Difference between incandescent lamp and fluorescent lamp. Which is better: LED lamps or energy-saving ones

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Most modern household lighting fixtures contain incandescent and fluorescent lamps. What are their specifics?

What is an incandescent lamp?

Lamps of the corresponding type include artificial light sources in which light rays are formed as a result of heating a special element - a filament body - using an electric current. In modern lighting fixtures this element, as a rule, is made of tungsten or other refractory material.

Incandescent lamp

In structure incandescent lamps a flask is also present. In fact, it contains the filament body, to which electric current is supplied. The flask usually contains an inert gas or is provided with a vacuum, the absence of any gases. This is necessary so that the metal filament body does not oxidize under the influence of atmospheric oxygen and does not enter into a chemical reaction with other atmospheric gases.

The main advantages of incandescent lamps:

low cost;
environmental friendliness;
formation luminous flux, close in its structure to sunlight, familiar to human eyes.

It should be noted that classic tungsten incandescent lamps are characterized by a fairly high level of energy consumption. Therefore, their use is becoming less common in some areas. For example, many apartment owners prefer to abandon incandescent lamps in favor of more energy-efficient appliances.

There is a special subtype of incandescent lamps - halogen lighting fixtures of the appropriate type. Their specificity is that halogen is introduced into the bulbs of these lamps - a special gas that is capable of returning metal particles evaporating from the filament body back. This significantly extends the service life of the lighting fixture - which is not very long with modern classic incandescent lamps.

What is a fluorescent lamp?

TO fluorescent lamps It is customary to refer to artificial lighting sources that operate on the gas-discharge principle. In these devices, an electrical discharge in mercury vapor produces ultraviolet rays, which are converted into light radiation through phosphors, such as calcium halophosphate.

Fluorescent Lamp

In fluorescent lamps, therefore, there is no filament body. However, the luminous output of lighting devices, about which we're talking about, as a rule, much higher than that of incandescent lamps. Luminescent devices have a fairly long service life and are characterized by fairly high energy efficiency.

Fluorescent lamps are most often available in 2 varieties:

high pressure devices;
low pressure devices.

Lamps of the first type are most often used for organizing outdoor lighting - in courtyards and on roads. Low pressure lighting devices are most often used to illuminate rooms inside buildings.

The main advantages of fluorescent lamps:

high energy efficiency;
the ability to select lighting in different shades;
long term service - up to several tens of thousands of hours.

Fluorescent lamps, however, are not very environmentally friendly, since they contain mercury vapor. The corresponding lighting devices require special disposal after use.

It may be noted that some common types of household fluorescent lamps are traditionally called energy-saving. Indeed, thanks to high energy efficiency, lighting fixtures of the appropriate type allow apartment owners to save cash when paying for electricity.

Comparison

The main difference between an incandescent lamp and a fluorescent lamp lies in the operating principles: a lighting device of the first type operates by heating a metal filament (if we talk about modern products), while a fluorescent lamp is based on the gas-discharge principle, by converting ultraviolet radiation into visible light. The types of lamps under consideration also differ in cost, energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, the structure of the generated light flux, and in many cases, in service life.

Let us show more clearly the difference between an incandescent lamp and a fluorescent lamp in a small table.

Thanks to technological progress in the field of electrical and electronics, the modern range of lighting products is very wide. It is extremely difficult for a consumer who has not yet touched upon this topic to understand among huge selection various solutions. With the goal in mind, the two pillars are fluorescent and LED energy-saving lamps. This article is intended to compare their characteristics and provide an adequate idea of the advantages and disadvantages, which will help the buyer decide which is better to choose. Next, we will provide a comparison of LED lamps and energy-saving ones.

Electricity consumption

Consumption electrical energy for fluorescent lamps is about 20 percent of the standard and familiar incandescent lamps. LED ones are even more economical - the relative energy consumption of Ilyich light bulbs is about 10 percent. Thus, the power consumption of a light source based on semiconductors and LEDs will always be 2 times less at the same brightness.

Light flow

The color spectrum for a gas-discharge energy-saving light bulb is of slightly lower quality compared to its LED counterpart. Fluorescent lamps do not quite correctly convey the light spectrum regarding some shades. Compared to the gas-discharge version, the LED version is more stable in this regard.

The table below summarizes the characteristics of the lighting sources in question:

Operating temperature

Gas discharge Fluorescent Lamp during prolonged operation, the temperature indicator is about 50-60 degrees Celsius. It is not capable of burning the skin, much less causing a fire, but it is still a fairly solid indicator. But it should be borne in mind that if the electronics malfunction, the temperature may increase 3-4 times. This risk unlikely, but exists. LED lamps are completely safe in terms of high temperatures due to their semiconductor technology based on LED crystals. In any case, a comparison of both light sources shows that it is permissible to use them with any type of sockets for chandeliers, sconces and other lamps, since the maximum permissible heating at correct operation they are not superior.

Environmental factor and health hazard

Fluorescent lamps, which are located on store shelves, contain about 5 milligrams of mercury in the bulb. Mercury is a metal that, due to its harmful properties that cause harm to the human body, is classified in the first (highest) hazard class. Along with other waste, it is prohibited, therefore a conscious user must take failed lamps to collection points specially designed for this purpose.

It should also be noted that UV and infrared radiation emitted by a fluorescent light bulb, which can cause certain diseases. The disadvantages listed above do not apply to LEDs; their use is completely safe.

