Make Your Light Bulb The Right Bulb!

By Author: Dave Sabri
Total Articles: 29
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Up until fairly recently, you did not have to put a great deal of thought into your choice of domestic light bulb, as not only was energy a lot cheaper, but also incandescent bulbs were the only type available.

Nowadays, of course, there are all sorts of different bulbs on the market, each with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. There are three main types of bulb technology currently in use domestically - CFLs, LEDs, and incandescents. Here we discuss the pros and cons of each type so that you can make an informed decision.

The incandescent bulb has been with us for around a century and a half, and has changed little in that time. The light in an incandescent bulb is produced by putting an electrical current through a filament until it glows white hot. The glass bulb itself prevents this white hot filament from catching fire by preventing oxygen, a vital component of any combustion reaction, from getting anywhere near it.

Although incandescent bulbs are still the cheapest type to buy, their high running costs and comparatively short life make them something of a false economy when compared to ...
... compact fluorescents or even expensive LEDs.

Once a boutique product for keen environmentalists, but now a mass market product, the compact fluorescent bulb, often called energy savers, are now almost as cheap to buy as incandescent bulbs, but last a lot longer and use far less energy, due to the fact that they generate a lot less heat than their incandescent equivalents.

Although these are a lot better for the environment than incandescents from an energy usage and global warming perspective, the chemicals used in their manufacture are highly toxic to the environment, and even more so when they disposed of in landfill. Therefore, you should ensure that these are disposed of correctly when they stop working if you want a clearer conscience.

Even these seemingly miraculous bulbs are starting to look dated now in comparison to the great white hope of the light bulb industry, the LED light bulb. These use high-power light emitting diodes of the type you may have seen used in a number of live concert venues and festivals. They are basically the same technology as used to produce the little red power light on your television set, only much more powerful.

LEDs are without a doubt the future of the light bulb, as they are a lot more energy efficient and long lasting than the much lauded energy saving CFLs, with none of the toxic by products associated with that technology. They are currently too expensive to be a mass market product, although this is expected to change over the next few years.

At the moment, unless you have the funds to kit your house out with LEDs, CFLs remain the best buy, although you can expect this to change over the coming years.

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