Electrical News & Trends

[VIDEO] LED CordLight Lumen Output Comparison

October 26, 2024 - We put the CordLights to the test! In this video, Zach and Bo take some of the most common LED CordLights and compare them to EPCO's (P/N 16140 & 16050) to see which perform the best. Watch the video to see who comes out on top!

EPCO Power Cords: Now Individually Wrapped

October 21, 2024 - We're excited to announce a significant improvement to our power cord packaging: individual wrapping. This new feature ensures that each cord is meticulously protected and organized. New Look! Same Great Quality! Why individual wrapping?Enhanced Protection: By wrapping each cord individually, we safeguard against potential damage during shipping and storage.Convenience: Each cord is now… Read More

EPA Announces ENERGY STAR Retire 12/31/24 for Lamps and Luminaires

June 25, 2024 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is retiring the ENERGY STAR specifications for lamps and luminaires effective the end of this calendar year, December 31, 2024. Brand owners are to stop using the ENERGY STAR name and ENERGY STAR mark as of 12/31/2024 as well. EPCO’s products will be replaced with a new energy efficient logo moving forward after 12/31/24.… Read More

Custom Length MC Whips

June 3, 2024 - Juggling project deadlines and safety concerns can be a constant challenge. As a contractor, you need products that are safe, efficient, and high quality. EPCO MC Whips offer benefits you can count on:Improved Safety: Minimize electrical hazards with pre-assembled, code-compliant whips. EPCO whips meet all safety regulations, giving you peace of mind.Enhanced Efficiency: Get projects done faster… Read More

AC Whips with Metallic and Non-Metallic Connectors

June 3, 2024 - EPCO's UL Listed Air Conditioner (AC) Whips are designed to save contractors installation time and labor by connecting the central air conditioner compressors to the AC disconnect box. EPCO AC Whips are available in a variety of configurations including straight, 45-degree, and 90-degree connectors (available in either metallic or non-metallic), ½" or ¾" non-metallic liquid tight conduit, and 8… Read More

General Purpose LED Luminaires: Now Enhanced with On-Demand Color and Wattage Selection

March 11, 2024 - EPCO’s General Purpose Vapor Tight LED Luminaires are now enhanced with both color and wattage-select technology capabilities. These fixtures enable adjustment to the white color value on-demand and the ability to adjust energy consumption based on use and application of the luminaire. The built-in capability of these luminaires improves the overall functionality of the lighting system, increases… Read More

EPCO Prefabrication Solutions: Knowing Your True Costs

February 22, 2024 - Let's face it: time and money are precious. When you choose EPCO’s Prefabrication Solutions, you're investing in cost savings, enhanced efficiency, and unwavering quality.Prefabrication unlocks significant cost savings for contractors. With minimized on-site assembly and installation, labor costs naturally decrease. Predictable material and labor costs enable reliable and accurate project… Read More

Powering Up Safety: How EPCO’s Prefabrication Solutions Elevate Jobsite Well-being

February 20, 2024 - In the fast-paced world of construction, safety is paramount. Electrical contractors navigate a demanding landscape, balancing efficiency with the crucial task of protecting their teams. Thankfully, innovative solutions like electrical prefabrication products are emerging to tilt the scales in favor of both safety and productivity. EPCO’s Prefabrication Solutions help to a safer jobsite… Read More

EPCO Installs 900 Solar Panels, Generating 500kW of Clean Energy per Year

December 27, 2023 - EPCO is proud to announce the installation of 900 new solar panels on our roof. This significant investment in renewable energy will provide the following positive impacts:Reduced carbon footprint: Generating 500kW of renewable energy per year will significantly offset EPCO's carbon emissions, contributing to the fight against climate change.Energy independence: Eliminating dependence on… Read More

EPCO's 12 Days of Giving

December 6, 2023 - EPCO, the premier wholesaler to Electrical Distributors and Contractors specializing in fixture whips, power whips, temporary and utility lighting, ground bonding, retrofit kit assemblies and custom fabrication services, is known for its commitment to giving back to the community. This year, we are celebrating the holidays with our 12 Days of Giving campaign. For 12 days, EPCO will be… Read More

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 2022A 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 National… 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 PLANNINGPrefabrication involves identifying… Read More

Updated 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… 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… 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’s… 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… 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… 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… 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… 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… Read More

LED 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… 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… 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-… 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

T12 Lighting Technology Phase-out: 75% Potential Savings

February 6, 2012 - Fluorescent linear T12 lighting was the most widely used technology in commercial buildings until about 10 years ago. Now a declining technology, the rising popularity of its challengers T8 and T5 is due to better performance and energy efficiency—and most important for building owners and managers, savings in lighting costs. I’ve seen savings as high as 75% in some estimates, depending on which… Read More