Flicker index

Fluorescent energy-saving lamps flicker at a frequency of 50 times per second. The naked eye is not able to notice this phenomenon, but there are people for whom this effect may cause exacerbation of nervousness or the appearance of a melancholic state. Fluorescent light sources equipped with high-quality electronic ballasts do not have this effect. In this case, LED lamps compare favorably with their gas-discharge counterparts due to the absence of such a problem.

Efficiency

In this case, it talks about how much light energy an energy-saving lamp produces relative to its electricity consumption. For housekeepers, this figure is about 30 percent, while LEDs are again on top - about 80 percent and above.

Life time

On average, fluorescent lamps last 5 times less than LED lamps. On the box with the product, as a rule, there is a table with the relevant data. As manufacturers indicate, the service life of an LED lamp can reach up to 50 thousand hours, while energy-saving light bulbs last no more than 10 thousand hours. The comparison in terms of service life is obvious - LED products win significantly in this indicator.

Comparison by other factors

The fluorescent energy-saving lamp turns on for 1 second, which is associated with its operation electronic circuit. At low temperatures, due to a drop in gas pressure inside the flask, the brightness decreases significantly. This is due to the fact that mercury loses its volatility and is forced to heat up for more long period time. High humidity also negatively affects the operation of a fluorescent light bulb. It causes a film to form on the surface of the flask, which is an interfering factor for its stable operation and fast heating. LEDs start working instantly and have an impressive temperature range for stable operation.

Another important comparison criterion is the warranty period. For LEDs it averages 3 years, while for energy-saving light sources it is 1-2.

Price range

If you compare LED and fluorescent lamps in terms of price, they are definitely a draw. Today, both versions cost from 200 rubles per piece, if we talk about more or less high-quality manufacturers. A few years ago, energy-saving lamps could still beat LED products due to their lower price, but now (2017) the cost of LEDs has dropped significantly due to high competition and the emergence of budget Chinese manufacturers On the market.

Conclusion

Based on the above information when comparing energy-saving and LED lamps for home, office or any other premises, the best solution will be a model that works on the principles of LED technology, that is, LED. To confirm this, we attach several useful videos.

Electricity prices are now such that, willy-nilly, you begin to think about saving. The easiest way to lower your energy bills is to reduce your lighting costs. It is this that “eats” most of the kilowatts in an ordinary apartment or house. We will discuss which lamps are better for the home and according to what parameters in this article.

You can see different lamps on store shelves. Let's take a closer look at those that are installed in private houses and apartments.

Lighting in the house should be cozy, comfortable... preferably economical

Incandescent lamps

The oldest lighting devices are more than a century old. They provide light that is pleasant to the eye, but during operation they get very hot, as they have low efficiency - about 97% of the energy is spent on heat generation. Therefore, lighting using conventional incandescent lamps is expensive. It is for this reason that many decide to replace them with more economical ones, while deciding which lamps are better for the home and for the wallet.

There is another unpleasant property of incandescent lamps - their service life is not very long. On average it is about 1000 -3000 hours. Since the price of these lighting fixtures is low, it is a small burden on the wallet. However, frequent replacement can be nerve-wracking - you have to always have a couple of pieces in stock.

A widespread trend - traditional incandescent lamps are being replaced by more economical ones

It is also worth taking into account that, due to the design features, they are produced only with a screw base, but operate from a 220 V network and no converters or special device not required. Because of large quantity They are not used to illuminate furniture, they are not compatible with all suspended ceilings, and they are not at all friendly with suspended ceilings. In general, this is a classic lighting, but not ideal.

Halogen

Halogen lamps are a type of incandescent lamp. They differ in that the flask is filled with halogen vapor (most often iodine or bromine), which increases the service life by 2-3 times. The design allows them to be made not only with a screw base, but also with a pin base. Different bulb shapes and the use of reflective coating make it possible to create light sources with different scattering angles. Therefore, at one time, they were widely used as built-in ceilings or furniture.

Halogen incandescent lamps - a more “advanced” option

Since these are also incandescent lamps, they have almost the same disadvantages - significant heat generation. And that's the problem. But the energy consumption is less (about 2-3 times). So they are more economical compared to classic design. But they have an additional disadvantage - they do not tolerate contaminants on the flask. A fingerprint can cause burnout. Therefore, installation must be done with gloves.

Luminescent: tubular and compact (housekeepers)

The operation of these lighting devices uses another principle - the property of certain phosphor substances to emit light under certain conditions. Structurally, it consists of a glass tube coated with a phosphor. Inside the tube there are electrodes and a certain amount of mercury vapor. An electric charge is created on the electrodes, the energy of which is converted into light radiation using a phosphor.

To create and maintain electric charge Fluorescent lamps need a starting and regulating device - a voltage transformer and a starter. In the standard version, these devices are mounted on the body of lamps, which can only work with this type of lighting fixture.

Available in two types:

If we talk about comparison with incandescent lamps, they are 3 times more economical and hardly heat up. A serious disadvantage is that due to pulsation the light is unpleasant for the eyes and potentially hazardous to health (leads to increased fatigue, may cause bad mood). In this type of lighting fixtures, it is almost impossible to get rid of pulsation. What can be done is to minimize it and, by adding one incandescent lamp, reduce the negative effect to a minimum.

Many are also concerned that the flask contains mercury vapor inside, which carries a potential danger. This is briefly about the main disadvantages, then we will consider in more detail the pros and cons of fluorescent lamps.

