FAQs

Is your online ordering system secure?
What is your return policy?
What forms of payment do you accept?
What if I do not like the products I purchased?
What are your shipping rates?
Do you charge state sales taxes?
Do you ship internationally?
Where is your showroom located?
What is the difference between IC and non-IC recessed lighting fixtures?
Is voltage important?
Is it more energy efficient to leave a lamp on or to turn it off?
Why does an incandescent bulb darken over the life of the lamp?
How does a light bulb actually work?
What are the benefits of dimming an incandescent lamp?
Does an MR16 Halogen lamp provide much UV?
What is a Halogen bulb?
What is the difference between line voltage and low voltage?
Why do fluorescent lamps need a ballast?

Is your online ordering system secure?

Yes, we have 128 bit encryption (SSL). Our website is safe and secure for online purchasing. If you prefer to order by phone, our toll free number is: 1-800-382-2976 or 713-667-5611.
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What is your return policy?

We do regret that you are returning your product(s). Here at M&M Lighting, we strive for exceptional customer service and quality at every level. Please refer to our Return Policy section for more details on returning/exchanging your item(s).
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What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express credit cards as a form of payment. Personal/company checks are not accepted at this time for online orders.
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What if I do not like the product(s) I purchased?

In this instance, you may return the item(s) for a refund (less original shipping costs) credited to your credit card account. You may also exchange your product(s) for another item, plus shipping charges. Please refer to the Return Policy section for your return/exchange.
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What are your shipping rates?

Standard shipping rates vary based on the total purchase price and the overall weight and height of your purchase. Some items such as ceiling fans can not be calculated due to assorted sizes and weights. Please call our online customer care for additional shipping rates.
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Do you charge state sales taxes?

A state sales tax of 8.25% will be charged for Texas residents. All other orders are subject to states sales taxes for California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana (Baton Rouge), Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
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Do you ship internationally?

Unfortunately, items can not be shipped internationally/overseas at this time. Shipments are only delivered to addresses in the United States.
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Where is your showroom located?

Our Houston showroom is located at the corner of S. Rice Avenue and Glenmont.

From Downtown:
Take 59-S towards Victoria. Exit Chimney Rock and take a left under Hwy 59. Pass Westpark to the next streetlight, which is Glenmont. Turn left on Glenmont and continue down the street approximately 100 yards to S. Rice Avenue. M&M Lighting is right at the corner on your left-hand side.

From Sugarland:
Take 59-N towards Downtown. Exit Chimney Rock and turn right on Chimney Rock. Pass Westpark until the next streetlight, which is Glenmont. Turn left on Glenmont and continue down the street approximately 100 yards to S. Rice Avenue. M&M Lighting is right at the corner on your left-hand side.

From Katy:
Take I-10E to 610-S past the Galleria and exit Fournace. Turn right on Fournace. Turn right on S. Rice. M&M Lighting is on the corner of Glenmont on your left-hand side.
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What is the difference between IC and non-IC recessed lighting fixtures?

IC fixtures can be directly buried in insulation and in direct
contact with combustible building materials, such as wood joists & flooring members.

Non-IC must maintain at least 3" from insulation on all sides, and none on top so as to entrap heat, with a minimum of 1/2" from combustible material (such as wood joists and flooring members).
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Is voltage important?

Yes. For best operation, it is very important that the designated voltage marked on your bulb corresponds to the circuit voltage on your electric line or outlet. Thus, a 120-volt bulb should be used on a 120-volt current. Any substantial difference from this will cause wide variation in the life and efficiency of the bulb.
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Is it more energy efficient to leave a lamp on or to turn it off?

Since there is no surge involved in the starting of any residential bulb, the answer is if you are not using them, turn them off.

HID (high intensity discharge) lamps (unusual inside houses) and
fluorescent lamps have different operating needs. If you have a fluorescent lamp, the general rule is turning the lamp off unless you are going to need it again within fifteen minutes. Frequent cycling, turning on and off for short periods of time such as in a closet application, can reduce the life of a fluorescent lamp.
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Why does an incandescent bulb darken over the life of the lamp?

During use, tungsten from the filament evaporates into the gas inside the light bulb. When the tungsten comes in contact with a cool surface it will condense. Often, with incandescent products, the tungsten condenses on the bulb wall, eventually accumulating, and causing darkening of the bulb.

Halogen light bulbs eliminate the bulb darkening because halogen light bulbs have a special gas inside their bulb containing halogens. The halogen gas facilitates the "halogen regenerative cycle" which means that the halogens carry the evaporated tungsten back to the filament instead of allowing it to deposit on the bulb wall.
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How does a light bulb actually work?

Basically, an incandescent Bulb is a simple device - just a tungsten wire sealed in a glass tube. The electric current passing through the wire heats it to incandescence, and the wire produces light. Suppose you took a dark piece of metal. If you heat it in a furnace, it becomes hot and radiates heat, but at first shows no visible effects. As temperature is increased, it turns a dull red, therefore emitting not only heat, but also some light. As the temperature is increased further, it turns to a cherry red, then yellow, and at temperatures of about 4600 F, it radiates a bright, nearly 'white-hot' light. For the incandescent lamp, energy is supplied electrically to make up for the energy, which is radiated as heat and light.
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What are the benefits of dimming an incandescent lamp?

Using a dimming switch on an incandescent light bulb will not only reduce the energy consumption of the lamp, but also it will extend the life of the lamp. A 10% reduction in voltage (12 volts) in a lamp designed for 120 volt operation will extend the life almost 400%. However, light output is reduced by 1/3. For example, if you use a 100-watt standard household incandescent dimmed by 10%, you'll save 10% energy, extend the life of the lamp, but the light bulb would have about the equivalent light output as a 60-watt bulb.
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Does an MR16 Halogen lamp provide much UV?

Tungsten filament lamps, such as Halogen and Incandescent provide minimal UV. GE's ConstantColor® MR16 lamps are made using special quartz, which has properties that enable it to filter out nearly the entire UV portion of the spectrum.
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What is a Halogen bulb?

Halogen is a type of incandescent lamp. It has a tungsten filament just like a regular incandescent that you may use in your home, however the bulb is filled with halogen gas. When an incandescent lamp (one which produces light by heating a tungsten filament) operates, tungsten from the filament is evaporated into the gas of the bulb and deposited on the glass wall. The bulb "burns out" when enough tungsten has evaporated from the filament so that electricity can no longer be conducted across it. The halogen gas in a halogen lamp carries the evaporated tungsten particles back to the filament and re-deposits them. This gives the lamp a longer life than regular A-line incandescent lamps and provides for a cleaner bulb wall for light to shine through.
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What is the difference between line voltage and low voltage?

Line voltage in the United States is 120 volts. It is the voltage that is supplied to your home or office. Low voltage is less than the supplied voltage. Some lamps, like GE's ConstantColor® Precise™ MR16 lamps, run on low voltage. Getting low voltage to lamps requires that the supplied electricity (at 120 V) passes through a transformer to reduce it prior to operating the lamp.
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Why do fluorescent lamps need a ballast?

Ballasts are used to regulate the current in the lamp. Current needs to be regulated in order to supply the right amount of power needed to make the arc, and thus the light, in a fluorescent lamp. Fortunately, the current is lower than that needed for a typical incandescent. This is the reason why the fluorescent lamps can provide the same light output for less energy than typical incandescents.
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