Have you ever wondered how little attention we pay to the simple everyday things around us? For example, ordinary light bulbs - what are they, how are they different, what are they needed for? I decided to address this issue to a recognized expert in the field of lighting - Philips, and they helped me with the preparation of this material. Want to know everything about lighting? Welcome to the cat!
To begin with, what types of lamps are there?
When you turn on the incandescent lamp, the tungsten wire filament becomes heated (2600 - 3000ºC) by the current passing through it, and it begins to glow. However, only a small part of the consumed electrical energy An incandescent lamp converts into radiation in the visible region of the spectrum, most of which is lost in the form of infrared radiation.
Pros:
- Low cost
- Familiar yellow light
- No flicker
Cons:
- Service life – 1000 hours (about 1 year, but in fact the lamp lasts less and often burns out)
- Thermal radiation
- High energy consumption
Halogen lamps
A halogen lamp is an incandescent lamp with a bulb filled with gas. This device allows the filament to burn brighter. Applying a halogen, particularly bromine, to the inside of the flask avoids the glass becoming less clear over the course of its service life.
Pros:
- saving up to 30% energy
- stable high brightness light
- improved color rendering
- no ultraviolet radiation
Cons:
- strong thermal radiation
- sensitive to voltage surges
- Service life – 2000 – 3000 hours
"Energy saving" (compact fluorescent) lamps
In these lamps, a stream of charged particles passes through a flask filled with mercury vapor, resulting in the formation ultraviolet radiation. A phosphor coating on the inner surface of the lamp converts this radiation into visible light.
Pros:
- saving up to 80% energy
- low heat generation
- wide color range of light radiation
- service life – from 6 to 15 thousand hours
- uniform light distribution
Cons:
- recycling is necessary because they contain mercury and phosphorus (less than 5 mg), they are classified as waste of the first (highest) hazard category and require industrial disposal. For comparison: a home thermometer contains 3,000–5,000 mg of mercury.
- IR and UV radiation
- warm-up phase (up to 1 minute), but Philips produces lamps that only need a few seconds to light up at full power, such lamps have the Quick Start logo.
- relatively high price
- reduced service life due to power surges
- Unstable operation at air temperatures less than 0°C
LED lamps
LED lamps are a high-tech solution based on semiconductor crystals. Instead of using a filament or gas in LED lamps ah light is created as a result of the passage of a stream of charged particles through a semiconductor crystal.
LED structure
There are two main types of LEDs: indicator type and lighting type. Indicator-type LEDs, such as 5mm, are typically low-cost, low-power LEDs suitable for use only as indicator lights in dashboards, electronics, computers, or for backlighting vehicle dashboard instruments. Lighting-type LEDs, also known as surface-mount LEDs (SMD), high-brightness LEDs (HB), or high-power LEDs (HP), are reliable, high-power devices that can provide desired illumination and have a light output equal to or superior to that of traditional light sources.
All lighting type LEDs have the same basic design. These include the semiconductor chip (or die), the substrate on which the die is mounted, contacts for connecting power, connecting leads for connecting the contacts to the die, a heat sink, a lens, and a housing. In some LEDs, such as TFFC LEDs designed Philips Lumileds, no connecting wires are required.
Since indicator-type LEDs are low-power, all the heat generated in them is dissipated within the LEDs themselves. Lighting type LEDs are equipped with a housing that is soldered to the surface, which ensures that the heat generated by the LED is dissipated. Good heat dissipation is vital to ensure proper LED operation.
Pros:
- service life – 25 thousand hours
- energy saving – 80%
- instantly gives bright light
- absence of IR and UV radiation
- no thermal radiation
- quality and brightness luminous flux does not change over time
Cons:
- Relatively high cost of the lamp (299 rubles for a Philips LED lamp, similar to a 60 W incandescent lamp)
Socles
Plinths come in different types and designs. Labeling will help you understand which one is which.
The first letter indicates the type of base. In home lighting the following are mainly used:
- E – threaded base (Edison)
- G – pin base
The number in the base designation indicates the diameter of the connecting part or the distance between the pins.
Lowercase letters at the end indicate the number of contact plates, pins or flexible connections (only for some types):
- s – one contact
- d – two contacts
Sometimes another qualifying letter U is added to the first letter, indicating an energy-saving lamp.
LED lamps for home lighting have standard sockets that fit most sockets used in everyday life.
Threaded base E (Edison)
Base E10- This is the smallest of the threaded plinths. Can be used in Christmas tree garlands or in pocket flashlights.
Base E14– the so-called minions, are most often used in small lamps, sconces and chandeliers. Modern LED lamps are also manufactured in such a base; they can replace any standard incandescent lamp, this will significantly save energy. Light bulbs for such a socket are distinguished by a wide variety of types: pear-shaped, candle-shaped, teardrop-shaped, spherical, mirror and others.
Base E27 – lighting fixtures with such a base are the most common; they fit standard sockets that are installed in every room. LED lamps with such a base are as close as possible to standard and familiar incandescent lamps; they will fit any lamp with a similar socket.