LED

This is the third type of lamp that uses semiconductor devices- LEDs. They do not require any special atmosphere, so their flask is not airtight, and this is more a tribute to tradition than a necessity. All the LEDs need to operate is a constant voltage of 12 V or 24 V. So operation is not difficult - to connect to a 220 V network you need a voltage converter (power supply, adapter). In LED lamps for standard luminaires, this converter is built into the housing, so they can easily replace conventional incandescent lamps.

Briefly about the properties. They have high efficiency - they require 7-8 times less electricity than similar incandescent lamps, and have a much longer service life (according to manufacturers' requests, they can work for 25-35 years). Disadvantages - they are expensive, it is difficult to determine the quality, low-grade ones have strong pulsation, which negatively affects the eyes and well-being, and often fail. Therefore, choosing an LED lamp is not an easy task and requires certain knowledge. But the bills actually become significantly smaller.

Which lamps are best for home

All these lighting devices are used to illuminate residential premises. It is definitely impossible to answer which lamps are best for the home - they all have advantages and disadvantages. If your main concern is eye comfort, the answer to the question “which lamps are best for the home” is incandescent. But at the same time you will not be able to save on lighting. The situation is a little better with halogen ones. But the lighting from 12 V halogens is more pleasing to the eye, which requires transformers. Those that operate on 220 V have too bright light.

When it comes to saving on electricity bills, LED bulbs are the best. This is undeniable. But you need to buy with knowledge of the matter - so that they are good quality and they worked for a long time, but these are expensive. But, even under such conditions, they are beneficial, since they really help to significantly reduce energy consumption. A

Why LED and not housekeepers? Let's compare their properties.

Comparing fluorescent and LED light bulbs

When people have a desire to reduce their electricity costs, they begin to think about replacing incandescent lamps with more energy-efficient ones. These are considered energy-saving (compact fluorescent) and LED. To understand which lamps are best for your home, you need to take a closer look at their advantages and disadvantages.

Having decided to replace incandescent lamps with more economical ones, you need to decide the question: which lamps are better for the home - LED or compact fluorescent

Housekeepers

This is what compact fluorescent lamps are called. They were the first to appear on the market (compared to LED ones), which is why this name was assigned to them. Let's start with advantages:

At the time this was a very good offer. The ability to obtain “warm” and “cold” light and save on electricity - all this has led to the popularity of energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs.

But flaws they have serious:

There are many shortcomings, and almost all of them are serious. They are the ones who stop many, even despite the savings.

LED

These light bulbs are made on the basis of semiconductor elements - LEDs. A certain number of them are installed in a single housing and connected to a power source. Nutrition from DC voltage 12 V. In order to use lamps in standard luminaires, a rectifier and a circuit that lowers the voltage to 12 V are built into the housing (both of these devices are often called a driver).

LEDs generate heat when operating. To remove it, a radiator is built into the body. And the bases of these lamps are different. They can be installed instead of incandescent lamps different sizes, halogen, tubular fluorescent.

If we compare all four types in terms of power consumption with equal luminous flux

Advantages LED lamps:

They consume 7-8 times less electricity than incandescent ones, and 2-3 times less than fluorescent ones (housekeepers too).
They have a long service life.
Not afraid of vibration and shock.
Lights up immediately after switching on.
They have a wide range of operating temperatures -40°C to +40°C.
Can be of any shade (any color).
There are dimmable ones (changing the brightness of the light).

The advantages are impressive. The efficiency and service life are particularly impressive. But the figures stated by the manufacturers (about 25-35 years) must be treated with skepticism. They are for ideal conditions, which are practically unattainable in our realities. The warranty period declared by the manufacturers actually indicates the service life. This is the time they will most likely work. But even despite this, the period is considerable - 2-5 years.

Without shortcomings it didn't work either:

High price. 4-5 times more expensive than energy-saving ones and 20-40 times more expensive than incandescent ones.
Low quality LED lamps have significant pulsation.
Without a diffuser, the light will blind the eyes, which is why most LED lamps are made with milky glass. Those in a transparent flask can only be used in conjunction with matte shades.
LEDs are afraid of overheating. In case of prolonged excess critical temperature(about 90°C) they lose their brightness. Therefore, it is unreasonable to use LED lamps in closed-type lamps.

When compared with the properties of fluorescent lamps, LEDs clearly have the advantage. But everything is not so rosy in reality.

Which lamps are better for the home: LED or fluorescent?

In fact, LED lamps are better in all respects. But eating it hurts “BUT”. These must be high-quality LED lamps. The thing is that the manufacturing technology is simple and does not require highly complex or very expensive equipment. It's difficult to make LEDs, but to assemble them LED light bulb won't be difficult. That’s why there are a lot of fakes and low-quality goods on the market. They use cheap, low-quality crystals; the driver is made to be the simplest, which does not suppress flicker and quickly fails.

The difficulty is that it is impossible to determine “by eye” the quality of LEDs or the same driver. Some experts are able to distinguish good LEDs by appearance. But in lamps they are hidden under a frosted bulb. Having set a goal, their quality can be checked by indirect signs - by measuring illumination, pulsation, and assessing color rendition. But the quality of the parts used in the power supply cannot be assessed. You will only find out when something burns out.

