In the market today, there is a wide variety of light bulbs that are designed to serve different purposes. These bulbs produce different lighting effects to satisfy different needs. All these bulbs have their pros and cons; some work better in some environments compared to others. Examples of the different types of bulbs that we have available include tungsten, halogen, fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent bulbs, metal halide bulbs, light emitting diodes, neon lamps, and candle lamps. All these types of bulbs can be used in different fixtures such as sconces, pendant lights, crystal chandeliers, lanterns, and flood light.
The Different Types of Bulbs
In today’s article, we’ll look at some light bulbs to see their uses and how they work.
- Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
These light bulbs are quite modern. However, they contain a considerably high trace of mercury which makes them difficult to dispose. CFLs also require a lot of care to prevent them from breaking and cannot be used with dimmers.
In general, these bulbs use less power, have warmer color tones, and have a longer lifespan. They often last for up to 10,000 hours. If they burn out, they can be recycled.
Compact Fluorescent bulbs consist of two or three tubular loops.
- Light Emitting Diode
LEDs are long-lasting and energy efficient. These bulbs only give off directional light and do not diffuse light. They’re, therefore, not ideal for general room illumination. LEDs are suitable for task lighting.
LED bulbs do not have a filament; they emit light via the movement of electrodes in a semi-conductor device. The diodes emit light of a specified color without the use of color filters.
- Neon Bulb
Neon bulbs are gas-discharge lamps that contain low-pressure gas. A neon bulb is made by mounting two electrodes inside a small glass envelope. What happens is that get gas gets ionized after a current is passed through.
The bulb’s brightness depends on the gas that is used. For instance, bulbs with standard brightness use argon while those bulbs with higher brightness use pure neon gas.
- High Intensity Discharge Bulbs
Some examples of high-density discharge bulbs include metal halide, mercury vapor, and high-pressure sodium bulbs. These bulbs are designed in such a way that they have an inner glass tube which is filled with gas.
light bulbs
High-density discharge bulbs also have tungsten electrodes with an electric arc. They emit a large quantity of light and are suitable for use in areas where high levels of light are required such as parking lots and hallways.
- Low Pressure Sodium Lamps
Compared to other lighting systems, low-pressure sodium lamps are the first to have maximum efficiency. There is a brief moment of heat up that occurs before the bulb can reach full brightness.
light bulbs
These bulbs are commonly used in outdoor areas where color is an important factor.
- Fluorescent Bulbs
Fluorescent bulbs give off a bluish-colored light. These bulbs produce light that is quite harsh. The light produced by these bulbs varies depending on the type of fluorescent bulb; they include cold, warm, and special-colored bulbs.
The downside about fluorescent bulbs is that they cannot be put on a dimmer.
