Everything You Need To Know About the New Light Bulbs
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When I started writing this article, I thought I would be discussing the difference between the new CFL light bulbs that are replacing the incandescent bulbs and how the new lighting would affect our homes:
But after my visit to Home Depot today and speaking with a lighting specialist, I found the information I had about lighting was already old news!You have heard how the incandescent bulbs will no longer be made as as January 1, 2014. I had thought the CFL bulbs would be the automatic replacement bulb, but that is not true.The reason we are getting rid of the incandescent bulbs in the first place is because of the energy savings. Without getting technical, in a nutshell, instead of using 60W of energy, the new bulbs use only 9W. A big energy savings.So what will our choices be for home lighting?
Incandescent bulbs is the most commonly used light bulb now and usually the least expensive. This type of light has a warm, inviting quality and is very complimentary to skin tones. They will no longer be available soon.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). These bulbs generally cost more up front, but you can break even quickly, thanks to the energy savings. CFLs consume a quarter of the energy that incandescent bulbs do and last 10 times longer. They can be used anywhere you would use a typical incandescent light bulb. Since CFLs are available in a wide variety of shades that provide yellowish to bluish white lighting, you can easily customize the mood of your room.
BUT… What I consider major disadvantages to using CFL bulbs:* You can not use them with dimmers.* Takes time to warm up the Mercury to achieve maximum light output.* You can not turn a CFL on/off quickly, in a closet for instance, because it will decrease the lifespan of the bulb.* CFLs are not suitable for focused or spot lights or where narrow beams of light are required. They are meant only for ambient light.* There is mercury inside of the bulbs. You are supposed to dispose them as a hazardous waste, but people are just throwing them in the regular trash! Very bad.SO, I was very pleased to learn there is a much better bulb now, called LED lights.An LED is a light-emitting diode. LEDs consist of a semiconductor diode that emits light when a voltage is applied to it. Lumens is the measurement of how much light a bulb produces. When you compare this rating to how much energy, or watts, a bulb uses, you'll get a great idea of how energy efficient a particular bulb happens to be.
For example, in looking at the chart below, we can see that a 60 watt incandescent bulb puts out 800 lumens of light. To make that same amount of light, CFL light bulbs use only 13 to 15 watts of energy, and LED light bulbs a mere 9-13 watts.
Watts / Energy Used vs. Lumens
N/A = not applicable
LED lighting solves all the problems associated with other light bulbs and has proven to not only provide better light, but LEDs are an average of 20 times more efficient than incandescent and 5 times more efficient than CFLs. LEDs contain no toxic mercury, they are dimmable and can also be recycled!
The price is higher. I spent $14.00 for a replacement of one old 6oW bulb for a LED daylight bulb for a laundry room:
But it will last for 20 years and it is using 85% less energy. I believe as the demand increases, prices for LED lamps will continue to go down while the technology continues to improve.
They are available in a wide variety of shades of white light, ranging from yellowish to white to bluish white light, which allows you to customize the mood of your space. For instance, you would use a ‘warmer’ bulb for rooms such as the living room and a ‘cooler’ or ‘daylight’ bulb where you need more light such as a laundry room.
In summary, I think it will be easy for us to choose bulbs today. I would suggest going to a store such as Home Depot and look at their temperature displays which will show you the difference between the soft, direct and daylight bulbs. I personally would stay away from CFL bulbs for the mercury issue alone. The LED lights seem to be the most energy efficient and give us the closest temperature to the old fashioned bulbs.
I hope this has helped you understand the new light bulbs a little better.
If you need help finding the right lighting for your home, contact me today.