Comparison of LED lamps with fluorescent, halogen and incandescent lamps. Which is better - halogen lamps or LED.

Not so long ago the question of lighting an apartment or another room was not as relevant as it is today. Most of us were only habitual lamps  incandescent or fluorescent lamps daylight. The choice of lamps for lighting is now simply huge. We will try to determine why LED lamps are better than other varieties.

The main advantages of LED lamps

  Even the most original lighting solution indoors or out can be done using LEDs. Modern industry offers variants of lamps under any socle, of any size and power.

LED lamps have many advantages:

1. Economical. Even "housekeepers" consume two or three times more electricity than they do.
2. Durable. LEDs (depending on the model) can work from 10 thousand to 100 thousand hours.
3. Instantly light up when turned on.
4. Do not be afraid of voltage drops and frequent inclusions.
5. Do not contain harmful chemical compounds.
6. They are small in size.
7. There can be any colors.
8. Can work in the heat and in the frost.
9. Are not afraid of vibration, mechanical influences.
10. Do not require special disposal.
11. From such a light do not get tired eyes.
12. LEDs do not radiate heat very much.
13. Quiet work.

Are the cons are known? lED Light Bulbs?   Yes: relative high cost. But the long life of the LEDs justifies their price.

Why can the LED lamps flash?

  With the LED lights off, you can sometimes notice a flashing. Why do LED lamps flash, because electricity is not supplied? The reasons can be several:

• Most often, the reason is built into the switch indicator, it should be turned off.
• Less common is the second reason: incorrect connection. Here it is better to turn to specialists.
• A very rare reason for the blinking of the LEDs is the factory marriage. We'll just have to replace them.

How to determine the power of LED lamps?

  How to choose the right one lED Light Bulbs  for lighting? To do this, you need to know about the compliance of the power of LED lamps to ordinary incandescent lamps. Here are the main values:

It should be noted that these data may differ slightly depending on specific products.

Principle of operation of LEDs

  The LED is a semiconductor device equipped with an electron-hole p-n transition  (two pieces of a semiconductor with different types of patency: an n-type with an excess of electrons, a p-type with an excess of holes). When passing through it electric current  generates optical radiation.

This electron-hole transition conducts current when the electricity is connected to the p-part. At the moment when an electron and a hole meet, the radiation of a photon of light is obtained.

A variety of LED lighting fixtures

  LED lighting is used to illuminate any type of premises, for streets, industrial buildings, etc. This is due to the diversity of LED products.

Office lamps are very popular. They are ideal for lighting workstations for all requirements and standards.

For the ceiling lighting of rooms, ultra-thin panels with a thickness of 12 millimeters are used. They are easy to install and reliable in operation.

Very popular street lED lights, lights, searchlight. They illuminate large areas. Can be used for a long time. Very economical.

For the design of apartments are increasingly using point LED lights. They are built into ceilings, walls, furniture, etc. It turns out a very beautiful effect.

Special anti-vandal lamps are often used by housing companies to illuminate the entrances and streets.

For warehouse or other premises with high ceilings, special warehouse lights are used. They well illuminate such premises and the equipment in them.

We choose lamps: halogen or light-emitting diode?

  Often when choosing light bulbs for lighting, the question arises: are halogen or LED lamps better? After all, the lighting is done to give a light accent to a certain place. For example, lighting the shelves in the closet. In this case, the fixtures are mounted on the shelves themselves. And then the quality of LEDs, such as minimum heating during operation, is important. Halogen lamps are not suitable here: they can melt or spoil the surface.

No less important is the fact that LEDs are much more economical than halogens. And the color palette allows you to choose a variant suitable for the shade of the surface. In addition, the LED backlight system can be adjusted if necessary: ​​brightness, intensity, glow options.

One more advantage in favor of LEDs can be considered the term of their service. Such lamps will not last less than the closet or shelf itself. LEDs have an almost unlimited number of on and off cycles. This does not affect their lifespan. In halogen lamps, these resources are limited due to the heating of the filament.

