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Home Energy Savings Tips: Compact Fluorescent Lamps
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By Carlo Morelli
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Because electrical lighting consumes nearly 15% of a household'selectricity use, you may wish to learn about some energyefficient lighting alternatives. Compact fluorescent lamps(CFLs) are one you should consider.
Their design blends the energy efficiency of fluorescentlighting with the convenience and interchangeability ofincandescent fixtures. CFLs will fit nearly any fixture designedfor an incandescent bulb.
CFLs can replace incandescent lights approximately 3-4 timestheir wattage, which means you can save up to 75% of thelighting energy. Although CFLs cost 10-20 times more thancomparable incandescent bulbs, they last 10-15 times as long. Inother words, over the long term you save lots of money by payingmore up front.
Compact fluorescent lamps work a lot like regular fluorescentlamps. They're comprised of two parts: a magnetic or electronicballast, and a gas-filled tube. The gas inside the tube glowswith ultraviolet light when electricity from the ballast runsthrough it. This in turn triggers a white phosphor coating onthe inside of the tube, emitting visible light all the waythrough the surface of the tube.
The type of compact fluorescent lamps which use magneticballasts flicker when they start, like regular fluorescents do.They also weigh more than CFL's with electronic ballasts, whichmay make them too heavy for some light fixtures. Electronicballasts are more expensive, but light immediately. They arealso more efficient than magnetic ballasts. Most currentlyavailable CFLs have electronic ballasts. Because compactfluorescent lamps are designed to operate within certaintemperature ranges, temperatures outside the range cause reducedlight output. A CFL's temperature range can found printed onmost lamp packages. Although there are models offered foroutdoor use, most are for indoor applications. You can installoutdoor CFLs in enclosed fixtures to reduce the effects ofcolder temperatures and wind chill.
This type of lighting is at its most cost effective in areaswhere lights are left on for long periods of time. In locationswhere lights are turned on for short periods of time, such as inclosets and pantries, an incandescent bulb may be a betterchoice. Since compact fluorescent lamps do not need to bechanged often, they are perfect for hard-to-reach areas likeceiling fixtures.
Try out a CFL for a test run and see how much energy you save.
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