All this leads to the fact that many consider LED lamps unreliable - they burn out quickly and are expensive. So it turns out that there is no saving. And there are also problems with flickering... It seems so, but this is only true if you buy cheap LED lamps. Branded lamps really serve for years without problems and produce an even light that is pleasing to the eyes. So the main task is to find good quality LED lamps. And then you will know exactly which lamps are best for your home.

Instead of the result: replacing incandescent lamps with LED ones will save on lighting bills only if they are used for a long time, and this is only possible if High Quality. High-quality light bulbs are not cheap. So, perhaps, this is the case when saving during the purchase is not worth it.

A burnt-out light bulb always has a choice: buy a replacement with an incandescent filament or give preference to fluorescent analogues. The article will tell you whether the current Energy Saving Technologies, whether there is a threat to health or nature and many other aspects of the use of advertised lighting.

Technical progress does not stand still, but with each stage of its development the load on the energy industry is growing more and more. You don't need to be an expert to see this. Entering the apartment of the average USSR citizen, one could see several light bulbs, a refrigerator and a TV among the energy-consuming appliances. And even then, this entire set was not typical for every family. Today, a person’s home contains an order of magnitude more energy consumers: an electric kettle, a computer, a washing machine, and dishwasher, microwave ovens and many other common things. And the number of televisions alone is often equated not even with the number of residents, but rather with the number of rooms, including corridors, bathrooms and kitchens.

Currently, decisions are being made at the state level calling on everyone to save energy resources. The simplest and most affordable measure on the energy saving list is replacing conventional filament lamps with low efficiency with economical analogues. The most popular of these is the compact fluorescent lamp.

The operating principle of such a lamp can be learned from our other article, and in this material we will try to reveal its unpopular sides. For example, are they so economical? Often, when choosing one or another light bulb for a lamp, you feel insecure: one is old and cheap, the other is expensive and advertised, and which one is better is not so easy to understand. A lamp with an incandescent filament, tested over the years, has an efficiency of no more than 50%, a new one is an order of magnitude higher, but its cost also differs significantly.

Myth No. 1. Energy-saving fluorescent lamps save us money

While encouraging people to buy fluorescent lamps from billboards and TV screens, many sellers are silent about the fact that the cost savings for the average person will be negligible, if any. Electricity consumption, as the manufacturers claim, will be approximately 5 times less than that of a conventional light bulb. But as for the cost, it is 10-40 times higher than the price of a conventional incandescent lamp.

Taking advantage online calculator When calculating the benefits of using energy-saving lamps, let’s try to find out how much you can actually save on one such light bulb per year. For clarity, let’s take the cost of both light bulbs to be equal to one ruble. Depending on the service, the program and tariffs, the result on the calculator is rarely more than 100 rubles per year. But if we take into account the difference in the cost of lamps, the amount of money saved by the consumer is rapidly approaching zero. However, the calculator calculates this parameter differently. Even if you enter the cost of a fluorescent lamp at about 300 rubles, and an old one - 1 ruble, the calculated savings still stubbornly exceed zero. The reason for this “inaccuracy” in the calculation is simple: it is believed that the service life energy saving lamp from 8,000 to 12,000 hours, and the usual one - only 1,000 hours. This is what is corrected for in many calculations. It was with this reasoning that we came to the next myth.

Myth No. 2. Fluorescent lamps last a very long time.

The minimum declared service life of an energy-saving lamp is usually 8,000 hours. In a city apartment with owners constantly missing at work, using lighting for 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening, this is quite a lot:

1 hour in the morning + 1 hour in the evening = 2 hours a day
2 hours a day x 30 days a month = 60 hours a month
60 hours x 12 months = 720 hours per year

Let's add another 80 hours for the increased need for lighting during weekends and vacations:

720 + 80 = 800 hours per year adjusted
800 x 10 = 8,000 hours...

Consequently, the service life of such a lamp in an ordinary apartment should be about 10 years and, having bought it once, you should remember about this problem, but it’s not that simple. Frequently turning lamps on/off reduces their service life to a minimum. In practice, a lamp screwed into a bathroom rarely survives to the end warranty period a year long. There are, of course, lamp manufacturers who have solved this problem, but the cost of their products is not affordable for everyone.

Let's consider the second option, when the lamp is turned on continuously. There are no factors that reduce its durability, but 8,000 hours does not seem that long. About 11 months. By the way, working in this mode, the light bulb really saves not only energy, but also citizens’ money. But let's get back to durability. How long will a lamp with an incandescent filament last in the same mode? If it is of high quality, it will last for quite a long time. Perhaps even longer than the energy-saving one, since the reason lamps fail in more than half of the cases is frequent switching on or power surges.

Due to their dubious durability, enterprising Russians have already come up with their own option for saving on energy-saving light bulbs that are not of very high quality. When purchased in a store, such lamps are given a one-year warranty stated by the manufacturer. Therefore, if it burns out earlier, it can be replaced with a new light bulb. The replacement will have its own one-year warranty and after some time has passed, you can do the same with it. This is provided for in Article 22 (its 2nd part) of the Law of the Russian Federation “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”. If the light bulb suddenly turns out to be too “tenacious”, there are even several popular ways to “finish off” the latter. The three leaders of the popular rating can be cited as an example:

Almost no fluorescent lamp can withstand use in conjunction with a dimmer (a device for adjusting the brightness of lighting). True, we should warn you about a rare, but still happening fact: some particularly resistant specimens damage the regulator itself, after which they continue to function successfully for some time.
Use at very low or very high temperatures. Usually it is enough to screw the lamp into the street lighting lamp in winter and let it work in normal mode a couple of days. Initially, it will lose a significant percentage of the light, and then it will stop turning on altogether.
Frequent on/off. It is for this reason that the use of energy-saving lamps is difficult in New Year's flashing illumination, light alarms, and with many motion sensors that turn on the lights automatically.

