Bulbs On Parade

Here was a campaign a few years ago to go a lower wattage bulb to save energy. Then the campaign was to turn off the lights (duh) to save energy. Now the idea is to replace all of your incandescent bulbs with longer burning, more efficient bulbs to save money and the world. Here is a guide to help you understand what you are replacing, what with and why.

Incandescent bulbs are, in essence, the same bulb Edison worked on. Honestly, not a lot has changed about them. The thing that makes them so "evil" to the green folk of the world is simply the fact that they are not at all recyclable and are not very energy efficient. Looking at them as Satan in glass probably isn't a healthy thing, but replacing them with something a lot more efficient is.

Fluorescent bulbs are like tubes. There's no other way to describe them. While they offer a better, cheaper alternative to incandescent bulbs, they play havoc with your complexion. But hey, at least Pasty Joe can read his book at lunch. These are mostly used in commercial and industrial facilities

Halogen bulbs are why your burgers are slightly warm instead of ice cold. These guys produce a lot of heat. This is due to the tungsten filament which burns brighter and hotter than a normal incandescent bulb. They are expensive and expensive to replace. They are also the opposite of energy efficient.

Low pressure sodium lamps are slowly replacing the older, less efficient fluorescent lights. They burn a much more natural yellow color and are not any harder to replace. Though they require some warm up to get going and still need a ballast or two replaced on occasion, the energy saving properties of these bulbs are money savers for you.

Light Emitting Diodes or LED lights are the most energy efficient lights on the market today. There are not a lot of downsides to this light. It consumes a lot less energy than any other type of light and it burns brighter than most. When possible, using LED flashlights is even preferable to torches with incandescent light. In fact there are even ones that are hand cranked and require no batteries at all!

Compact fluorescent lamps are what is commonly replacing the standard incandescent light bulb. These bulbs are more or less fluorescent lights in a compact package. They are highly efficient, produce next to no heat and since they last longer a better bargain all the way around.

A good strategy for replacing your old bulbs is to simply stock up on the new ones and replace as you go. For outside lights try to keep a cover over them. While you can't do anything about cold weather, keeping your light out of the elements will slightly improve their life. Whatever you do, your best bet is to get on the green wagon where lights are concerned; you will have to eventually. As I said earlier, the new bulb designs out there will begin saving you money as soon as you install them.