Which light bulbs are best for the home: what are they + rules for choosing the best light bulb
To answer the question of which light bulbs are best for the home, you need to consider the advantages and disadvantages of all light sources suitable for use in residential premises, and then conduct a comparative analysis of the most important parameters.
The winner will be a practical, safe for humans, durable device that provides the highest quality light output with economical energy consumption.
The content of the article:
Main types of household light sources
Lamps suitable for home use are primarily classified according to their light emission technology.
The most relevant among them are:
- classic incandescent light bulbs;
- luminescent products;
- halogen devices;
- LED devices.
Each position has specific technical characteristics and different levels of efficiency under the same operating conditions.
The choice of the best device directly depends on the requirements for a particular lighting system.
Features of Edison light bulbs
The traditional incandescent lamp is a classic option that has been used for more than a century to organize home lighting systems.
General description of the product
Creates a pleasant radiation in warm shades and does not irritate the eyes even with prolonged illumination.It has a low level of efficiency, since during operation it becomes very hot and spends about 97% of the energy resource on this.
Lighting a standard living space consumes a lot of energy and is considered uneconomical compared to more advanced light sources.
The service life is about 1,000 hours and directly depends on the correct operating conditions of the device. A more than affordable price attracts buyers, and they often prefer this particular light source only because it is cheaper than others.
However, the benefit here turns out to be false. Incandescent lamps have to be replaced with enviable regularity, and electricity bills literally within a month “eat up” what was saved at the time of the initial purchase.
Design and principle of operation
The upper part of incandescent lamps is a pear-shaped sealed bulb made of heat-resistant transparent glass. The air has been partially pumped out of it and replaced with inert gas. It is because of this that the working tungsten filament does not burn out during the heating process.
Two electrodes and molybdenum holders are attached to the leg located inside. They fix the filament body, preventing it from sagging and tearing under the weight of its own weight during the heating process.
The narrowed part of the flask is attached to the body of a metal base designed to be screwed into a plug socket. The spiral thread is a contact with an electrode soldered to it.
The second contact is located at the bottom of the base and is equipped with ring insulation around its circumference, preventing it from coming into contact with the body of the base.
Unchanged in classic incandescent light bulbs always only such positions as:
- filament body;
- bulb part;
- working electrodes.
The remaining elements, depending on the operational requirements and features, may be absent, have a different structural appearance, or be supplemented with related parts.
The operating principle of the device is based on the incandescence of an internal arc-shaped tungsten element. At the moment the current passes, it heats up, reaching a temperature of 2600...3000 ° C, and converts electrical energy into light. The lamp bulb is evacuated or filled with a special gas in which tungsten does not oxidize.
Advantages and disadvantages of products
The advantages of the devices include instant ignition, the absence of flicker harmful to the human eye, a constantly identical warm spectral range of light, noiselessness during the combustion process, immunity to sudden voltage changes, and the ability to adjust the brightness using a dimmer.
The products perform well in a wide temperature range from extremely high to low temperatures and do not require accompanying triggers for activation. They function correctly in current flows of any polarity, do not create radio interference and can be easily disposed of due to the absence of toxic substances.
The first place among negative factors is occupied by the lowest efficiency. For a hundred-watt light bulb this figure is only 15%, and for a sixty-watt light bulb it is no more than 5%.
The numbers can only be increased by increasing the filament temperature, however, in this case the service life of the tungsten element is reduced significantly and the feasibility of the procedure is lost. A short service life, vulnerability to vibration, shaking and mechanical damage also do not increase attractiveness.
Incandescent lamps are not considered economical light sources. They “eat up” the largest amount of power at the moment of startup. Then consumption decreases by 5-10 times, but still significantly exceeds the figures demonstrated by other lighting products.
What are luminescents
A fluorescent lamp is a gas-discharge artificial radiation source suitable for lighting residential premises. Demonstrates good efficiency and the level of light output exceeds the capabilities of classical incandescent devices.
They are divided into high and low pressure devices. The former are used for street lighting, and the latter are intended for residential premises. The service life declared by the manufacturer is 5 years, provided that the number of starts per day does not exceed 5 times.
Design and nuances of operation. Structurally fluorescent type lamp, depending on the design, consists of a tube or flask with one or two bases located at the edges.
Filled with mercury vapor. After activation, a glow discharge appears between the electrodes located in the flask and ultraviolet radiation is created in the mercury environment. The phosphor coating located inside converts it into rich light radiation perceived by the human eye.
The values of the basic current flow are reduced to the correct values by electromagnetic or electronic ballasts or ballasts. Without these additional elements, full operation of the lamps is impossible.