It should be noted that all of the above methods do not work 100%. But this is not the main problem when using this unique method of saving money. Today, no less enterprising sellers pose a great threat to enterprising citizens. The most common trick is an unfilled warranty card, without which it will be somewhat difficult to accept a non-working lamp. The second most popular trick is to reduce the manufacturer's annual warranty to 2 weeks from the seller. But this is not the last option. Even if you were vigilant and kept the packaging, receipt and completed warranty card, an enterprising seller may simply intimidate you with the impending expensive examination and improper use. Let's say right away that all of the above actions do not get along very well with the law. For example, if you follow the norms of Part 5 of Article 18 of the Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights”, then for a refund or replacement poor quality goods It is not at all necessary to have a cash receipt or any other document.

Myth No. 3. All these lamps contain mercury vapor

It is believed that the main problem with fluorescent lamps is the presence of mercury. It poisons the air if you break a light bulb, requires additional disposal, and so on. But according to manufacturers, not all fluorescent lamps use mercury, or more precisely liquid mercury. There are many options on sale where the box contains the inscription “no mercury vapor” or a corresponding icon with a crossed out drop. There is truth in this, but only half.

If a lamp breaks in an apartment when it is turned off (dropped, thrown against a wall or from a balcony, stepped on, etc.), then there will be no detrimental effect on environment You won’t be affected by your actions. The reason for this is simple: instead of free mercury, the lamp uses “amalgam”, that is, a metal alloy containing mercury. Under normal conditions, it does not allow the latter to evaporate freely and have a negative effect on humans.

But this is under normal conditions, namely when the light is off. In a working state, the same mercury vapor makes it glow. Consequently, breaking the lamp while it is on will cause equal damage to the room and requires mandatory long-term ventilation.

There are other factory methods to protect potential consumers from exposure to mercury vapor when a lamp breaks. One of them is applying a silicone coating to the flask. Even if the glass layer is broken, mercury vapor in such a product will be retained by the silicone. True, the price for such additional protection is not at all adjusted to save your budget. But here the choice is entirely up to the consumer: expensive, but relatively safe, or cheap, but with additional caution.

It should also be noted that if the light bulb does not contain a symbol indicating the absence of mercury, this does not mean that the manufacturer will leave a mention on the packaging that it contains it. Most manufacturing plants, and not only Chinese ones, happily keep silent about this. However, as well as the fact that the light bulb is subject to specialized disposal and should not simply be thrown into the garbage chute.

Myth No. 4. These lamps are safe for humans

This statement does not always work. It is not so easy to find comprehensive studies on this issue, but the opinions of some doctors who spoke on this topic may fundamentally differ. However, the most frequently pronounced options can be identified.

Fluorescent lamps make it difficult to work with small parts, for example, it is not so easy to thread a needle. Doctors justify this by saying that the glow of mercury vapor is blue spectrum light, which suggests a narrowing of the pupil. As a result, additional lighting is required for more comfortable work.

Flicker. Despite the assurances of many manufacturers that flickering is not typical for compact fluorescent lamps, this factor should not be discounted. Many Chinese analogues or simply fakes may not completely correspond to such statements. A capacitor must be responsible for the absence of flicker in such lamps, which in some instances may not be present at all.

Stroboscopic effect. This notorious characteristic of "flickering" lamps prevents their use in factories. In order to understand how this happens, we can give clear example. Due to the fact that the periodicity of the change of light and darkness during flickering, completely imperceptible to the eye, may coincide with the frequency of operation of some devices, they may appear to be inoperative, while in fact they will be activated. As a result, there are many accidents at the enterprise due to workers’ misperception of the picture.

Ultraviolet radiation. Although such a statement regarding energy-saving lamps has some convincing grounds, it should be considered as real threat not worth it. In summer sunlight exposure to ultraviolet radiation is many times greater. However, if you have skin problems, you should not place the lamp in close proximity.

Unusual cold light. According to some doctors, it, as it is especially close to daytime, can cause sleep disorders. True, there is not much evidence for this statement.

Mercury vapor poisoning due to careless use. When fluorescent lamps began to be promoted at the legislative level, almost everyone found it necessary to worry about the fact that they were dangerous and quite harmful. However, listening to this kind of statements, you should first of all remove from sale all mercury thermometers that contain an order of magnitude more mercury as such. The whole of Europe began its struggle for security with this very thing. Even in neighboring Latvia you will not find a single pharmacy where they are available for free sale.

However, the last statement is in fact an indisputable fact, and some caution should still be observed. For example, screw in and unscrew such light bulbs without holding the glass bulb, since the risk of damaging it is high. And also carry out additional measures to clean the room if the flask breaks. I think we should dwell on this in more detail.

So, let's start with why mercury is so dangerous for our body. According to the degree of danger, three main degrees of exposure can be distinguished: acute poisoning, chronic poisoning and mercurialism (minor). And if for the first case a broken thermometer with a couple of grams of mercury is not always enough (although such cases do occur), then the latter is possible even with a one-time broken energy-saving lamp without taking appropriate measures.

