Decades ago, in order to save energy, people were forced to simply turn off the lights in rooms or household appliances. However, even then, the development of energy-saving products was actively carried out, and after a while energy-saving lamps were presented to the public. It is possible to reduce energy bills due to the minimum absorption of the resource during the glow of the device.
Advantages and disadvantages of energy saving lamps
According to statistics, electricity-saving light bulbs are installed in every third apartment in Russia. This popularity is due to a large number of advantageous features:
- Soft and even distribution of light in the room, especially when compared to incandescent lamps. In the latter case, the glow is emitted by an incandescent tungsten filament and nothing more, while the improved models glow throughout their entire area. It has been scientifically proven that an even distribution of light in an apartment reduces human fatigue, and also has a beneficial effect on his emotional background.
- High luminous efficiency, indicators are several times higher than the outdated analogue - incandescent lamps. Most of the energy consumed is converted into light, if we talk about an incandescent lamp, then 90% of the consumed resource is spent on maintaining the optimal operating temperature of the tungsten filament.
- Small heat transfer, due to which electrical devices can be installed in fragile lighting fixtures, mounted in stretch ceilings, the canvas of which is afraid of exposure to high temperatures.
- Long service life, which ranges from 6 to 15 thousand hours of continuous burning.
There are a wide variety of glow colors such as warm, natural and daytime.
Despite the large number of advantages, there are also disadvantages:
- High price.
- Burned-out lamps must be properly disposed of and must not be disposed of in waste containers.
- The service life depends on the mode of use. It is better to refuse the installation of energy-saving lamps in those rooms where the light is turned on or off too often.
- The composition includes phosphorus and mercury. These substances are not dangerous as long as the lamp is in good working order and its body is intact. But if you break it, the concentration of mercury in the room increases by at least 20 times, which poses a serious danger to health.
Flickering of energy saving light bulbs is allowed by the manufacturers. This phenomenon does not indicate a malfunction, but it can cause some discomfort during operation.
Device and principle of operation
Saving lamps are usually called compact fluorescent bulbs, which belong to the family of gas-discharge lighting sources.
The improved technology consists of a base of various types, a bulb, the cavity of which is filled with inert gas or mercury vapor, and a ballast. The outer surface of the flask is treated with a phosphor. Due to this design feature, ultraviolet radiation is generated during the discharge of electricity. Passing through the gas or mercury vapor filling the cavity of the flask, they are converted into visible light.
Varieties and application
As a rule, many people mistakenly believe that economical lighting fixtures are purely fluorescent, but this is not the case. There are the following varieties:
- Compact type fluorescent lamps.
- Luminescent linear type.
- Some models of LED bulbs.
The latter type has many advantages over its predecessors. This is due to several reasons:
- The level of light output is several times higher.
- The composition does not contain mercury vapors, which pose a potential threat not only to health, but also to human life.
- High mechanical strength ensures trouble-free and long-term operation.
Depending on the type of base used, the device is divided into several types:
- G53, 2G7, G23, 2D are decorative type models, usually used for backlighting or spotlights.
- E14 is a device equipped with a 1.4 cm thread. Most often used in small household cartridges.
- E40 - large base / plinth diameter, built-in electronic ballast.
- E27 - the variety is equipped with a 2.7 cm thread, most often they are installed in standard sized cartridges.
According to the shape, there are various modifications of lamps - standard, pear, oval, candle, etc.
Why energy-saving lamps blink
This phenomenon is very common, even when the lamp is de-energized. In reality, this is normal and it simply cannot be otherwise, due to the presence of a switch with an indicator. This switch has its own LED that glows continuously for self-detection. A current is also supplied to it, its strength is not enough to start the lamp, but enough to flicker.
To solve the problem, you will need to change the switch or remove the indicator from the installed one. Flickering should no longer bother household members.
Also, similar phenomena can be observed with strong voltage surges, ballast malfunction, as well as in the event of interference during the operation of capacitors inside the unit. Sometimes lamps can flicker when they are installed in a chandelier in the amount of more than three pieces.
Selection criteria for home
Energy efficient lighting products have many characteristics. This makes choosing a device for the home a daunting task.
Selection criteria to pay attention to:
- Voltage. If an unstable voltage is observed at home, then it is necessary to give preference to lamps that can work in a wide range. This information is always shown on the packaging.
- Radiation color. This parameter is characterized by color temperature, the unit of measurement is Kelvin. The higher the color temperature, the more the hue changes from yellow to blue. As a rule, the color of the radiation is displayed on the packaging and on the body of the device itself. There are also color changeable lamps.
The power of the energy-saving lamp is indicated on the package. - Power. On the packaging for a specific model, its luminous flux is indicated, as well as the power of incandescent lamps of similar brightness. The power consumption of LED lamps is usually 6-8 times less. This ratio is recommended when choosing an LED lamp. However, do not blindly believe what is written on the packaging. There are cases when the declared power is less than the actual one. Also, during operation, the brightness of the LEDs gradually decreases.
- Dimensions. Usually LED bulbs are larger than similar incandescent bulbs. This must be taken into account, otherwise they may simply not fit in miniature shades.
- If the lighting fixture is dimmed, appropriate bulbs are required. The packaging of the device you are purchasing must state that it is regulated.
The color rendering index is small, which means that energy-saving lamps distort the perception of colors a little.
Danger to life and health hazard
If you follow all the rules for using energy-saving lamps, they do not pose a threat to human health and life. The LED type of lighting fixtures, even hypothetically, is not capable of causing damage to human health. Their composition of fluorescent devices contains mercury, so they can be dangerous, but the effects on humans have been recorded extremely rarely.
It is recommended to purchase energy-saving lamps in specialized stores, where they provide a guarantee for the product.