Pros of modules. The list of advantages of luminescent lamps includes the following characteristics:
- effective light output;
- higher level of efficiency;
- operational durability;
- good power and light flux density;
- wide spectrum of luminescence in warm and cold ranges;
- service life is about 5 years if the necessary conditions are met.
Reasonable energy consumption, 5 times less than that of incandescent lamps, allows us to classify luminescent products as economical sources of radiation. They make it possible to provide high-quality lighting for large premises without overpaying on utility bills.
Disadvantages of devices. Among the negative qualities of the products is a more complex switching circuit, which includes the presence of starting elements. As well as a limited unit power of 150 W and a noticeable decrease in light flux saturation at the end of the operational period.
In addition, the devices react to a decrease in temperature and, if the readings are too low, go out and do not turn on. During operation, they emit specific acoustic interference and pulsate, having a negative impact on the eyes of those present in the room, and when the mains voltage drops by 10 percent or more of the nominal value, they stop lighting up.
The mercury contained inside seriously complicates lamp recycling process. It is not possible to send them to a regular trash container near the house.Indeed, if the integrity of the flask is violated, a harmful substance enters the atmosphere and releases toxic fumes that negatively affect humans and the environment.
Correct disposal is carried out by specially authorized enterprises, but lamps are accepted there on certain days and the user has to guess the time to get rid of fluorescents that have expired.
Why are halogens interesting?
Halogen is a modern, more progressive variation of the traditional incandescent lamp. Filled with buffer gas vapor. Thanks to this, the operating temperature of the spiral element and the service life of the lighting product are increased.
The devices are presented in various standard configurations and can be built into lamps of the most unusual modifications, into furniture elements and into systems that create spot lighting.
Distinctive features of lamps. Halogens provide the room with bright, rich and dense light throughout its entire service life. Due to their compact size, they can be mounted in very small lamps or built into parts of the interior.
Despite their modest dimensions, they have a uniquely high luminous efficiency and, with equal power, produce much more light than conventional incandescent modules.
The main disadvantage is its vulnerability to mechanical damage and frequent switching on/off.Both of these parameters significantly reduce the life of the lamps and contribute to their rapid failure.
The conditional operating period, according to manufacturers, is 2000-4000 hours, which significantly exceeds the capabilities of incandescent modules. However, with LEDs halogen light bulbs they cannot compete; against their background they look more attractive only in the context of a low price.
Unique specificity of LED models
Light-emitting diode (LED) lamps are the most advanced light source available for use in home lighting systems. Inside it contains one or more diodes, which generate rich, full-fledged light.
Working diode elements rarely burn out. Thanks to this, the ice modules are not sensitive to regular switching on/off and serve reliably for many years.
Advantages of LED light bulbs. The list of positive qualities is very long. The lamps are absolutely non-toxic and completely safe for the health of both children and adults. They do not require specific, complex disposal.
With minimal consumption, they provide a bright, rich light flow, do not create harmful ultraviolet radiation and do not provoke fading of furniture, interior elements and decorative items.
Variety of shapes, plinth sizes and configurations allows you to equip any type of sconce or chandelier with LED modules.This applies not only to modern, but also to rare lighting fixtures.
The only reproach for the units is the high initial cost, but in the end it pays off and is even more than compensated by the reduction in utility bills and extended service life.
Selection rules and useful tips
Knowing exactly what they are currently using light bulbs for home, you can easily choose the optimal option for radiation sources to provide a comfortable, easy-to-manage, operationally stable and cost-effective lighting system in a residential building.
Which is better for wet rooms
For bathrooms and kitchens where humidity levels are particularly high, traditional incandescent options are not very suitable. In addition to high energy consumption, they get too hot during operation and, if accidentally exposed to water, can explode and cause injury to people nearby. It's better to take a safe one energy saving type.
Halogen lamps consume little energy, but are vulnerable to moisture and, being in such aggressive conditions, fail after a short time. Luminescents are not suitable due to the noise produced during operation, the presence of toxic substances in the composition and a not very pleasant color spectrum, which is more suitable for work areas.
The most successful solution in this case is LED products. They provide good light flux at the required level of intensity, do not heat up and do not consume excess energy.
Thanks to the variety of bases, they can be built into a lamp of any, even the most unexpected, configuration, without disturbing the stylistic design of the bath room.
How to light living rooms?
It is impossible to say exactly which light bulbs are 100% better for the home. To install a high-quality lighting system in residential premises, they need to be selected carefully and carefully.
Many clients primarily focus on the efficiency of light sources, and this is correct, because electricity bills, which regularly become more expensive, have to be paid monthly.
