An Overview Of The Most Popular Types Of Light Bulbs

There are different types of light bulbs, all with different uses

. You should buy the light bulb that best suits your particular requirements, meaning you should look at the features before making a purchase. You should also consider such things as the wattage, the power output, and the cost.

Incandescent light bulbs are the most popular light bulbs in homes. The bulbs work by the heating of tungsten filaments using electricity until the filaments glow. The filament is set in a mixture of nitrogen/argon gas or a vacuum. The energy consumed by the light bulb is emitted as heat. This leads to low Lumens per Watt performance. The high filament temperature causes tungsten to evaporate unevenly, leading to uneven thinning. Another drawback of this bulb is the fact that sudden electric energy surges can cause the thinner parts to heat up faster. An incandescent bulb produces steady warm light and has a lifespan of between 700 and 1000 hours.

A halogen light bulb is a variation of the incandescent bulb technology. The light bulbs have a tungsten filament, but this is set in a tube with halogen gas. The halogen gas leads to a chemical reaction, which leads to the deposit of the tungsten onto the filament, thereby extending the life of the light bulb. This also leads to a hotter filament, meaning you get greater Lumens per Watt performance. The major drawback of this light bulb is that it heats up more than other light bulbs. As an example, a bulb with wattage of 300 can reach upwards of 300 degrees C.

The fluorescent light bulb is another of the common light bulbs. The bulbs work by passing electric current through tubes filled with mercury and argon gas. This leads to the production of UV radiation, which reacts with the phosphorous coating to emit light. These bulbs are advantageous in that they have a long life (between 10,000 and 20,000 hours); they produce very little heat and are very efficient. Modern fluorescent lamps include T12, T8, and T5. They use rare earth tri-phosphor technology.

Another popular category is Compact Fluorescent Lamp or CFL lightbulbs. These bulbs work much like fluorescent bulbs, but they come in a smaller package. Some come in 3 small tubular loops and others as short glass sticks. The bulbs are characterized by low wattage, high light output, low heating, and a very long life.

HPS or high pressure sodium lamps, metal halide lamps, mercury vapor lamps, and self-ballasted mercury lamps are collectively referred to as high-intensity discharge lamps or HID. Such auxiliary equipment as starters and ballasts are required for the proper operation and starting of the light bulbs, with the exception of self-ballasted lamps. These lamps produce larger quantities of light and are relatively smaller than their HID or incandescent lamps. Of the HIDs, metal halide lamps produce the whitest and more natural light.

Another major light bulb category is low-pressure sodium lamps. Of all lighting sources that are commercially available, these bulbs have the greatest efficacy. These light bulbs are different from HPS in that they require a low warm up time. The bulbs emit yellow light.

LED (light emitting diode) light bulbs do not have filaments. They are characterized by a long lifespan and low power consumption. This technology is advancing every day and the traditional problem of lack of sufficient lumen (output) is being addressed.

by: Osbert Farley

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