When Thomas Edison came up with the idea of the Light Bulb, he might not have thought that his invention would undergo so many adaptations and improvements and would become one of the inseparable parts of everyday life. There is such a range of light bulbs available in the market these days that it may be bewildering to choose one of them and one can easily get confused. This article is an attempt to help a person choose the right kind of bulb depending on the requirements and the budget and also to firm up the knowledge about the light bulb in an easy and efficient manner.
To understand how a light works, certain terms including voltage, watt and amperage must be understood. The energy produced by a light bulb is called the voltage of the light bulb. Amperage is the amount of energy a bulb uses to generate light. Watts is the electrical flow or energy produced by a light bulb. All of these factors determine a light bulbs performance. The light bulb working, in simplest terms, can be defined as when we turn on a light switch, a current of electricity passes through the light bulb. The filament in the light bulb then heats up resulting in a light.
There are different types of light bulbs available in the market with many well established brands. Therefore when purchasing one the manufacture's guide must be checked to make sure that the correct bulb is purchased. Many have different watts or powers and buying ones that are too powerful may burn equipment out or may not work properly. Some bulbs heat up very quickly and cannot be used with plastics or fabrics that could melt or catch fire. The safety standards should be known in advance before using one. They can cause high operating costs if used wrongly. Some of the Lights bulbs with different characteristics are:
Led light bulbs
Led light bulbs are the small indicator lights. The key strength of these types of bulbs is in their low power consumption and durability but the main limitation to the acceptance of white led lighting as a lighting standard is that they are very expensive. Although the cost keeps cutting down, Led bulbs still have a high cost compared with other types of bulbs. Led light Bulbs are often found on remote controls and other sensor operated electronics.
Halogen light bulbs
Halogen light bulbs are brighter and produce a more powerful light. Halogen light bulbs are a good pick up for someone keen to shell out a little extra money to get a high quality bulb in the long run. Halogen bulbs provide more light than a traditional light bulb. They also last much longer.
They do get hot however, so this must be considered when buying. The consumption of electricity is more. With a textured or non-white ceiling, the quality of light may not be that good. There is a possibility of fire hazard because of the awfully hot temperature produced during the operation of high wattage bulbs.
They can be used indoors or outdoors. Generally, they are used in places such as department stores and in commercial and industrial applications for various interior lighting. They are used in spectrometers and auto headlights too. Halogen Light Bulbs have been used in automotive and domestic locations where there is a need to concentrate light at a specific point.
Full spectrum light bulbs
Full spectrum light bulbs are just regular light bulbs that generate white light. They are not the most energy efficient on the market. The light they produce is equal in intensity to outdoor daylight. Full spectrum light bulbs are said to improve mood. They are also considered to enhance energy, learning ability, and behavior.
Sylvania light bulbs
While each type of light bulb has its uses, they are often made by several manufacture's. Many of them are well known brands. One of them is Sylvania Light Bulbs. Sylvania 's bulbs produce a cooler, white-bluish light and have a slight delay when turned on. Sylvania develops lighting products that lasts a long time and have high durability, enhanced light and superior energy efficiency.
GE light bulbs
GE's compact fluorescent light bulbs are poised to drastically lessen energy consumption compared with standard incandescent bulbs for residential and industrial customers. GE's compact fluorescent light bulbs provide significant energy savings over traditional incandescent bulbs that they are designed to replace. They are available in lustrous new designs, such as the Spiral, Incandescent Shape and Post Light, with long life guarantees of five to eight years.
Because they turn on flicker-free, fit in most fixtures and produce exceptional color rendering, GE's compact fluorescent light bulbs are products that any household can be pleased about. For lamps that are only turned on infrequently, the incandescent GE Soft White Longer Life bulbs can be used.
Fluorescent light bulbs
Fluorescent light bulbs do not get heat up as quickly as others and are more energy efficient. If the requirement is for soft, energy efficient light then compact fluorescent light bulbs may be considered. These light bulbs also use far less electricity than traditional light bulbs and last much longer. They can be used in almost any ordinary fixture. Most cost the same as traditional bulbs.
The range of light bulbs available on the market can easily get confusing