Compact Lighting

Compact Lighting

Will LED lights supplant compact fluorescents in home lighting applications?

In flashlights they make an incredible amount of light per battery, are very bright, and last about forever.

Are they being adapted to use as household lighting? If so, when will they become widely available?

Are they more efficient than and less polluting (mercury, manufacturing waste etc?) than CF's?

At 100 W incandescent bulb puts out 1700 lumens and costs less than a dollar. Compact fluorescent generate similar lighting with less power and cost about $3. A very bright LED ie Luxeon Star gives 60 lumens for $6 and can heat by 80C in ten minutes without proper cooling. As LED's get hot, they draw more current and produce less light. High power LED's require a current regulator, a heat sink and possibly a fan. A properly cooled LED will last 100,000 hours, but the lifetime of a hot LED is no better than a CF bulb. LED clusters designed for home lighting are currently available, but not widely used due to cost. Until costs come down, LED's are likely to serve niche markets rather than general household lighting.

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Compact fluorescent light bulbs or CFL for short will soon be a daily fact we have to live with, whether we are enthusiastic or not. Many of you may already be using them in your homes.

These bulbs are being greeted with a variety of reactions. I have to admit, that I was not initially enthused, but I have found that they are getting better, and I do use them in many areas around my home with a mind to saving energy and saving myself money when the light bill arrives each month.

The move is on to convert to these bulbs exclusively in the US within the next two to four years depending on whose interpretation of regulations you chose to embrace. Indeed the sale of incandescent bulbs has already been banned in Australia and some European countries, and retailers may sell their existing stock, but purchase no more. Needless to say, they are having no trouble selling them.

Since this is our future, I am reviewing some facts and tips about the CFL to help you ease into their usage with as little pain as possible.

1. While it is true that the initial cost of compact fluorescent light bulbs is greater, they do last much longer. The Energy Star label warrants them for two year usage, and they may last as long as five years.

In order to extend the lifespan of a CFL it is suggested that they not be turned on and off quickly. In other words, once you turn the bulb on, let it remain on a minimum of fifteen minutes before turning it off.

They are estimated to use 75 percent less energy than their incandescent counterpart. It is estimated that an Energy Star rated CFL will pay for itself in six months.

So, the good news is, though the initial cost is greater they will give longer service and lower your energy bill.

2. Initial scares about the mercury contained in a CFL seem, in fact, to have little basis. Yes they do contain mercury. Most households with children have experienced the mishap of a broken fever thermometer and survived. These bulbs contain about one percent as much mercury as a thermometer.

The daily news seems to want to put a scare in us about one health issue or another. Obviously news stories about the latest health hazard sell.

And if you do a little research, you will find that incandescent bulbs are not off the hook on the mercury issue. The news didn't bother to include this little fact.

3. Fluorescent lighting can be unkind visually, but bulbs are available with lower Kelvin temperatures that cast warmer tones much like what we are accustomed to with incandescent lighting. Look for bulbs with ranges between 2700 and 3000.

Kelvin is a temperature scale by which light color is rated. Lower ratings provide warmer color and higher cast blues and white light.

4. If you favor dimmers, you will need to look for CFL's made to work with a dimmer. These bulbs will dim down to between 10-20% of initial output.

Three-way bulbs are available also. Consult packaging to be sure you are getting a bulb with this capacity.

While industry is diligently working to increase the efficiency of incandescent bulbs to meet the Energy Bill standards in the next two to four years, it seems inevitable that compact fluorescent light bulbs are here to stay.

If this has been helpful, you might also see tips on bathroom ventilation and helpful pointers on planning bathroom lighting.

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