Pin sockets
Base GU10– has thickenings at the ends of the contacts for rotary connection with the cartridge. Standard ceiling lamps have this type of base.
Base GU5.3– most often found in halogen incandescent lamps MR16. This base is for accent lighting, in furniture lamps, in suspended and suspended ceilings. LED lamps with such a base are represented in a fairly wide range, so they can fully replace halogen lamps.
Bulb parameters
First of all, the lamp is characterized by the size power consumption(watt). Incandescent lamps are the usual 40-60 W. The power of LED lamps for household purposes ranges from 1 to 15 W. It is important to understand that power consumption characterizes only the “speed” of electricity consumption from the network, and not the luminous flux, which determines how bright the lamp shines.
Luminous flux measured in lumens and most fully characterizes a light source in terms of its ability to illuminate a room.
Color temperature— a parameter that determines the shade of the color of the lamp radiation. Warm white light corresponds to a color temperature of 2700 - 3500°K (2700 has a noticeable yellow tint and provides cozy lighting, 3500 is closer to white and sharper). A color temperature of 4000 - 5000° corresponds to neutral white light, providing strong and comfortable lighting. 6500° and above is a cool white light, often used for street lighting (since higher luminous efficiency is realized at this color temperature).
Another important parameter - color rendering coefficient, which characterizes the correct perception of the color of objects when illuminated by a lamp. The color rendering coefficient must be indicated on the lamp packaging and for LED sources intended for indoor lighting must be 80 Ra.
An equally important indicator is service life. It is recommended to use lamps from well-known and trusted manufacturers, otherwise the service life may not correspond to the declared one.
Light bulbs and health
Modern companies are conducting a lot of research, studying how lighting affects people's health and well-being. Through this research, new solutions are created. Manufacturers - members of the European Lighting Association, including Philips, produce LED lamps, observing the most stringent legal requirements (and in the European Union they are very strict).
Being indoors illuminated by LED lighting solutions is just as safe as being outdoors with natural light or indoors with any other artificial light source, be it halogen or incandescent.
According to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard 62471, light sources are divided into four risk groups. Sunlight falls into group 2 or 3 (the highest risk for vision). At the same time, LED lamps for home lighting, like others artificial sources lights (incandescent, halogen and compact fluorescent) have the lowest risk score - 0 or 1. Therefore, when you long time If you are outdoors, it is better to always use sunglasses.
The blue part of the spectrum is most harmful to our vision. People who are at risk (too sensitive to this part of the spectrum) should use everyday life LED or compact fluorescent lamps with low color temperature. It is also recommended to give preference to lamps with lampshades.
The future of lighting
LEDs are one of the most promising areas for the development of lighting technologies: due to their unique characteristics, the possibilities for using LEDs are almost limitless.
Given the rapid development of technological progress, it is now difficult to imagine what home lighting will be like, for example, in a hundred years. Assuming that current trends will be reflected in the apartments of the future, the lighting will be energy efficient, dynamic, and will also make maximum use of and complement natural light. Thanks to LED and OLED technologies (organic light-emitting diodes), any surface can serve as light sources: furniture, walls, floors, clothing. For example, Philips luminous wallpapers are already available, they create the feeling that the entire wall is illuminated, and its light modes can change. So, in the morning they can shine with a pleasant white light, and in the evening they can surprise you with a play of shades. OLED plates will be able to replace window glass, which during daylight hours will let in daylight and serve as transparent glass, and at night the thinnest panels will imitate a sunset, dawn or sunny morning.
Modern lighting technologies have significantly expanded, but at the same time complicated the choice of light bulbs for home use. If earlier in 90% of apartments there was little besides ordinary incandescent light bulbs from 40 to 100 W, today there are a great variety of varieties and types of lighting lamps.
Buy in store the right type lamps for a lamp is not such a simple task.
What do you want from quality lighting first of all:
- comfort for the eyes
- energy savings
- harmless use
Type of base
Before purchasing a light bulb, it is first important to determine the required type of base. Most household lighting fixtures use two types of threaded base:
They differ accordingly in diameter. The numbers in the designation indicate its size in millimeters. That is, E-14=14mm, E-27=27mm. There are also adapters for lamps from one lamp to another. 
If the lampshades of the chandelier are small, or the lamp has some specific features, then a pin base is used.
It is designated by the letter G and a number that indicates the distance in millimeters between the pins.
The most common are:
- G5.3 - which are simply inserted into the luminaire connector
- GU10 - first inserted and then turned a quarter turn
The spotlights use the R7S base. It can be used for both halogen and LED lamps. 
The lamp power is selected based on the limitations of the lighting fixture in which it will be installed. Information about the type of base and the power limitation of the lamp used can be seen:
- on the box of the purchased lamp
- on the lampshade already installed
- or on the light bulb itself
Flask shape
The next thing you need to pay attention to is the shape and size of the flask. 
A flask with a threaded base may have:
Pear-shaped ones are designated by the nomenclature - A55, A60; ball ones - with the letter G. The numbers correspond to the diameter.
Candles are marked with the Latin letter - C. 
