Light Bulbs
Light Bulbs
Make Sure You Buy the Right Type of Light Bulbs
Not all light bulbs are created equal. Some are designed for brightness, others not so much. Some are intended to enhance the look of your fixture, while still others are content to be merely being functional. Either way, it's imperative to use the correct bulb for your lighting needs.
Here's a quick rundown of the most common types of bulbs.
Incandescent: This is the most common type of bulb, considered a "standard" bulb. They produce a warm, steady light, ideal for most household applications. They're generally the least expensive type of bulb, they can be used on a dimmer, and are middle-of-the-road efficient. Expect a standard incandescent bulb to last for 700-1,000 hours.
While incandescent refers to the way the light is created within the bulb, it can actually have different bases. An "M base" is a medium based bulb (sometimes referred to as an "E base" or Edison base). Again, this is probably the single-most popular bulb on the lighting market. And a "C base" refers to a candelabra based bulb (more on that below).
As far as shape, incandescent bulbs can be found in globes, as small, round lamps for a decorative touch, or mimicking a flame.
Candelabra: As described above, candelabra-base bulbs are actually incandescent bulbs, shaped to imitate the look of a flame on a candle. These are used on lighting fixtures designed to show off the bulb and not on those with shades.
Halogen: You might be surprised how many lights use this kind of bulb. In track and recessed lighting, wall sconces, and pendants, halogen is increasing in popularity.
Halogen bulbs offer more light per watt than incandescent bulbs, and if cared for properly, they can outlast them, too. The downside to halogen bulbs is the cost, both in initial purchase and replacements. To maximize the life of your halogen bulb:
- Avoid touching the bulb with your bare hands, since any oil can deteriorate the lamp.
- Also, don't run the bulb at full power if it's not necessary.
Fluorescent light: At the top of the efficiency list for light bulbs, these are in contention for the gold medal, lasting up to 20,000 hours. They far outlast incandescent bulbs and are relatively inexpensive, depending on the type of fluorescent bulb you choose. The most popular commercial type is fluorescent tubes.
In addition to producing light efficiently, fluorescent lights produce very little heat, which is good news for areas with poor ventilation. Unfortunately, most fluorescent bulbs cannot be used with dimmers.
The well-publicized negative to fluorescent bulbs is the fact they contain mercury. This means it should your fluorescent bulb breaks or needs replacing, it'll have to be properly disposed of. A great resource to find a local recycling center for fluorescent bulbs is Earth911.com.
Compact fluorescent light (CFL): As the gold standard for contemporary efficiency, it's difficult to know what CFLs are best known for: their efficiency or their swirly shape. As part of the amazingly efficient fluorescent family, these are used mostly in residential applications, but surely can be used in any application that calls for a medium-base bulb.
According to the ENERGY Star web site, an ENERGY Star-qualified CFL bulb:
- Can save more than $40 in electricity costs over its lifetime.
- Uses about 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and lasts up to 10 times longer.
- Produces about 75% less heat, so it's safer and can cut home cooling costs.
Light-emitting diode (LED): In December 2010, Consumer Reports magazine reported that Philips claims its 12-watt LED bulb has a life of 25,000 hours. Looked at in another way, if you installed one of these babies when the report came out and ran it four hours every day, it might last until Christmas 2027.
Get ready for the future of light bulbs.
LEDs are more efficient than CFLs, but have yet to catch on full force. With that said, the ENERGY Star web site suggests that rapid adoption of LED lighting across the board can possibly deliver savings of about $265 billion over the next 20 years.
Xenon: Another in the emerging lighting technologies, xenon bulbs have surpassed incandescent and halogen lights in terms of efficiency and light quality. Xenon lights are rapidly becoming the preferred source for automobile lights, thanks to their controlled brilliance.
This type of light is essentially an incandescent bulb filled with xenon gas, which prolongs life span and improves efficiency. Despite their increased brightness, Xenon lights still produce very little comparative heat and are considered extremely safe, since the design include a ballast, which constantly regulates the energy levels and will automatically turn off should the voltage threaten to escalate beyond safe levels.
Until next time, Happy Home Improving!
About the Author
Build.com is a leader in providing online home improvement products. We specialize in offering plumbing, lighting, ventilation, door hardware and home decor products. We offer the best selection online at the lowest prices anywhere. We can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Looking for environmentally friendly light bulbs that do not cast a blue-ish glow?