In this article we will talk about the benefits of using LED lamps in comparison with luminescent (they are often called "energy-saving"), halogen and incandescent lamps. In the second part, we give an economic calculation of the payback when replacing the lamps with LED. The economic efficiency of LED lamps is so obvious that you do not need any special knowledge to make your own conclusions. To begin with, without going into the technical and design features, let's talk about the types of lamps listed above.

Types of lamps

1. Traditional incandescent lamp- At present, in Russia, the most common type of lamps, represented in different sizes and capacities, is still in use. An incandescent lamp is an electric light source, simplified consisting of a metal cap with a thread, a transparent glass bulb and a tungsten filament, most often in the form of a spiral. Due to the flow of electric current, the filament is heated and emits light. Not many people know this interesting fact, that out of the consumed electric power of a given type of lamp, about 20% of the power is expended directly on the lighting, and the remaining 80% goes to heating - that is why ordinary bulbs become so hot when switched on.

To date, these lamps go back in time, their production volumes are constantly decreasing, despite the fact that their cost is much lower than other types of lamps. The reason is that other types of lamps, which we will discuss below, spend sometimes 10 times less electricity at a similar level of illumination, and they serve much longer that, at their initially higher cost, still yields a payback in about a year of operation. But more on that later.

2. Halogen lamp- by its design and principle of operation is similar to a conventional incandescent lamp, that is, the tungsten filament is directly the source of light, but unlike ordinary bulbs this thread is placed in a special flask into which a buffer gas is added: halogen vapor (bromine or iodine). This allows to significantly increase the light output and increase the lamp life up to 2000-3000 hours, which is at least twice as high as a conventional lamp  incandescent. Constructive feature halogen lamps (the small size of the bulb where the thread is located) allows you to make lamps of small physical dimensions, with a relative high light output. This allows the use of lamps of this type in cars and small, mostly embedded, ceiling and wall lamps.

3. A fluorescent lamp or as it is often called "energy-saving", refers to a more modern type of lamps with a lower level of electricity consumption (hence their name). Their active introduction to domestic household lighting began in Russia around 2010, although fluorescent lamps in industrial and office buildings have been used for several decades, often in the form of widely known "tubes". A fluorescent lamp is a gas-discharge light source in which an electric discharge in mercury vapor creates ultraviolet radiation that is converted into visible light by means of a phosphor-a mixture of calcium halophosphate with other elements. The energy efficiency of these lamps is about 5 times higher than that of incandescent lamps, but they are 30-40% lower than for LED lamps, which will be discussed below.

4. LED Light Bulb  - from the point of view of the evolution of light sources, the most modern and energy-efficient type of lamps. This becomes most obvious from the comparison table with other lamps in the next section. The name of this type of lamp indicates that LEDs are used as the light source. LED lamp construction  (this is the topic of a separate article) is somewhat more complicated and expensive than an incandescent lamp, from which their large purchase value follows, however, in this article we will clearly demonstrate that this higher cost pays off repeatedly during further operation. In addition to economic advantages, the LED lamp is one of the most environmentally friendly light sources, since the principle of LED glow allows them to be manufactured using environmentally safe components.

Comparison of LED lamps with fluorescent, halogen and incandescent lamps

The most obvious comparison can be made using a table containing the most important performance characteristics of the three lamps described above. For the purity of the comparison, we determined the value light flux  (simplified - the level of illumination of the room) in 700-800 lumens. Such light output gives the most common incandescent lamp with a power of 75 watts. That is, in comparison there are lamps of four different types, providing the same level of illumination of the room.

We will make a short analysis of the table data for each comparison parameter:

Consumed electric power  different types of lamps with the same level of illumination (light output) differs in times, and in the case between an incandescent lamp and an LED lamp - almost an order of magnitude. In practice, this means that for the same period of time, the LED lamp will consume 7.5 times less energy, which is instantly reflected in the electricity bills. It is noteworthy that, so-called, powersave lamp  (luminescent), for all its frugality, is still one and a half times less economical.

