As more and more fluorescent lightbulbs hit the market I have to describe, almost on a daily basis, the difference between traditional lightbulbs (aka: incandescent) and CFLs (aka: Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs). CFLs come in many shapes and sizes, as do incandescents by the way, and you can find a bulb to fit almost any purpose that a regular incandescent fills. The major differences in these two types of lightbulbs are in the way they produce light.
- An incandescent lightbulb has a tungsten filament that emits light when an electrical current passes through it. As the current passes through it, particles of light (photons) and heat are emitted. The glowing wire produces the light that you see.
- A fluorescent lightbulb has an electrode on each side. When electrical current is applied to the electrodes it excites the mercury atoms inside the bulb and releases ultra-violet radiation (UV). The UV radiation excites the phosphor molecules that are coated on the inside of the glass tube. The phosphors produce the visible light.
It is much easier and cheaper to manufacture traditional incandescent lightbulbs; thereby, making them inexpensive and easy to come by. Based on Thomas Edison’s prototype, this style of lightbulb has been around for hundreds of years. As consumers, we are familiar with these bulbs and are comfortable knowing how to use them. Unfortunately, in a traditional lightbulb, 90% of the energy used to generate light is wasted as heat, making incandescent bulbs a very inefficient way to light your home.
In contrast, CFLs provide bright, warm light and use 75% less energy, produce 75% less heat, and lasts up to 10 times longer. They are more costly to produce and require a slightly larger initial investment. The good news is that, as technology improves, we are seeing better quality bulbs produced at more reasonable prices. All types of fluorescent bulbs contain mercury. Though the amount of mercury is small, usually around the same amount as a traditional thermometer, the bulbs need to be recycled instead of thrown away. One improperly disposed of bulb won’t cause a large negative environmental impact, but if thousands are thrown away, it will. Be responsible and find a recycling facility in your neighborhood. Most large hardware stores offer recycling facilities as do many local lighting showrooms.
The biggest complaint I must continually counteract is that fluorescent lighting is ugly. The average consumer equates fluorescent lighting with the sickly blue of outdated office lights. Most people don’t know that fluorescent bulbs come in wide variety of colors. Until better regulations are achieved, it can be difficult to differentiate between the colors as there is no standardization to the packaging of CFLs. Food has a standardized label, lightbulbs don’t as of yet. The color of a lightbulb is measured in something called Kelvins. If the packaging lists the Kelvin temperature it will be four numbers followed by a “K”. My favorite is 3000K-3500K, which is considered neutral and neither cool nor warm. If you prefer a bluer light, than choose something with a higher number (usually 4100K-6000K). If you prefer a yellower light, choose something with a lower number (usually 2700K-3000K). The biggest mistake I see people make in color selection is putting a slightly blue bulb under a slightly cream lampshade, and coming up with a sickly green mess. The same can be true for fixtures with amber glass. Though fluorescent lightbulbs require a little more investment, a little more thought, and a little more effort to dispose of properly, they have a lot to offer. They are inexpensive to operate, don’t add unnecessary heat to their surroundings, are long-lasting, and consume a much smaller amount of energy than their counterparts.
If you’re having a problem embracing this new technology, just remember that the people of Edison’s era did too.