No, not all light bulbs are the same. Are there really differences in light bulbs, and what are they?
A Light Bulb is a Light Bulb, Right?
In the past, incandescent bulbs were the most commonly used lighting source. They emit light by heating a metal wire filament to a high temperature until it glows. The science behind these bulbs is relatively simple, making them easy to manufacture and distribute at a low cost. However, the amount of heat wasted to produce light in this form has an impact on monthly electric bills. Its short lifespan of 1,000 to 2,000 hours and high energy consumption make it the least efficient of the three lighting types. Average cost of a 60 watt incandescent bulb is less than $1 dollar.
CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) are glass tubes containing phosphor gas that glows when heated. The benefit of this type of lighting is that is doesn’t require the high heat that a filament does, so less energy is consumed to make light. While these lamps cost a bit more than a standard bulb, the longer lifespan of 6,000 to 15,000 hours and the lower energy usage makes up the difference economically. Flashing, slow lighting time and the fact that mercury is present in the lights are the biggest complaints reported in regards to CFLs. The flashing effect, as well as the slow startup time has been corrected by replacing the older electromagnetic ballasts that charged the gas, with electronic ones. Mercury content is still a concern, but proper handling and disposal will keep the bulbs safe to use. CFLs use one fifth the energy of incandescent bulbs and cost on average between $1-$3 dollars.
LEDs (light emitting diodes) use electroluminescence as a lighting source. Basically, electrons are stimulated and reset to emit photons. A photon is simply a basic unit of light, so it’s safe. The biggest hindrance has been the high cost of production, which is slowly being reduced as new materials are being found to support this clean light source. LEDs burn cool and have a lifespan of 25,000 to 100,000 hours of usage. This simply means lower energy consumption and longer utilization. LEDs use up to one tenth less energy than incandescent bulbs, but they are still quite pricey, starting at $28 dollars a bulb and higher.
Clearly, there is a monumental difference in light bulbs. Knowing the differences will help with energy conservation and in reducing monthly utility costs when choosing a lighting source for your home or office. Choose wisely.
Find bulbs for your home or business here.
You’ll also like:
Mr. Beams Motion Sensing Stick Anywhere LED Review: Best little night light we’ve even seen
How To Guide: Choosing LED light bulbs for your home or business
Simply wanna comment on few general things, The website design and style is perfect, the content material is really good : D.
Thanks for the compliment. We’ll do our best to continue to create interesting content.
Thank you, I have recently been searching for facts about this topic for ages and yours is the best I have discovered so far.
Thanks for the comment. We’re working on another article that expands on this topic, further. Look for it on our site, soon…
Nice read, I just passed this onto a friend who was doing a little research on that. And he just bought me lunch since I found it for him.
So let me rephrase that: Thank you for lunch!
Hmm is anyone else encountering problems with the images on this blog loading? I’m trying to determine if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog. Any feed-back would be greatly appreciated.
We don’t seem to be experiencing any issues, at this time. Are you still encountering problems with the images?
Excuse my stupidity, but I can’t seem to find your sites rss feeds. Can you tell me where it is? Thanks.
Here’s the address for our RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Energysave123 Thanks for checking out our site!
Nice piece of info! May I reference part of this on my blog if I post a backlink to this webpage? Thanks.
Sure, you can reference any of our original articles, as long as you provide a backlink. What’s the URL of your site?
Wonderful blog! Do you have any tips for aspiring writers? I’m hoping to start my own site soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you propose starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m completely overwhelmed .. Any suggestions? Thank you!
WordPress is a great platform to get you started… I would suggest you purchase your own URL, instead of using a WordPress extension. You might want to also consider upgrading to a StudioPress theme, like we have done with EnergySave123.com. Start writing about a subject that interests you. You don’t have to be an expert. As long as the subject is interesting to you, it will keep you motivated to write and learn about new related topics. All the best!
As a Newbie, I am continuously searching online for articles that can help me. Thank you
I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you create this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz respond as I’m looking to create my own blog and would like to know where u got this from. kudos
Thanks! This is a WordPress blog with a Studiopress.com template. It’s a great platform with lots of features, that’s simple to use. I recommend it highly.