How To Choose Between Incandescent Lights And Fluorescent Lights
Posted: Monday, April 21, 2008
by Moses Chia
There has always been much discussion of the pros and cons of incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs. To further confuse things, CFL (compact fluorescent lights) and LEDs have joined the argument.
Incandescent bulbs are so called because of the heat produced. Incandescence means to glow with heat. The tungsten filament is found inside a void within the bulb. When energy is pumped through the wire, the electrons react and there is resistance. This causes the the filament to heat up to the point where it glows.
The light bulb aims to copy the wavelength of the light that the sun gives. The main factor in determining this is the sun's surface temperature, which is about 6,000 Kelvin. In Celsius, that would about 5,700 degrees. The formula is K = C + 273. The more commonly known measurement would be 10,300F. In light bulbs it is called color temperature.
For the interior, the bulbs have a slightly bluer tint to its light. The color temperature is also lower. Color temperature is actually different from real temperature. When an incandescent bulb glows, it will be anywhere from 120F-200F or more. To get a feel for how hot that is, water boils at 220F or 100C.
Fluorescent bulbs do not generate as much heat because they operate in a totally different way.
Fluorescent bulbs consist of gases or vapor such as mercury and electrodes. One end of the electrode receives some voltage, which is then propelled toward the other end. Along the way, it makes contact with the mercury atoms. This gives energy to the mercury atoms, which is released as the light we see.
The amount of energy lost is almost negligible and thus little heat is produced. For this reason, fluorescent bulbs are a much more efficient form of light. This means that they produce the same amount of energy as what is put into them.
The light that comes from incandescent bulbs is due to the filament actually burning white hot. More heat is being given off than there is light. The problem for you is that you are only getting a fraction of light for the energy you pay for to produce it.
Fluorescent light is different from incandescent light. They work at a different range and a different color temperature. Fluorescent lighting was usually used in basements and garages before the advent of CFLs.
You will pay about 3-10 times less for an incandescent bulb than you will for a fluorescent. It's up to you to decide which is better for you, paying less for a bulb that doesn't last as long (750-1000 hours), or paying more for a bulb that will last longer (6,000-15,000). You can save at least 70% of current expenditure by using fluorescent bulbs. this includes the electric bill and the initial purchase price.
People do argue about the environmental cost of the different types of light. When compared to other factors, such as auto exhaust and industrial gases, it really has no impact at all. In fact, it's so little that it really shouldn't even be involved in such a discussion.
So after all of this, the type of bulb you choose will be determined by a number of factors, mostly personal preference. This and your budget will be the biggest factors, at least until you learn about LEDs.
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Moses Wright is a home improvement enthusiast who enjoys working on diy home lighting projects. He share more resources on diy bedroom lighting options, Incandescent Lightings or Fluorescent Lightings options on his site.
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