Popular in Russia “Ilyich's bulbs” are becoming a thing of the past, giving way to more modern lamps, which, as the name suggests, are designed to help conserve energy. What are their advantages over a light source familiar to many, and how can an ordinary consumer choose this product?
energy-saving lampsAdvantages and disadvantages of a fluorescent incandescent lamp
To begin with, it should be noted that lamps are of various types:
Incandescent lamp,
Fluorescent lamp (among its varieties, energy-saving ones are noted),
LED lamp.
The advantages of energy-saving lamps are associated, first of all, with the principle of their operation, which differs significantly from the classical light source. There is no tungsten filament here, which is often the reason for the rapid burnout of conventional bulbs. In this regard, their service life can be extended by almost 10 times. Such a light source is convenient to use in hard-to-reach places where it is impossible to frequently replace burnt-out lamps.
Electricity consumption when using this product is reduced by almost 5 times, which is why its name comes from. In this case, the lighting level does not change. High light output helps to achieve this effect.
Among the shortcomings, it is worth noting the high cost, which, however, pays off later, since energy-saving lamps have a long service life when used correctly. In addition, they require special disposal.
What characteristics should you pay attention to?
The main characteristics that affect the choice of an energy-saving lamp may be as follows:
Power,
Base type,
The color of the light,
Cost.
It should be noted right away that the last characteristic is influenced by all the previous ones. Therefore, we will dwell on each of them in more detail.
So power. For those who are accustomed to using conventional incandescent lamps, it is quite difficult to navigate this parameter in energy-saving lamps. In order to purchase the desired product, the power indicated on the package should be increased 5 times. So, if you need lighting, which is 75 W for incandescent lamps, then for an energy-saving option, this characteristic should be 15 W. The type of base, like ordinary bulbs, is of two types. It is recommended to use E14 for wall lamps, E27 for chandeliers.
The color of light can be of several types and depends on the temperature. Three types are conventionally distinguished, each of which is suitable for a particular room. So, for offices, sales areas, it is optimal to choose cold white light of 6400 K. It is believed that it increases efficiency. Fluorescent lamps have a characteristic from 4200 to 5400 K. They are recommended for rooms where there is no natural light, for example, a corridor, a bathroom, etc. The warm light of 2700 K lamps is designed to create a cozy atmosphere in living rooms.
It is not recommended to use incandescent lamps with energy-saving lamps in the same room, as well as lamps with different light temperatures, since this not only negatively affects vision, but also does not have a very good effect on the general condition and mood. It is quite important to pay attention to the manufacturer. After all, goods from trusted companies that have proven themselves positively in this area will last longer than its cheap counterpart.
What else is important?
Among the secondary features are the design of the lamp. Now manufacturers offer this product in various versions, in the form of candles, a ball, etc. Such a device can become an elegant additional element of the interior.
When buying an energy-saving lamp, you should pay attention to the ventilation of the ballast. During operation of the device, first of all, its electronic insides, which are located in a plastic case, are heated. Therefore, there must be holes on top of it to ensure good ventilation. It is desirable that they are located in different parts of the body.
Directly in the store, you should check the operation of the device. If it starts to flicker, then it is better to choose a different bulb. In addition, you can select a light source equipped with a "soft start". Such lamps do not light up immediately after power is applied, but after a few seconds. This parameter helps to minimize lamp wear when operating through a diode-backlit switch.
We hope that our advice will help you choose the optimal energy-saving light bulb for certain conditions, which will last a long time and will be efficient enough to use.