Many defenders of the safety theory of fluorescent lamps argue that the amount of mercury contained in it is not enough to cause poisoning, since in an ordinary thermometer there is 2 g, but here the count is in the tens of milligrams. According to doctors, mercury vapor with a concentration of 0.25 mg/m 3 is retained in the body when inhaled, but above this figure it penetrates even through intact skin. The situation with lamps is aggravated by the fact that if it was damaged while it was working, then there is no time for the liquid mercury to evaporate - in the flask it is already in a heated gaseous state. While a broken thermometer makes it possible to collect metal balls and safely remove them from the apartment.

Contact with low concentration vapors, of course, will not lead to death, but in general there is nothing pleasant. Minor mercury poisoning is characterized by the following:

drowsiness;
fast fatiguability;
weakness and dizziness;
headache;
depressed mood;
slight trembling of fingers with outstretched arms (mercury tremor) and much more.

With prolonged contact with mercury vapor, even the most simple options poisonings become chronic. The most dangerous thing in this situation is that symptoms do not appear within a couple of minutes. Even in the case of acute poisoning, it should take at least a few hours. And if it comes to easy option, then several months or years may pass before the first symptom appears.

If the lamp was accidentally broken in the house, then the following should be done:

remove people from the premises, especially children, since their bodies react especially quickly and acutely to contact with mercury vapor;
ventilate the room for several hours (maximum possible time) to reduce the level of vapor concentration;
remove fragments and scattered powder (simple adhesive tape makes cleaning up small fragments much easier);
if the surface is not so easy to clean (for example, a carpet), it is recommended to treat this place with a specialized solution, you can experiment and use a solution of “potassium permanganate” for this (suitable only for very dark things, where the stains simply will not be visible) or clean with a product containing contains chlorine (for opponents of home-made methods - there is one on sale special means to neutralize mercury).

Myth No. 5. Ecology and energy saving together

Proponents of the use of energy-saving lamps insist on improving the environmental situation by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But this development of events is more like a utopia, since for every energy saving light bulb the apartment has additional plasma panel in the floor of the wall, which will nullify all urges to save.

You can also consider the situation with the appearance of mercury pollution in landfills. All the same supporters of fluorescent lamps say in unison that there are many plants for processing mercury-containing waste. Yes, that's true. After all, before the advent of compact energy-saving lamps, mercury was widely used in street lighting devices, lamps daylight, so typical for hospitals and other institutions. They were successfully recycled and Russia did not reach the point of global pollution.

But there is still a problem with collection points for such waste from the population and its disposal. Firstly, there are not many such points and sometimes even the most avid environmentalists cannot travel to the other end of the city for the sake of one light bulb to hand it over for recycling. Secondly, the majority simply lack the desire to do any unnecessary actions: the easiest way is to throw them away with regular garbage. The same problem occurs with used batteries. Despite the fact that you can hand them over at almost any hardware store, an increasing number of these elements are quietly sent to landfills.

Finally

According to the law “On Energy Saving and Increasing Energy Efficiency...” quite soon (planned from January 1, 2014), not only high-power filament lamps, but also their low-power counterparts will begin to disappear from the shelves. This law is intended to make a gradual transition to energy saving in homes along European lines. On the websites of supporters of such a transition, many arguments in favor are given. In contrast to the spread of mercury from landfills, they even put a reduction in similar emissions when reducing energy production from coal-fired power plants. Moreover, this reduction is not only calculated, but according to some data, it will exceed by an order of magnitude the distribution of non-recycled mercury from lamps. Such a statement does not reflect the real situation. For every kilowatt of electricity saved by an energy-saving lamp, there will be a commercial consumer, and the actual load on the source will not decrease.

Looking at the problem from the other side and estimating the energy costs associated with industrial sector, you can easily discover that by re-equipping or retrofitting enterprises, you can save much more energy. By installing a variable frequency electric drive on all city pumps utility networks can save up to 80% of their energy consumption. However, such measures are not very popular in our country.

However, there is a way out of the situation with home energy saving. In Europe, LED light sources are increasingly being used for these purposes. They do not require disposal costs, and the actual energy consumption is really low. There is hope for a bright future. Nano development technology already offers a safe substitute for fluorescent lamps, which does not require either disposal or abandonment of the usual light at night. All that remains is to wait until the new product is brought to the possibility of industrial production and its cost is made acceptable.

Olga Ustimkina, rmnt.ru

Hello, dear readers and guests of the Electrician's Notes website.

Due to the wide range of lamps, people often have a question about which lamps to choose?

Some citizens still use incandescent lamps (ILVs), although their use is limited Federal law No. 261 “On Energy Saving”, some have finally switched to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), while others are already content with LED lamps (LED).

So what should you choose? I often have to answer this question, so I decided to write several articles where I will compare an incandescent lamp, a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) and a light-emitting diode lamp (LED) with each other according to the following criteria:

luminous flux at different voltage levels
lamp ignition time
heating temperature of the body and flask in operating mode
actual power consumption (energy consumption)

For the experiment, I will take an incandescent lamp with a power of 75 (W), its equivalent is a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) with a power of 15 (W) “Navigator” (Navigator) and a light-emitting diode lamp (LED) with a power of 9 (W) EKF series FLL-A.

All lamps have a standard E27 base.

I selected lamps with the same declared parameters of luminous flux and color temperature.

