Compact fluorescent bulb / compact fluorescent light bulbs

       A compact fluorescent lamp or CFL is a type of fluorescent lamp which are designed in order to replace, or as an alternative, to an incandescent lamp, as it can fit into the standard sockets or fixtures intended for incandescent lamps or bulbs. CFLs are popularly known as an energy saving light as it generally consumes less energy compared to its predecessor, the incandescent lamp. It is also known as compact fluorescent light and sometimes called compact fluorescent tube or CFT. It also delivers the same amount of visible light compared to incandescent lamps which have the same power rating. Aside from its less power consumption, it also has a longer rated life. In the United States , CFL costs more than incandescent lamp, however, it is still the preferred by the consumers because the savings for the electricity costs can reach up to $30 for the lamp's entire life. The lamp, just like any other fluorescent lamps contains mercury, a health hazard element, which provides a challenge for its disposal. CFLs emit a light spectrum which is different from that which incandescent bulbs emit. The good subjective color of the light emitted by CFLs is due to the improved phosphor formulation. Some sources have rated that CFLs have the best soft white color emitted which is very much similar to that which is emitted by incandescents.

As previously mentioned, CFLs provides a challenge for its disposal as it contains a minimal amount of mercury, a hazardous substance but nonetheless, the very substance which makes them so efficient and energy saver. Just like any other materials like electrical appliances, thermometers, paint or chemicals, CFLs should be disposed of properly and responsively. This is the only downside of CFLs.

What are the benefits of CFL bulbs?

The following are the advantages of compact fluorescent lamps:

• Compact fluorescent lamps consume less energy, a characteristic which makes them popularly known as energy saving lamps. Only one-fourth of the energy consumed by incandescent is needed to power a CFL, thus consumers get 75% savings in electricity for the same amount of light.

• Less energy consumption means less pollution. If the demand for electricity is less, the harmful gases which are the byproduct of power-generating plants are likewise reduced. However, CFLs must be recycled – the mercury it contains should be re-used in order to be, not just environment-friendly, but wallet-friendly too.

• While incandescent light bulbs have a life-span of 750 to 3,000 hours, CFLs last for 8,000 to 12,000 hours

• CFLs also cuts the cost for air conditioning as it is cooler or less heat is generated as compared with incandescent bulbs.

• CFLs come in a wide range of light colors, from warm white to very cool white – like daylight on a cloudless day.

Dimmable compact fluorescent bulbs

       Specialized compact fluorescent lamps are used for dimming control because the regular CFLs are not suitable for the purpose as this could lead to a lesser bulb life. Also some manufacturers may void the warranty of their manufactured bulbs when used as dimmer. However, there are available dimmable compact fluorescent lamps. Dimmers intended for incandescent bulbs cannot be used with CFLs. It is necessary for a dimmer switch installed along with the dimmable CFL with the appropriate power rating. CFL commonly has a power rating of 7-20W. Before, manufacturers have produced CFLs with dimming range from 20% to 90%. Now, the dimming range have improved, with ranges 2% to 100% which is much similar to the incandescent dimmers. Consumers may choose from the two types of dimmable CFLs – the regular dimmable CFLs, and the “switch-dimmable” CFLs. The latter type uses a regular switch with the on-board circuitry which turns on and off the power in quick intervals to achieve the desired light output. However, dimmable CFLs are not the best compared to dimmable incandescent for “mood scenes” such as dimmers installed in walls in diners and restaurants.

Tubular-type compact fluorescent lamp

European consumers prefer the tubular-type compact fluorescent lamp for their lighting needs over incandescent bulbs.

Spiral compact fluorescent bulb

       In contrast with tubular fluorescent lamps, the spiral-type integrated compact fluorescent lamps exhibit reduction in terms of their efficiency which is attributed to the excessively thick layer of phosphor located at the lower side of the spiral or twist. However, notwithstanding the reduced efficiency of this type of compact fluorescent lamp, consumers from North America have patronized said type or style since it was introduced in the mid 1990s and has gained popularity ever since.  

Health issues

       Based from the researches conducted in 2008 by the European Commission Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Healt Risks (SCENIHR), the ultraviolet and blue light which is radiated by compact fluorescent lamps could pose health hazards as the aforesaid lights emitted by such device could worsen the symptoms of people suffering from rare skin conditions or diseases. Still, researches are on going to ascertain whether the compact fluorescent lamp brings any other health issues as compared with incandescent lamps.

Full spectrum compact fluorescent bulb

       The compact fluorescent lamps contain mixtures of phosphors inside which each radiate a specific color. Most modern CFL designs take into consideration the quality of the light radiated, the energy efficiency and the cost of the device. The additional phosphor in the coating mix decreases the energy efficiency and increases the cost of CFLs. In order to achieve a “white light”, three or more phosphors are used with a color rendering index (CRI) of 80 and 100 as representing the appearance of the colors under conditions of daylight or a black surroundings. The manufacturers now render a 3 digit code in order to identify and specify the CRI and the color temperature of the CFL. To illustrate this, the first digit represents the lamp's CRI in tens of percent. The second and last two digits represent the color temperature and measured in Kelvin. Example, if the CFLs code is 827, its CRI is 83 and the color temperature is around 2,700 Kelvin.