Heat  - a very interesting indicator that reflects the efficiency of electricity use. It's very simple - the more the lamp is heated, the more money we spend on heating the room where the lamp is located and this despite the fact that the direct purpose of the lamp is lighting. The incandescent lamp spends only 20% of the power consumption for lighting, and 80% for heating! Halogen lamp performance is better, but not cardinally - about 35% for lighting and 65% for heating. Luminescent (energy-saving) is even better: about 75% for lighting and 25% for heating. The leader is again the LED lamp: 95-98% of the power is spent on light and only 2-5% on heating and less significant transit losses.

Structural strength - The first two types of lamps are very easy to break, which each of us knows. They can not be lifted from a small height. The reason is that the bulb in which the "burning" filament is made of a very thin and brittle glass. Fluorescent light bulbs are somewhat stronger, but they also need to be handled very carefully, also because it's bad for them to break, but more on that later. LED lamps are much stronger and they are not afraid of falls from a small height - this is discussed in relation to the impact-resistant material of the bulb (plastic, polycarbonate, etc.).

Life time  - it is difficult to add something here, everything is too obvious. The LED lamp serves 30-50 times longer than a conventional incandescent lamp, i.e. it is practically "eternal". Judging from the figures claimed by the manufacturers of LED lamps, this lamp will last at least 30 years, when the average life of an incandescent lamp is 1 year. Impressive figures. Fluorescent lamps according to the declared characteristics are 7-10 years old, which is also not small.

Easy installation / replacement  - here it is meant how simple it is in the household sense to change the light bulb. So, few know that ordinary incandescent bulbs and especially halogen can not be touched by the glass bulb, as they are very sensitive to fatty contamination. Moreover, even if the hands are cleaned and wiped before replacing the lamp, the problem does not solve it. In view of the very strong heating of the glass bulb, any contamination of the surface (for example, fingerprints) is instantly burned during operation, leaving black marks. Many of us have repeatedly seen them on lamps, not suspecting the reasons for their appearance. All this eventually leads to local temperature increases of the bulb, which often becomes the cause of its destruction (precisely because of the high temperatures, the bulbs in such lamps are made of quartz glass).

This feature of halogen and, to a lesser extent, conventional incandescent lamps dictates the need to replace the lamp without touching hands, i. E. in gloves or using a napkin, which in conditions of difficult accessibility of the lamp in the luminaire (this happens often) means a significant complication of the replacement procedure. At the same time, fluorescent lamps and especially LED lights are almost not heated and they can be touched by hands during installation without fear of their further failure.

Ecological compatibility  - an indisputably important component, for obvious reasons, gaining increasing importance throughout the world. Conventional incandescent lamps and halogen lamps are environmentally friendly in terms of their components, their light spectrum is not harmful to humans, but taking into account the amount of their energy consumption that is wasted (for heating), they are rated "good". Luminescent lamps are given a "satisfactory" stage for several reasons:

• a "bad" light spectrum is not useful for a person;
• the light of such lamps is "shimmering", which in turn leads to eye fatigue;
• the content of mercury vapors in the structure, which in case of lamp destruction can harm a person, and also means increased requirements for disposal, which is not always done properly.

LED lamp does not have any of the drawbacks  , nor from the point of view of the harm of the environment, nor from the point of view of harm to the person who uses them.

What happens in the end?  - there is not one parameter by which the LED lamp would be worse than others, and in some cases such lamps are much better. However, LED lamps are more expensive and it remains for us to find out whether their higher price pays off with a longer service life and energy efficiency? Read about this in the next section.

Calculation of payback when replacing lamps with LED

Let's try to calculate the benefit of replacing incandescent light bulbs with LED on the example of an apartment. Suppose that the apartment uses 20 conventional incandescent bulbs. Further, suppose that each of them on average burns 3 hours a day and, accordingly, 90 hours per month. Thus, 20 incandescent lamps in an apartment will require 75 watts x 90 hours x 20 lamps = 135 kW per month. At a cost of one kilowatt 4 rubles, we get a monthly electricity bill of 540 rubles. Of course, this is just for the light - if you use air conditioners, electric stoves, electric kettles, a washing machine, an iron and other consumers of electricity, then the total bill for the month will, of course, be higher. However, in practice, a strongly averaged 2-3 room apartment after the transition to lED lightening  begins to "receive" the total electricity bills by about 2-3 times less. Moreover, in winter time, the effect is much higher because of the longer lamp usage time (short light day).

