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Since it's development by four scientists at GE in , the modern fluorescent light has had both its admirers and its critics. Those that are for fluorescent lighting talk about the lamp's long life span when compared to traditional incandescent light bulbs, which also makes it environmentally friendly and lowers maintenance costs. Additionally, the pro circuit also touts the overall better quality light emitted by a fluorescent lamp.
On the flipside, those against fluorescent lighting many time focus on the fact that fluorescent lamps do contain mercury inside, which can be poisonous if ingested or inhaled. Additionally, fluorescent lamps do have some limitations when compared to incandescent light bulbs and do cost more upfront.
To help you navigate through the thoughts of both sides of this debate, and to help you make the best choice about what lighting option is right for you, here's a look at the major pros and cons to fluorescent lighting.
One of the best benefits of fluorescent lighting comes from its energy efficiency. That means a fluorescent lamp would only need to use 20 watts of power to produce the same amount of power as an incandescent bulb that needs to use 75 watts of power. Fluorescent lamps also do not produce as much heat as traditional lighting options.
That also results in an energy savings, and also helps to keep whatever room they are in at a cooler temperature. Over time, that amount of savings can make quite an impact on your overall electric bill. In fact, according to Energy Star , estimates that home owners can receive a return on their initial investment of a CFL in about six months. Another major selling point of fluorescent lamps are the long light life they provide. When choosing lighting for your home or business, LEDs are the superior bulb for saving energy and money.
Want more energy efficiency tips? Comparing LED vs. CFL vs. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Household Appliances. Are fluorescent bulbs really more efficient than normal light bulbs? There is a stream of electrons flowing between the electrodes at both ends of the fluorescent bulb. The electrons interact with mercury vapor atoms floating inside the bulb. The mercury atoms become excited, and when they return to an unexcited state they release photons of light in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum.
But it also harms the environment due to the mercury content in it. When these lamps are disposed, the mercury content in them evaporates and causes air and water pollution.
Incandescent bulbs contain tungsten which is not hazardous to the environment. Hence, the bulbs do not impose as much health risk as fluorescent bulbs do. When CFL bulbs were first introduced, they were significantly more expensive than incandescent bulbs. But now the price difference has virtually been wiped out.
The cost varies by manufacturer and retailer. There are different types of incandescent light bulbs that are available in the market and decorative lamps are perhaps the most commonly found lamps in use today.
General Service lamps are either clear or frosted and high wattage general service lamps are of power watts or greater. Reflector lamps help direct the light forward and are used in flood lights and spot type lamps.
A fluorescent light bulb is usually described by its power consumption, longevity, color of light they emit and other illuminating characteristics such as brightness. There are various types of fluorescent light bulbs like:. Examples of incandescent bulbs include PAR45 and A The letters A and R represent the shape, whereas the numbers represent the maximum diameter of the bulb.
Sir Humphrey Davy created the first incandescent bulb in Later in , Warren de la Rue enclosed a coiled filament of platinum and in a vacuum tube and passed current through it. Though his design was operational, the high cost of platinum made it impossible for commercial use.
Next year, Frederick de Moleyns of England was granted the first patent for an incandescent light bulb.
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