Compact Light Bulbs and Compact Fluorescent

The term “Compact Light Bulbs” is often used when referring to Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL for short). These bulbs fit into most light fixtures and can be used as an interchangeable replacement option to standard incandescent lightbulbs. When a bulb burns out in your home, you might consider replacing it with a compact light bulb as these are much more energy efficient than incandescents and will help you save money on your electric bill while helping the environment.

The price of Compact Light Bulbs is slightly higher than their incandescent counterparts; however, with up to 80 percent increased efficiency, these bulbs are replaced less frequently and help reduce energy costs. A common compact light bulb is the CFL Twist Lamp Light Bulb, and these are a good option for bulk purchases made online. To find the best discount on compact light bulbs, do a search at google.com/products. This will give you an idea of pricing, which then can be used to shop other websites and auction sites such as eBay.

Throughout the remainder of this article, we’ll use the terms compact light bulbs, compact fluorescent and CFL(s) interchangeably.

More on Compact Light Bulbs

Compact Light Bulbs do not use heat to create light, as do incandescents. This is what makes them immediately more efficient. Incandescents operate by heating the element to white hot to produce light, and more heat than light is the result. The compact fluorescent works much differently.

History of Compact Light Bulbs

Fluorescent lamps began way back in the last part of the 19th century when the lamp was invented by Peter Cooper Hewitt. The Cooper Hewitt lamps were used in photographic studios. By the end of the 1930s, four different fluorescent lamps were on the market, and by 1951, more light in the United States was produced by fluorescents than by any other type lamp. The oil crisis of 1973 led Edward E. Hammer, an engineer with General Electric, to invent the first compact fluorescent light. Expense of production caused this new invention to be shelved. Improvements to the design continued, however, and now with the push on to eliminate incandescents altogether by the year 2012, the CFL is a promising alternative.

Design of Compact Light Bulbs (CFLs)

There are two parts to CFLs: the gas filled tube and the ballast. The tube, also called a bulb, contains mercury which when lit becomes a vapor that emits ultraviolet light. This UV light then excites the phosphor coating within the tube to emit visible light. The ballast is sometimes magnetic but usually electronic and comes either separately or is integral with the lamp. The integrated type CFL has the same type base as a regular incandescent which makes conversion as simple as screwing in the new CFL as a replacement. The CFL electronic ballast can make the lamp operate on regular household electricity or it can be designed for DC electricity and will work with a DC source, such as in cars or with batteries.

Lifespan and efficiency

The typical rated life of a CFL is between 6,000 and 15,000 hours. This is 8 to 15 times the lifespan of an incandescent which is typically between 750 to 1000 hours. This rating does depend on how often the lamp is started and then left on. Short on/off cycles is not recommended. Some CFLs are made to operate with ordinary dimmers, but dimmers are also made for CFLs and should be considered. In comparison to incandescent lightbulbs, the power savings can be 67% to 80%. Couple this with the longer lifespan and the savings will be even more.

CRI and CCT

Modern phosphor design in CFLs is making the Color Rendering Index and Correlated Color Temperature a choice for the consumer. Good quality CFLs use three to four phosphors to give a “white” light with a CRI of 80. CRI 100 is daylight. Color temperature is given in degrees kelvin or in mireds ( 1 million divided by the temperature in K ). Some manufacturers give a 3 digit code for their compact lightbulbs. The first digit is the CRI measured in tens of a percent, and the second two digits give the color temperature in K. A compact lightbulb with a CRI of 72 and a color temperature of 3500K would give a code number of 735. Energy Star is a standards organization which will require the listing of CRI and CCT.

Replacing Incandescent with Compact Light Bulbs

When replacing incandescent, consider how the compact fluorescent light is mounted and where it is used. If the light is to be mounted with the base down, the lamp must be of a design for this type mounting. The same can be said of recessed lighting or any other fixture or arrangement where heat can build up and shorten the life of the ballast. Another consideration is for the place the light is used: whether it will be a bright white or or other CRI or what CCT (correlate color temperature) is desired. The lamps are made for different values of both.

Disposing Compact Lightbulbs

Compact Fluorescent lightbulbs contain mercury and must be disposed of properly. One place of note is the Home Depot, the first retailer to make recycling options available. Others will follow, and may have already.