Now we will calculate the costs of electricity when using LED lamps: 10 W x 90 hours x 20 lamps = 18 kW, which translates into money for 72 rubles. With a difference in price between the average incandescent lamp of 50 rubles and an inexpensive Russian LED lamp of the same light output of 350 rubles, we get that almost 2 LED lamps pay off every month. All 20 lamps in the apartment will pay for the purchase costs in less than a year! And then you will save on electricity for 5-6 thousand rubles a year!

If you buy LED lamps from famous brands (brands), whose cost is today about 2-2.5 times higher, then the payback will take 2 years, but in this case you get much more reliable lamps with a multi-year warranty.

Additional advantages:

Filament lamps often burn out, they have to be bought and replaced, and LED lamps are almost "eternal". In a longer period, the LED lamp pays off even without taking into account energy savings;
- To buy LED lamps the more profitable, the more they are used, i.e. in rooms where the light is always on, or almost always, LED lamps pay off much more quickly;
- LED lamps are environmentally friendly and unpretentious to use.

The economy of switching from fluorescent lamps to LEDs is not so impressive, but nevertheless, considering all the factors, it makes sense too. Based on the proposed calculation methodology, you can independently calculate the economic effect for your apartment, home or office.

conclusions

If you have already replaced incandescent lamps with fluorescent (energy-saving), then in case of failure they can be replaced by LED lights. If you still use ordinary incandescent lamps for lighting, it makes sense to immediately replace all the lamps with LED. At the same time, electricity bills will immediately fall several times and about a year or two (maximum) you will pay for the purchase of LED lamps. With subsequent use, you will simply spend a lot of money on the light and the effect of replacing the lamps will become more noticeable.

Properly created lighting allows you to give any interior an additional play of colors, increases space and facilitates various work throughout the day and evening. Today, most consumers have already moved away from using incandescent bulbs in their luminaires. However, the question which lamp is best to buy home remains relevant. The main market leadership is shared by halogen bulbs and LEDs. The first - similar to conventional lamps on the principle of heating, but the spiral is surrounded by halogen vapor. The second bulbs emit light thanks to a group of LEDs connected by a microchip.

LED Features

LED light bulbs managed to gain immense popularity in the market. Such an accessory of quality production differs incredible reliability, which means that the life of one lamp is more than sufficient. It is believed that the LEDs can function from 10 to 100 thousand hours in a row.

As evidenced by user feedback, LED light bulbs can be considered very economical. In comparison with incandescent lamps, energy costs are reduced several times. In addition, LED lamps do not produce heat at all, which means they are safe even when used ceiling chandeliers, which are quite close to the canvas.

The advantage of the LED light bulb is the fact that today the model lines offer a huge color spectrum. Thus, you can choose the light that is closest to the sun, or choose something harmonious for the original interior and design of the lamp. By the way, the light bulbs can also have a variety of colors.

Lamps on light-emitting diodes, unlike lamps of "daylight", do not flicker even at long term of operation. And this has a positive effect on the consumer's vision. As a result, you can get a uniform and bright lighting, which, in addition, will also be useful. It is also worth noting the variety of forms of LED light bulbs, while maintaining compact dimensions. Today you can find even square lamps that will become a worthy decoration for any chandelier.

LED light bulbs are also good for silent operation, instant ignition when switched on and no harmful chemicals in the composition. They are not afraid of low or high ambient temperatures, voltage drops. In addition, they are not afraid of mechanical influences and vibration. The advantage of such a lamp is also the lack of the need for special disposal.

The main disadvantage of LED light bulbs is always their high cost. Of course, a large price pays off at the expense of quality, but even convenient halogen lamps will require less financial costs.

Halogen bulb

Light sources halogen type are fighting for leadership with LED light bulbs is no accident. Firstly, the halogen lamp is very bright, so it is advantageous to use it in small rooms to visually increase the space. Secondly, these light bulbs have high light transmittance, which makes the process of lighting rooms really effective. This feature is due precisely to halogen vapor. The time of continuous burning of this type of bulbs is 2,000 - 2,500 hours.