My mom has them and they make her house look horrible...i drive down the street and the glow from the windows looks like a mad scientist's lair! lol. I like the soft pretty yellowish glow of normal light bulbs. they even your skin tone, cast a familiar light on your home, and make things more 'homey'. The new spiral bulbs bring out scars, stains, and make everything blue/green cast. Anyone know if they make any of these new efficient bulbs that don't make things look so stark and ugly?
yes.. I saw recently on the Today Show that they are coming out with all sorts of new high efficiency (fluorescent) bulbs with different tones and even shapes. The spiral is gone.
Remember these are just fluorescent bulbs in a smaller size and shape and they come in different tone colors also.
Try Home Depot and other Home Improvement Stores to see if they have stocked them yet. Even better go online and check out the supply. I am sure they will be in most stores soon.
Light Bulbs
Important information about energy saver light bulbs
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Warm White LED Light Bulbs - Which Are the Best?
It is relatively easy to pick up a warm white incandescent bulb just about anywhere, but if you want to save electricity and money with one of the new LED light bulbs, picking a good warm white LED light bulb is a little more complicated. This article provides some advice and recommendations on picking the best warm white LED light bulbs.
When we describe a light as warm white, we are referring to its color temperature. Technically, the concept of color temperature is based on the relationship between the temperature and radiation emitted by a theoretical standardized material (a so-called black body radiator) that has been cooled down to a state in which all molecular motion has ceased. So, simply put, the color temperature is a measurement that is used to define the color of a light emitted by the bulb. We typically think of the color temperature in terms of the whiteness or warmness of a light source: "Warm White" = 3000 Kelvin; "Neutral White" = 3500 Kelvin; "Cool White" = 4100 Kelvin and "Daylight White" = 5000 or more Kelvin.
LED light bulbs are available with a wide range of color temperatures, but the warm white LED light bulbs that produce a light similar to a traditional incandescent light used in general home lighting are more expensive because more or brighter LEDs are required in the bulb. Since cool white is the natural color of LED light, it is brighter, whereas chips that emit a warm white light require a phosphorous "filter" to "warm" the color temperature, thus reducing the chip's brightness. So, a warm white LED bulb is an LED light bulb with a color temperature around 3000K that will produce a warm light similar to that we typically expect from an ordinary household incandescent bulb.
There are a growing number of LED light bulbs on the market today that are marketed as warm white bulbs. Which ones are the best? Below we discuss a couple of the best we have come across for replacing common household light bulbs.
C. Crane describes its warm white GeoBulb as the first 60 watt direct replacement bulb that uses less than 8 watts. One of the things we like about the GeoBulb is that it is the same size as a conventional incandescent bulb; therefore, it is suitable for direct replacement in any indoor open fixture. In addition, it's one of the few bulbs that we have come across where the manufacturer has published independent lumen test data, so you can have some confidence that it will actually produce as much light as the manufacturer claims - something that, sadly, can't be said for a lot of the bulbs out there. This is a well-made product that has received generally favorable ratings from customers. The GeoBulb is a good, eco-friendly substitute for a standard A-line (or A-type or A-shape - this is the shape of an ordinary household incandescent) light bulb. Like an ordinary household light bulb, it also has a standard (often called medium) E26 base.
Lots of folks today are looking for warm white PAR38 LED bulbs that are dimmable. As you may know, most LED light bulbs will not work with a standard dimmer or with those fixtures with electric eyes that come on automatically at dusk or when a motion is detected. This is because LEDs require constant current to operate. If a standard dimming method is applied, the LED bulb will flicker at regular intervals, or worse, simply not work. In order to dim an LED light, a 0-10V dimming module is required in order to "trick" the LED into emitting less light. In theory, all LED lights are dimmable with this module. So, the bulb below is one of these special dimmable LED bulbs, and it is a good choice both when you want to replace a standard PAR38 bulb where you have a dimmer or maybe outside with a motion detector.
LEDinsider, which we have found to have a nice range of well-made bulbs and excellent customer service, sells a fully dimmable 100 watt warm white PAR38 replacement bulb with a standard base. This warm white LED bulb generates 553 lumens and consumes only 11 watts of electricity. LEDinsider suggests that it can be used to replace any household 100-120 watt incandescent/halogen bulb, although due to the size of the bulb, you can only use in locations where a PAR38 bulb with a 4-3/4" diameter will properly fit. Customers have reported that they are using the bulbs as outdoor floodlights.
Depending on your specific lighting needs, there are a growing number of good warm white LED light bulbs coming on the market, so we encourage you to take a look at the full range of LED light bulbs available, paying close attention to product details and customer reviews.
If you are looking for accurate, objective information on how to choose the right LED light bulb, you need to take a look at our LED light bulb reviews. For a complete guide to LED light bulbs along with reviews from real customers, click here.
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Light Bulbs