vigor salvage Lamps - Benefits and Drawbacks
What are power rescue Bulbs?
Conventional filament bulbs (including halogens) give out less than 20% of the power they use as light, the rest is heat. Thus, they are not effective for the purpose for which they are designed. Some habitancy argue that this has incommunicable benefits, because they conduce to the heating of the room they are in. I think this does not stand up to close scrutiny for two reasons: (a) you often need light in summer, when you do not want heat (b) as most light bulbs are near the top of a room, and hotter air is at the top anyway, they generally keep the top warm, and microscopic heat gets lower down where it is more useful.
Lamps & Light Fixtures Flower Switch Plates
More effective bulbs (energy rescue bulbs) have been available for many years. These have been traditionally ageement fluorescents, and these are still the most common form of power rescue bulb. Early types were not so popular, because they were big, took a valuable time to reach full radiance and were expensive. They have been improved, so that they are now much smaller, reach full radiance in a matter of seconds or less, and are considerably cheaper.
The next generation of power rescue bulbs will be 'light emitting diode' types (Leds). These are an order of magnitude more effective again, but at the present stage of development, they are not thoughprovoking adequate for most lighting. Some Led bulbs are beginning to become practical alternatives though; notably those designed to replace Gu10 or Mr16 halogen bulbs. If you are inspecting this, you should note that the white Led bulbs have a slightly bluish tinge, which is quite attractive, but may look odd if mixed with other types of light. Other advantage of Leds is they are available in colours, at no extra cost.
What Types of power rescue Bulbs are Available?
There is now an power rescue bulb, of one type or another, that will replace any common household bulb, with the irregularity of capsule halogens - these are the very small halogens, that look like a capsule. If you want to use power rescue bulbs, avoid light fittings that take this kind of bulb.
Some fittings will take power rescue bulbs only, so you have no choice. recent building regulations in the Uk stipulate that a positive proportion of lighting in new builds must be power saving. Thus, fittings are put in that will only take this type of bulb. It is unfortunate that these bulbs tend to be more high-priced than those which replace lowly bulbs, probably because there is greater question for the latter.
Benefits and Drawbacks of power rescue Bulbs
The benefits can be summarised as follows:
They use about one-fifth the electricity of filament lamps (less in the case of Leds).
They last at least six times longer than filament lamps (much more in many cases).
They run cooler, so do not damage light fittings as much as filament lamps, so higher light outputs can be used, e.g. A lampholder which takes a maximum of 60W filament lamp, will take an 18W or more low power bulb, giving the equivalent of 100W or more lighting.
Over the lifetime of the bulb, there will be valuable savings on electricity bills, and thus carbon emissions associated with electricity consumption.
Possible drawbacks are:
Usually they are more high-priced to buy in the first place, but this cost is speedily recouped.
Compact fluorescents are not available in clear, only white or coloured.
Most (but not all) are bigger in size than conventional bulbs.
Cannot be used with dimmer switches (except the new type of dimmable ageement fluoescents).
Most safety light manufacurers (with Pirs) suggest against their use, but with contemporary Cfls I have used them in safety lights with no ill effects; they take a microscopic longer to come on, but this is not normally a question unless a consolidate of seconds is important.
Typical Savings
These figures are based on typical Uk costs of 8p per unit of electricity (a kWhr) with a bulb on for 4 hours per day mean and a bulb lifetime of 8000 hours, compared with 1000 hours for a conventional bulb. (You can get longer life bulbs of both types, but they cost more). I have taken a 20W low power bulb and an equivalent 100W conventional bulb. The costs of the bulbs have been taken from the author's website.
Running costs alone save £9.34 per year.
Running and transfer costs over lifetime of the low power bulb (5.5 years) £53.18 - this is equivalent to a rescue of about one-quarter of a tonne of Co2 emissions.
And this is just for one bulb. Dream the savings if all your bulbs were replaced.
Good for your electricity bills and good for the environment.
vigor salvage Lamps - Benefits and Drawbacks
Check Price on - Lamps & Light Fixtures Flower Switch Plates Products
Menu Board Signs - Restaurant Menu Boards - Digital Menu Boards - Menu Board Letters - LED Board Wireless Presenter Mouse Function Laser Pointer - USB Wireless Presenter - Trackball Mouse - Pen Laser Multifunction Printer Wireless Network - Laser Color Printers - Scanners - All in One Printer