As customers note, halogen bulbs are very convenient to install and dismantle due to their compact size. In addition, they do not respond to network fluctuations, i.e. Do not break from voltage drops. And, of course, the term of their work is much longer than the time of a simple incandescent lamp. An undeniable advantage is the low cost of halogen light sources.

Choosing which bulbs are suitable for home is better, you can not ignore the shortcomings of halogen lamps. Unfortunately, the disadvantages here are slightly greater than in the case of LEDs. So, these lamps are very sensitive to fatty pollution. Stains on the glass quickly burn out, and on these places remain ugly darkening. In addition, from such dirt the bulb is gradually heated, which can provoke a breakdown. Therefore, do not forget to install halogen bulbs only with dry napkins.

  It should also be noted that the halogen lamp will be very hot. This puts a number of restrictions on the use of paper or fabric lampshades. And in the case of a stretch ceiling, these bulbs are generally fire hazardous, so it is better not to choose them. If the fabric needs to be combined with halogen lamps, a heat-resistant gasket should be used.

Halogen bulbs come in 220V and 12V. The first type costs less money, because no additional transformers are required for the work. But in this case, without a stabilizer, there is no 100% guarantee of protection against network drops. Unfortunately, as consumers' reviews show, lamps with halogen often fail in rooms with high humidity, i.е. in kitchens and bathrooms. To sudden changes in temperature such light sources are not ready.

About specific models

Halogen-based lamps exist in several varieties. Firstly, these are very well-known linear models. Such quartz tubes are used mainly for outdoor lighting. This type of lamp has a more modern flow - a flood light bulb. It can be used at home, but it is better to keep it in a horizontal position. Otherwise, the life of the lamp will be greatly reduced. Secondly, the model range of halogen bulbs is represented by options with an external bulb. They can have a classical shape, remind candles, be made of matte and even colored material. It is these lamps most often consumers choose for home lighting. No less popular are bulbs with reflectors, which help create a backlight. For the embodiment of design ideas also produce capsule halogen lamps, whose appearance is maximally diverse and original. The main producers of all categories of light bulbs on halogen are such large European brands as Osram, Philips, Delux. Such products have the longest service life and powerful luminous flux.

LED light bulbs can be divided into general-purpose models with scattered daylight, as well as directional light. In addition, the linear light bulbs on the diodes, which are equipped with a rotary cap. If we consider the lamps in terms of power, then, for example, models with a 12V supply often act as a replacement for halogen bulbs. The most reliable LED bulbs today are also models from Philips and Osram. The advantage of such lamps is also that their real characteristics are always indicated on the package, so the buyer is never deceived. If we take into account the ratio of price and quality, then as popular models on diodes, it should be noted light bulbs under the brands Navigator, Gauss, Wolta.

Lamp Comparison

To understand which light source will be better, you should immediately apply to several criteria. To begin with, it is worthwhile to compare the principle of light bulbs. LED models act like semiconductors, so the maximum amount of energy is converted into light. Halogen bulbs work in the same way as incandescent lamps, so they are basically just a quality replacement. Therefore, the lamps on the LEDs can have different filling of the bulbs (because the light comes from the diodes), and the incandescent lamps contain inert gas or vacuum. Hence, the advantage of LED light bulbs, such as the lack of chemical constituents, grows.

During the glow, the halogen bulbs are heated to 150 ° C, so for stretch ceilings  they do not fit. Light diode heat dissipation is minimum - 50 ° C. For this reason, bulbs can be used for any kind of coating and a variety of fixtures. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the distribution of electricity with its consumption. In the case of halogen bulbs, most energy is consumed by the filament. However, this figure is still 20-50% lower than for conventional lamps, and this is a huge plus. LED sources direct all energy to the formation of photons, but the consumption of electricity in this case is minimal - 8-10 times less than for incandescent bulbs. Therefore for economy it's better to buy just such lamps with diodes.

