does shipping cost?
After you have added all your items to your cart, you can use our Shipping Calculator to find out the shipping charges. The Shipping Calculator is located near the bottom of the shopping cart screen. Enter in your shipping address information (including postal/zip code, state, and country) and select the delivery method you would like to use. Click "Apply" to display the shipping charges in the shopping cart.

Will my order ship out right away, or is there a long lead time?
The products on our website typically represent a manufacturer's most popular products, in their most common configurations. We do this in order to keep the website products able to be shipped out quickly, usually in 2-3 business days. However, there may be lead times involved in ordering some products. This will vary by manufacturer and by product line. Orders for non-website products are more likely to have long lead times. If you have a time sensitive order, please contact us.

Do you have a commercial account or trade discount program?
Yes. Our Take Three Pro Account program is a volume discount program for contractors, designers, and owners. Click here to find out more information or to open an account.

Can I get Net 30 terms?
You bet. Members of our Take Three Pro Account program can elect to be billed on Net 30 terms. Click here to find out more information about our Pro Account program or to open an account.

Do you offer financing?
Yes, we can offer financing on larger orders. Lighting projects can quickly escalate in scale and cost, making the initial up-front investment a hard pill to swallow. Spreading out the cost of a project over several payments, even years, eases the financial hardship and can get you up and running with efficient LED lighting faster. And the subsequent energy savings from using LEDs will also help to offset the cost of the project. Contact us for details about financing.

Do you ship internationally?
Yes, we do ship internationally. International shipping for online orders is limited to Canada only. If you have an order that must ship to another country, please contact us for assistance. Please note that all international orders may also be subject to additional customs, duties, taxes, and/or destination fees. It is the responsibility of the customer to pay these fees. Please refer to our shipping policies for more information.

Can you ship using my FedEx/UPS account?
At this time, we do not support shipping via third-party shipping accounts. Many of our products are shipped direct from our manufacturers, and as such we can't guarantee that your FedEx/UPS account will be properly billed.