Declared characteristics of lamps (according to the passport)

Characteristics of incandescent lamp:

rated lamp power - 75 (W)
supply voltage - 230-240 (V)
luminous flux - 935 (Lm)
luminous efficiency - 12.5 (Lm/W)
color rendering index Ra - 100
service life - 1000 (hours)
environmentally friendly - does not contain mercury and other harmful substances
Dimensions (diameter, height) - 50 x 88 (mm)

I calculated the luminous efficiency by dividing the luminous flux (according to the passport) by the rated power of the lamp.

Incandescent lamps are fully compatible with dimming equipment (), electronic switches (for example), various types, etc.

2. Compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) with a power of 15 (W) “Navigator”

Here are its characteristics:

rated lamp power - 15 (W), analogous to a 75-W incandescent lamp
supply voltage - 220-240 (V)
color temperature - 2700 (K) warm white light
luminous flux - 1000 (Lm)
luminous efficiency - 66.6 (Lm/W)
service life - 8000 (hours)
operating temperature - from -25°С to +40°С
environmentally friendly - contains mercury vapor
Dimensions (diameter, height) - 38 x 151 (mm)

The CFL lamp is not compatible with dimming devices, electronic starters or light sensors.

Has the following characteristics:

rated lamp power - 9 (W), equivalent to a 75-W incandescent lamp and a 15-W CFL lamp
supply voltage - 170-240 (V)
color temperature - 2700 (K) warm white light
luminous flux - 800 (Lm)
luminous efficiency - 88.8 (Lm/W)
color rendering index Ra - more than 82
scattering angle - 240°
service life - 40,000 (hours)
environmentally friendly - does not contain mercury and other harmful substances
absence of ultraviolet and infrared radiation
dimensions (diameter, height) - 60 x 110 (mm)
warranty - 2 years

The EKF LED lamp of the FLL-A series is not compatible with dimmers, electronic switches and other similar devices.

I'll tell you a few words about this lamp.

Today, the LED EKF FLL-A series LED lamp is a new product on the lighting products market. Manufacturers confidently claim that it has advantages over LED lamps from other companies.

Firstly, the EKF FLL-A series has a special composite housing made of aluminum and heat-dissipating plastic, which provides good heat dissipation, which means increases the lamp life (in in this case up to 40,000 hours). If you turn on the lamp for only 3 hours a day, then theoretically it should last for 36.5 years.

Let me remind you that the service life of an LED lamp ends when its luminous flux has decreased by more than 30% of the original.

Secondly, it uses highly efficient SMD LEDs from the Epistar brand (Taiwan), which allows you to achieve high level light power - in my example up to 88.8 (Lm/W).

By the way, the EKF lamp of the FLL-A series has a familiar shape and dimensions, comparable to an incandescent lamp (LN). Also, the light flux has a dispersion of 240 degrees, which is very pleasing.

Luminous flux (illuminance) of incandescent, CFL and LED lamps

Luminous flux is one of the main parameters for lamps, by which the power of light (radiation) perceived by a person can be analyzed. It is measured in “lumens” (Lm).

Illumination is the ratio of the luminous flux of a lamp to the area of the illuminated surface. It is measured in “lux” (Lx). It is by the magnitude of illumination that the intensity of illumination of a particular lamp at different points on the surface is determined.

1Lx = 1Lm/1sq.m, i.e. illumination on a surface is equal to 1 (Lx), if a luminous flux of power 1 (Lm) falls on a surface with an area of 1 (sq.m.)

For each type of premises, whether industrial or domestic, there are its own standards and requirements for lighting (see SNiP 23-05-95 “Natural and artificial lighting”).

In my experiment, I will measure the illumination on the surface of the desktop at one point (exactly in the center of the axis) from a lamp rigidly attached to the same table. The distance from the lamp to the table surface is 65 (cm).

I know that according to the methodology, illumination is measured slightly differently and at different points, but all other things being equal, this will be quite enough for me.

As a lux meter, I use a digital photometer (lux meter - brightness meter) TKA - 04/3. This is what he looks like.

The essence of the measurement is as follows. I will screw the lamps into the lamp one by one and measure the illumination on the table surface.

Illuminance measurement at nominal voltage 220 (V)

First, I will measure the illumination on the table surface from each lamp at a nominal supply voltage of 220 (V).

I'll start with a 75 (W) incandescent lamp.

I screw it into the lamp and use a lux meter to record its illumination value. It turned out to be 560 (Lk).

The next CFL lamp is “Navigator” with a power of 15 (W), presented as the equivalent of a 75-W incandescent lamp.

Her result was about 389 (Lk).

The EKF LED lamp of the FLL-A series with a power of 9 (W), presented as an analogue of a 75-W incandescent lamp, showed a result of 611 (Lx).

Illuminance measurement at reduced voltage 180 (V) and 198 (V)

Me in this moment I'm interested in how the luminous flux of lamps changes when the supply voltage decreases. Let's check!!!

Using a laboratory autotransformer (LATR), I will reduce the supply voltage to 198 (V). This is precisely the lower limit of the maximum permissible voltage from 220 (V).

The illumination from an incandescent lamp of 75 (W) at a voltage of 198 (V) was 313 (Lx).

The illumination from the compact fluorescent lamp “Navigator” 15 (W) at a voltage of 198 (V) was 336 (Lx).