In most cases, halogen and LED light bulbs are used as an alternative to obsolete incandescent models. Therefore, it should be taken into account that one lamp for diodes with a power of 10 watts or a lamp of 60 watts with halogen will be needed to replace a 100-watt lamp. As for the brightness, in both cases it is almost the same - 700-800 Lm. The time to achieve maximum brightness of the lamps also does not differ, since it takes 2-3 seconds. At the same time, light-bulbs have a light stream with many shades, and halogen lamps have a warm light with a white tonality.

If you consider the limitations, the LED light bulbs are not suitable for uniform light distribution. They give, basically, a directed stream, which sometimes leads to "spotting". In addition, the led-lamp implies the use of various rectifiers, stabilizers and transformers. If they are not present, and the power source or cooling system does not cause confidence, it is better to refuse such bulbs. As for halogen lamps, they do not need to be used in fire-resistant chandeliers. In addition, they emit a small amount of ultraviolet light, while LED models are considered the most environmentally friendly.

For long and safe operation of its lamp it is better to choose light bulbs on diodes, especially if the ceiling in the house is tension. But halogen lamps also have one important advantage - a price that is 5 times lower than the cost lED Lighting. Therefore, if you just go from incandescent bulbs to other models, in order to save money, you can try and halogen lamps. In addition, if we take into account the cost of both types in calculating the hourly hours, we obtain approximately the same result.

If you decide to update the light bulbs in the house or the old one has ceased to work, you will definitely go to the store. There you will be offered a lot of modern light bulbs, among which the ordinary buyer is simply lost. Today, the most popular and best are LED and halogen devices, and this article will be devoted to them.

Lamp construction

In order to more accurately understand the LED and halogen lamps, we need to study their design, which is what we are now going to do. Let's take a look at their structure separately, start with the LED light bulb.

It consists of the following elements:

• Plinth made of glass or plastic. It is worth noting that the plastic socles are of better quality, as they are more shockproof and durable. It has a standard shape and can be installed in any lighting device. Compatible with all cartridges.
• The LED itself. It is the main component of this device. In turn, it consists of a cathode, an anode and a semiconductor, on the quality of which most of the characteristics of the device depend.
• Matrix or driver. Responsible for the operation and controls the operation of the device. Holds a capacitor and a diode bridge, and some additional elements to stabilize the work. But there are varieties that require additional power supply connection for working from the 220 volt network.

Halogen lamp design

As you can see, there is nothing sky-high and complicated in the construction of the LED lamp. Let's now look at what halogen lamps consist of:

• Such a bulb has the shape of a conventional incandescent lamp. That is the standard socle E27.
• Inside is a tungsten filament, surrounded by an additional glass body, a specific cylindrical shape.
• The internal space of the additional bulb is filled with special buffer gases, halogens. Such a gas consists of iodine or bromine vapors. Thanks to this environment, the bulb emits an intense glow and is able to illuminate the room well.

The device of the LED lamp

Due to the presence of harmful substances, namely halogen vapors, these bulbs can not be disposed of, disassembled or broken. They must be disposed of at special reception points, but for this it will be necessary to pay a certain amount of money.

Characteristics of the presented devices

For a more complete compilation of an accurate picture of the operation of the LED and halogen lamp, one must understand their basic characteristics, such as power, the quality of the emitted light, durability, operating temperature and glow, and economy.

The power of the lamp is practically the same. They are represented by a wide range of different capacities, and you will be able to choose the option that is ideally suited for you. From the power will depend almost all other indicators of the device's performance, which we will now talk about.

Compare popular light sources

Radiated devices are radically different light. The quality of lighting is measured with uniformity and flicker.

The uniformity of the emitted light flux is very low for a halogen lamp, and the LED radiates practically one hundred percent uniform light. The same applies to the flicker factor, for LEDs it is at a very low level, which positively affects the condition of the eyes. Halogen has a very high flicker rate and working long in such lighting your eyes will get tired.

By the time of operation, halogen lamps are several times greater than an incandescent lamp, and can work 2-3 thousand hours. LED devices are not equal in this indicator, they can work over fifty thousand hours without loss of quality.

The operating temperature of the halogen lamp is more than three hundred degrees. Which significantly increases the temperature of the air near the device. The light emits a warm light, which is not the best option for lighting.

