Research incandescent bulbs and CFLs. Write a 150 word summary describing how each bulb works and include the answers to the questions above.
Answers
In fact, 90% of the electricity used by a standard light bulb is converted to heat. While this conversion is wasteful enough by itself, it’s compounded by the fact that you probably end up using more energy from your air conditioner just to cool your home from the heat that comes from your lights. Since the filament only produces light at high temperatures, it is prone to burning out rather quickly, which is why you’re always changing bulbs all over the house.
In contrast, a compact fluorescent light (CFL) is just like the standard florescent lights that are common in commercial buildings. Instead of a long, fat tube, the CFL has a smaller tube that’s manufactured in a swirl shape so it fits the basic form of an incandescent bulb. Florescent lights, compact or conventional, work by exciting gases with electricity. Because little heat is generated, most of the electricity used goes directly into providing light. It’s less wasteful, so you end up spending less on your regular electric bill by making your home more energy efficient, and the bulbs last much longer.
Advantages of CFLs
High Efficiency. CFLs use 20% to 33% less electricity than incandescent bulbs.
Long Life. With no filament to burn out, florescent lights tend to last 8 to 15 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Their up-front price is higher, but by using less electricity and helping you avoid changing bulbs, you’ll end up spending less over the life of the bulb with a CFL.
Safety. CFLs are even safer than incandescent bulbs, since lower temperature means a decreased risk of home fire.
Disadvantages of CFLs
Longer Warm-up Time. Modern CFLs still take a few minutes to warm up before they reach their full brightness. It can take a few days or weeks to get used to the delay before the light really “turns on” and shines at 100% capacity.
Higher Initial Expense. Though most prices have dropped dramatically, CFLs still cost more than standard incandescent bulbs. Individually, CFLs sometimes sell for as much as $4, and when you buy them in packs of four or more, the price is often as low as $2 each. In some parts of the country, utility companies are subsidizing CFL purchases, and some even give them away for free!
No Dimmer Compatibility. Most CFLs don’t work with dimmer switches. Dimmable CFLs do exist, but they can cost $15 to $20, far more than regular CFLs.
Mercury. CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, which is toxic. It’s not a day-to-day worry, but when the bulbs eventually burn out, you can’t just toss them in the trash. Thankfully, most hardware stores will accept them.
Saving Electric Power ConceptBest Uses for CFLs
The more you use a particular light fixture, the more you’ll save by choosing a CFL as your bulb. CFLs are best-suited for lights that you leave on for longer periods of time. Years ago, I managed a high-rise residential building that used incandescent bulbs to light the hallways 24 hours a day. Back then, CFLs cost $10 each, but we still saved hundreds every month by installing a few dozen. Today, since prices have fallen significantly, they’re a more accessible choice for your residential lighting needs.
If you leave a single 100-watt bulb on 10 hours a day, you’ll spend about $3 a month on your electric bill for that light (assuming you’re paying 10 cents per kilowatt hour). At that rate, converting to a CFL would save at least $2 in electricity costs alone, every month, for that single light bulb. If you buy a four-pack, you’ll make your money back in just a month. For a bulb that you use for only one hour a day, it would still only take about a year to break even.
When Incandescent Bulbs Are Still Best
Despite what you may hear, CFLs aren’t necessarily suited to every situation. There are still plenty of times you might wisely prefer to use an incandescent bulb.
Rarely Used Lights. If you seldom use a particular lamp or other lighting fixture, you won’t see many benefits to converting. It will take an annoyingly long time to warm up while saving very little energy. A closet light that you use for only a minute or two, for example, is not a good candidate for a CFL.
Cold Outdoor Lighting. CFLs operate poorly as outdoor lighting when the weather is cold. Because of this, I use incandescent flood lights on a motion sensor above my garage. CFLs are very dim in the winter cold, particularly for the five or so minutes it takes for them to warm up. In the summer, I switch back to the CFLs, which quickly provide adequate lighting at warmer temperatures. If I needed to leave outdoor lighting on all night, then the CFL warm-up time would not matter as much.
Dimmable Lighting. Incandescent bulbs are ideal for lights that are on a dimmer, since dimmable CFLs still cost a lot more.
Non-Standard Bulbs. CFLs can be expensive in unusual sizes. For example, the small reading light beside my bed uses an atypical small bulb. A CFL