The most economical are LED bulbs, while the most energy-consuming are incandescent bulbs. Halogen and fluorescent lights occupy middle positions and consume not as little resource as the first, but not as much as the second.
An equally important parameter when choosing is efficiency. It determines how bright a room will be and is usually measured in lumens. The indicator is placed on the lamp packaging and is visible to the consumer even before purchase. The higher the numbers indicated, the better the selected lamp will illuminate the room.
According to this criterion, LEDs are seriously ahead of other representatives of the clan of lighting devices. With the same electricity consumption, they supply 10 times more powerful light flow than Edison light bulbs.
The efficiency of diode products is at least 90%.Both halogens and fluorescents show lower values, and for incandescent lamps they do not exceed 5-10%, depending on the power.
The base with which the lamp is equipped also plays a significant role. Mainly used for household use standard types of plinths: pin or screw.
The former have 3 most common types, differing in size:
- E14 – minion – inserted into narrow cartridges;
- E27 – classic – can be mounted in standard modules;
- E40 – maxi – intended for large-sized devices.
All light sources with threaded bases are suitable for sconces, chandeliers and other similar products of any configuration. Experts do not recommend installing LEDs in closed lamps.
Pin-type ones are somewhat less common and are mainly used in modern-type lighting designs, such as ceiling systems, so table lamps.
The size and appearance of the radiation source is also of great importance. No one wants a lamp of inappropriate dimensions sticking out from a spectacular sconce or a beautiful lampshade. LEDs demonstrate the widest choice of interpretations and forms.
In their product line you can find:
- miniature models that can be conveniently built into a furniture element or into a suspended ceiling;
- standard products of a familiar configuration, suitable not only for a modern lamp, but also for an old-style chandelier;
- products of a specific shape, not only providing light, but also carrying a design load.
All other radiation sources cannot boast of such diversity.
Last but not least is the primary cost of the products. Classic incandescent lamps are the leaders here. Their price is minimal and, thanks to this factor, they are still in demand among buyers. In the middle price range there are fluorescents and halogens.
LEDs are much more expensive and sometimes the price scares away potential buyers. But if you think carefully, it will become clear that the costs are justified in all respects. By power and color temperature You can choose literally any option.
After installing the diodes, all rooms of the house receive excellent, eye-friendly lighting. Utility bills are reduced and it doesn’t take very long to run to the store after work to buy a light bulb to replace another burnt one.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Video #1. Tips for choosing light sources for interior spaces:
Video #2. Comparison of all parameters of lamps of different types:
Video #3. Detailed review of lighting fixtures for the home:
The choice of light bulb depends on the requirements for safety and operational durability, frequency of activation, planned light intensity and price. Perhaps the most successful will be a combination of several types of lamps, in which each will demonstrate maximum efficiency in certain conditions.
What type of lighting devices do you prefer? Please personally share your criteria for choosing light sources for arranging your own home/apartment/office.Please leave comments in the block below, ask questions about points of interest or unclear points, post photos related to the topic of the article.
I really like LED lamps, and for a long time they have served as both the main and additional source of light in all rooms of the apartment, including the bathroom. Located at the bottom of the wall, closer to the floor, they illuminate and create a cozy homely atmosphere. In the living room, I couldn’t be happier with a chandelier with expensive diodes, the intensity of the light supply from which can be adjusted by switching the bright mode to a dim one.
Agree with you. They are also more economical. For a long time I tried to persuade my parents to change conventional incandescent lamps to LED ones. They objected very much because of the price of them, because... 10 or even more times more expensive. My husband and I decided to donate the required number of lamps for our parents ourselves, and - lo and behold, the electricity savings were 5 times!!! Now they advise everyone not to skimp on purchasing more profitable devices.
I switched to halogen bulbs a long time ago, much better than the old incandescent bulbs. The only negative for me personally is their disposal. In our urban settlement, no one simply accepts them, so I accumulate them and then take them to the city.
Thank you.
Please clarify the issue of LED lighting temperature. I used 2700 Kelvin throughout the apartment for 2 years. In February I switched to 4000 Kelvin - and I feel oh-so-uncomfortable.
Only above the sink for washing dishes is tolerable.
I’m sharing this experience and asking for feedback—is this the case for everyone?
Thanks for the informative article.On our planet, light is emitted by a variety of organisms: mushrooms, insects, jellyfish, squid and fish. I recently learned that not a single human-created light source can compare in efficiency with the glow of living beings. The glow efficiency of different lamps ranges from 10-50%, and the glow efficiency of living organisms is 100%! This fact once again proves that such an ability of living beings could only appear thanks to the work of the hands of an intelligent Creator.