LED light bulbs practically do not heat up and absolutely do not change the temperature of the external environment. They work within forty degrees and radiate cold light.

Halogen bulbs consume about one-third less than incandescent bulbs. LED lamps are favorites and best save energy, have an economy of up to ninety percent. Can consume as little as three watts.

Compare both devices

To determine exactly which light bulb is the best and more suitable for you, you should compare all listed indicators, which we described for you above.

Even without a detailed comparison, it is clear that the LED device is the undisputed favorite and wins in all the presented parameters.

It is much more economical than any analogues, it can compete in terms of efficiency and operating temperature. The quality of the emitted light is also beyond competition, and is at the highest level.

Both versions of the bulbs can work with standard lighting devices. With the E27 base, they are universal and compatible with all types of devices. There are varieties with a non-standard form, but they are best used in extreme cases.

The only significant disadvantage of LED light bulbs is their price. It can exceed the price of halogen up to ten times, which significantly puts pressure on the financial position of the buyer.

It is this that stops most people from acquiring such devices, but these costs pay off during the entire period of work in full. With the development of technology, the price is gradually decreasing and very soon, LED light bulbs will be available without any restrictions.

Summarize

Selecting a light source for a new chandelier or for replacing a burnt out bulb, you will necessarily face a difficult choice because of the huge assortment different options  Lapochek on store shelves. The most popular today are halogen and LED light bulbs. They have a pretty good quality and working time. But LEDs are still better in all respects and are an unchallenged leader.

You should strive to use just such lamps, since they will best affect your health. The only obstacle on the way to buying, may be the price. One such device costs quite a decent amount of money.

Shops are full of a variety of types of lamps, significantly different from each other, not only in design but also in price.

Which lamps are better?

Which type of lamps is the safest?

In this article, I decided to compare different types of lamps to answer these questions.

First, let's compare different lamps (incandescent, fluorescent, halogen, LED) and compare their advantages and disadvantages.

Incandescent lamps

Incandescent lamps are the most common in the world, and in our country. From the beginning of the last century to the end of the 1980s, incandescent lamps with tungsten filament were practically the only available source electric lighting.

Incandescent lamps the safest   for eyesight, especially for children! However, the most "voracious" consume a lot of electricity .

The principle of the lamp is based on the heating of the conductor (tungsten filament) when an electric current flows through it. Tungsten is heated to a high temperature (2800K or 2527 ° C), which radiates in the visible spectrum for the human eye light. But you should know that the main part of the electricity that feeds the filament is not converted into light, but into heat. Only 5-15% of the light energy is converted into light. This is one of the main disadvantages of this technology.

Light output and service life are determined by the temperature of the spiral. As the temperature of the spiral increases, the brightness increases, but at the same time the service life is shortened due to the sublimation of tungsten.

Sublimation of tungsten

The tungsten filament heats up to a high temperature. This leads to sublimation (the transition of matter from the solid state to gaseous) of tungsten and a decrease in the thickness of the filament of life. In addition, the resulting gas will be deposited on the walls of the bulb, thereby making it less transparent and reducing light output.

Advantages of conventional incandescent lamps:

• Low price
• No risk to health
• Instant Ignition
• Good color rendering

Disadvantages of conventional incandescent lamps:

• Limited time(1000 hours)
• Low light output (10 to 15 lm / W)
• Light output decreases with time
• Danger of burns when touching a working lamp

Halogen lamps

Modern version of incandescent lamps. As with conventional lamps, the base is a "halogen", it is a tungsten filament that is heated to a high temperature to radiate light in the visible spectrum. Nevertheless, the content of halogen gases (usually iodine or bromide), in the bulb of the lamp, will prevent the sublimation of the filament, which will significantly increase the service life (approximately 2 times that of a conventional incandescent lamp).