The illumination from the EKF 9 LED lamp (W) at a voltage of 198 (V) was 611 (Lx).

For the interest of the experiment, I will reduce the network voltage to 180 (V). Let's see how the lamps behave.

The illumination from an incandescent lamp of 75 (W) at a voltage of 180 (V) was 224 (Lx).

The illumination from the compact fluorescent lamp “Navigator” 15 (W) at a voltage of 180 (V) was 313 (Lx).

The illumination from the EKF 9 LED lamp (W) at a voltage of 180 (V) was 611 (Lx).

In principle, everything is clear with an incandescent lamp and a fluorescent lamp; their luminous flux decreases depending on the level of voltage being reduced. But pay attention to the EKF LED lamp of the FLL-A series. Its luminous flux remains unchanged regardless of voltage reduction.

I became interested and lowered the voltage to 130 (V). Look at the result.

This is simply stunning! Even at 130 (V), the luminous flux of the lamp corresponds to the luminous flux as at a rated voltage of 220 (V).

Illumination measurement at increased voltage 242 (V)

Now, on the contrary, we will increase the network voltage. Using the same laboratory autotransformer (LATR), I will increase the voltage to 242 (V). This is precisely the upper limit of the maximum permissible voltage from 220 (V).

Here are the results.

The illumination from an incandescent lamp of 75 (W) at a voltage of 242 (V) was 666 (Lx). What a “magic” number it turned out to be.

The illumination from the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) “Navigator” 15 (W) at a voltage of 242 (V) was 405 (Lx).

For clarity, I entered the results on illumination from the lamps in question at different voltage levels into one general table:

From the results obtained, the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. A 75 (W) incandescent lamp significantly reduces its luminous flux when the supply voltage is reduced. For example, when the supply voltage was reduced by 10% (198 V), the illumination from the lamp decreased by 44%, and when the voltage decreased by 18% (180 V), the illumination from the lamp decreased by 60%. Conversely, with an increase in supply voltage by 10% (242 V), the illumination from the lamp increased by 19%.

2. The compact fluorescent lamp “Navigator” 15 (W) was declared equivalent to a 75-W incandescent lamp, but with a nominal voltage of 220 (V) it is significantly inferior to it in terms of illumination by as much as 30%. Although, according to the passport, its luminous flux was declared to be the highest - 1000 (Lm) versus 935 (Lm) of an incandescent lamp and 800 (Lm) of an LED lamp.

It turns out that the “Navigator” 15 (W) CFL in question is not the equivalent of a 75-W incandescent lamp, as stated in the passport. Most likely it corresponds to a 40-Watt or 60-Watt incandescent lamp.

Unfortunately, this is not news to me.

I often hear that they replaced all the incandescent lamps in the apartment with CFLs (power equivalence was maintained), and the apartment became “dark.” Now, this experiment confirms my assumptions, so when buying CFL lamps, do not forget about this nuance.

Also, with a CFL, when the supply voltage changes, a change in the luminous flux is observed, but somewhat less than with an incandescent lamp. For example, when the supply voltage was reduced by 10% (198 V), the illumination decreased by approximately 13.5%, and when the voltage decreased by 18% (180 V), the illumination decreased by 20%. Conversely, with an increase in supply voltage by 10% (242 V), the illumination from the lamp increased by only 4%.

3. The EKF FLL-A series LED lamp showed its best performance in this experiment.

Firstly, it has the best value for desktop illumination - 8% more than an incandescent lamp and 36% more than a CFL.

Secondly, when the supply voltage changed from 130 (V) to 242 (V), the illumination of the desktop did not change at all - it remained at the same level. Manufacturers claim that the driver used in this lamp stabilizes the luminous flux regardless of the decrease or increase in voltage. And this is clearly confirmed in the experiments conducted.

Ignition time for incandescent, fluorescent and LED lamps

We already know the illumination of the working surface from the lamps from the first experiment. Therefore, now we will measure the time of complete ignition of the lamps to 100% of the luminous flux, i.e. Let's determine the time after which the lamp reaches its nominal operating mode.

Results:

incandescent lamp 75 (W) - instantly
CFL “Navigator” - 2 minutes
LED lamp EKF - instantly

As you can see, in this experiment the Navigator compact fluorescent lamp is inferior to everyone. Its ignition time was more than 2 minutes.

For an incandescent lamp and an EKF LED lamp, the luminous flux reaches the nominal operating mode from the first seconds.

Color temperature and color rendering index of LN, CFL and LED

Color temperature is the wavelength of a light source in the optical range. It is measured in Kelvin.

A few examples: 1500-2000 (K) - candle flame, 2000 (K) - , 3400 (K) - sun at the horizon, 7500 (K) - daylight.

Color rendering is the visual perception of the same object illuminated by the light source under study (in my case, incandescent, CFL and LED), compared to a reference light source (Sun or absolute “black body”). Dimensionless quantity.

According to the passport data, the color temperature of all three lamps is 2700 (K) - warm white light. The color rendering index for an incandescent lamp is Ra=100, for a CFL it is Ra=70-80, and for an LED it is Ra=82.

I don’t have special equipment (spectrophotometer) to measure color temperature and color rendering index, so we’ll limit ourselves to a visual comparison.

In any case, objects illuminated by an incandescent lamp will have more natural colors than with CFL or LED.

Video for this article:

P.S. To be continued... In the next article, I will take measurements using a thermal imager. Don't miss out - subscribe to the newsletter.