Advantages of halogen lamps:

• No risk to health
• Can be disposed of with household waste
• Instant Ignition
• The power of the light flux is 30% higher than that of a conventional incandescent lamp (a 70W halogen lamp illuminates like a normal incandescent lamp - 100W)
• Good color rendering

Disadvantages of halogen lamps:

• Limited time (2000 hours)
• Danger of burns due to the high temperature of the bulb

Compact Fluorescent Lamps

They produce light according to the same principle as conventional fluorescent lamps. In a cylindrical tube with electrodes, mercury vapors that emit ultraviolet rays are pumped under the action of an electric discharge. The phosphor deposited on internal walls converts ultraviolet radiation into visible light.

Risk of mercury poisoning

Fluorescent lamps contain mercury vapor, from 1 to 30 mg (3-5 mg in standard compact fluorescent lamps). Mercury is not dangerous when it is inside the bulb. Nevertheless, in the case when it is deformed or beats, it is necessary to take some precautionary measures.

Electromagnetic waves

The fluorescent lamp produces a significant amount of electromagnetic waves, at start-up. Thus, it is recommended to be more than 1-2 meters from the lamp when starting up and not closer than 30 cm during the operation of the lamp. It is recommended not to place these types of lamps near beds.

UV radiation

These lamps produce ultraviolet rays that are harmful to health (skin cancer) and vision (eye retina), especially for children. Nevertheless, it is to be understood that the fluorescent powder in the lamp plays the role of the UV-radiation conversion generated by gas ionization into visible light. UV rays are absorbed almost completely and the health risk of UV radiation is very limited.

Advantages of Compact Fluorescent Lamps

• The price is relatively reasonable compared to the performance
• A fairly long service life (8000h on average)
• High light output 70lm / W or 5 times more than incandescent lamp

Disadvantages of fluorescent lamps

• Color rendering is worse than that of an incandescent lamp
• Warm-up time from a few seconds to several minutes (especially in older models)
• Risk of mercury poisoning (in case of lamp breakdown)
• Must be recycled. Throw away with household rubbish is not allowed.
• Not compatible with a conventional light control.
• The production of electromagnetic waves is not suitable for use close to the user (table lamp, lamp near the bed, etc.)
• Risk of burns (70 ° C)

LED (Light Emitting Diode) - a semiconductor device with an electron-hole transition, creating optical radiation when passing an electric current through it in the forward direction.

Risk for vision

LED bulbs represent certain health risks that can cause direct (open) LED lighting. Some LEDs produce a slightly bluish light, this can impair vision, especially in young children.

Advantages of LED lamps

• Very long service life
• Very good light output (about 6 times greater than that of a conventional incandescent lamp)
• Low lamp temperature

Disadvantages of LED lamps

• High price
• Risk for vision, especially in young children

Which lamp will save you the most energy - and money?

To assess energy efficiency in electric light bulbs, it is necessary to take into account several values:

• Lumen (Lm) This is a unit of measurement of luminous flux. Sometimes indicated on the packaging of the lamp.
• Watt (W) Unit of quantity of consumed electric power  (lamp power). The higher the power, the more the lamp consumes electricity.
• Candela (Cd) Determines the illumination, or the intensity of the light flux emitted in one direction.
• Color rendering index  (IRC) This is the ability of a lamp to convey the natural color of surrounding objects. Transmission ratio from 0 to 100. The best indicators for incandescent and halogen lamps (more than 90). Worse for fluorescent and LED (60-90) For residential premises, the recommended indicator is 80-100

Given the ratio of the values ​​of Lm and W, we can compare the efficiency of different lamps. The higher the value of Lm by 1 W, the higher the efficiency of the lamp. The higher the efficiency of the lamp, the lower the cash costs for electricity consumption.

Theoretically, the ideal luminous flux can reach 1W = 683 lm (at 555nm).

For electric lighting we have:

1. LED lamps - up to 220 lm / W. Modern LED lamps currently vary from 80 to 150 lm per 1 W.
2. Compact fluorescent lamps - 40-100 Lm / W
3. Halogen lamps - 10-40 Lm / W
4. Conventional incandescent lamps - 7-14 Lm / W
5. Candle flame (for comparison) - from 0.2 to 0.4 Lm / W

With the help of this analysis, we see that all types of lamps are cost effective compared to traditional incandescent lamps despite a higher price.