A bulb with a pin base has the shape:
- small capsule
- or flat reflector
Lighting standards
Lighting brightness is an individual concept. However, it is generally accepted that for every 10 m2 with a ceiling height of 2.7 m, a minimum illumination equivalent of 100 W is required. 
Illumination is measured in lux. What is this unit? In simple words– when 1 lumen illuminates 1 m2 of room area, then this is 1 lux. 
For different rooms the norms are different. 
Illumination depends on many parameters:
- from distance to light source
- colors of surrounding walls
- reflection of light flux from foreign objects
Illumination can be measured very easily using standard smartphones. All you need to do is download and install a special program. For example – Luxmeter (link) 
True, such programs and phone cameras usually lie compared to professional light meters. But for household needs, this is more than enough.
Incandescent and halogen bulbs
The classic and most inexpensive solution for lighting an apartment is the familiar incandescent lamp, or its halogen version. Depending on the type of base, this is the most affordable purchase. Incandescent and halogen bulbs provide comfortable, warm light without flickering and do not emit any harmful substances. 
However, it is not recommended to touch the bulb with your hands for halogen lamps. Therefore, they must come packaged in a separate bag. 
When a halogen light is lit, it becomes very hot. And if you touch its bulb with greasy hands, residual stress will form on it. As a result of this, the spiral in it will burn out much faster, thereby reducing its service life. 
In addition, they are very sensitive to power surges and often burn out because of this. Therefore, they are installed together with soft start devices or connected via dimmers.
Halogen lamps are mostly manufactured to operate from a single-phase network with a voltage of 220-230 Volts. But there are also low-voltage 12-volt ones that require connection via a transformer for the appropriate type of lamp. 
A halogen lamp shines brighter than a regular one, by about 30%, but consumes the same power. This is achieved due to the fact that it contains a mixture of inert gases inside.
In addition, during operation, particles of tungsten elements are returned back to the filament. In a conventional lamp, gradual evaporation occurs over time and these particles settle on the bulb. The light bulb dims and works half as hard as a halogen light bulb. 
Color rendering and luminous flux
The advantage of conventional incandescent lamps is a good color rendering index. What is it?
Roughly speaking, this is an indicator of how much light close to solar light is contained in the scattered flux.
For example, when sodium and mercury lamps illuminate the streets at night, it is not entirely clear what color people’s cars and clothes are. Since these sources have a poor color rendering index - around 30 or 40%. If we take an incandescent lamp, then the index is already more than 90%. 
Currently, the sale and production of incandescent lamps with a power exceeding 100W is not permitted in retail stores. This is done for security reasons natural resources and energy savings.
Some people still mistakenly choose lamps based on the power labels on the packaging. Remember that this number does not indicate how bright it shines, but only how much electricity it consumes from the network.
The main indicator here is luminous flux, which is measured in lumens. This is what you need to pay attention to when choosing. 
Since many of us previously focused on the popular power of 40-60-100W, manufacturers for modern energy-saving lamps always indicate on the packaging or in catalogs that their power corresponds to the power of a simple incandescent light bulb. This is done solely for the convenience of your choice. 
Luminescent - energy saving
Fluorescent lamps have a good level of energy savings. Inside them there is a tube from which the flask is made, coated with phosphor powder. This provides a glow 5 times brighter than incandescent lamps at the same power. 
Luminescent ones are not very environmentally friendly due to the coating of mercury and phosphor inside. Therefore, they require careful disposal through certain organizations and containers for receiving used light bulbs and batteries.
They are also subject to flicker. This is easy to check; just look at their glow on the display through your smartphone camera. It is for this reason that it is not advisable to place such light bulbs in residential areas where you are constantly present.
LED
LED lamps and luminaires different forms and designs are widely used in various spheres of life. 
Their advantages:
- resistance to temperature overloads
- negligible effect on voltage drops
- ease of assembly and use
- high reliability under mechanical loads. There is minimal risk that it will break if dropped.
LED lamps heat up very little during operation and therefore have a lightweight plastic body. Thanks to this, they can be used where others cannot be installed. For example, in suspended ceilings. 
Energy savings from LEDs are greater than from fluorescent and energy-saving ones. They consume approximately 8-10 times less than incandescent lamps. 
If we roughly take the average parameters for power and luminous flux, we can obtain the following data: 
These results are approximate and in reality will always differ, since much directly depends on the voltage level, manufacturer brand and many other parameters.
For example, in the USA, in one fire station, an ordinary incandescent light bulb, which is already more than 100 years old, is still burning. There was even a special website created where you can watch her online through a web camera. 
Filament
Recently, filament lamps have become very popular. This is the same LED, only when turned on it looks like a simple incandescent light bulb. 
This is precisely its feature and advantage, which is widely used in open lamps. 
For example, if we are talking about crystal chandeliers, then when using an ordinary LED lamp in it, because of its matte surface, the crystal will not “play” and shimmer. It shines and reflects light only when the beam is directed.
In this case, the chandelier does not look very rich. The use of filament in them reveals all the advantages and beauty of such a lamp. 
These are all the main types of lighting lamps widely used in apartments and residential buildings. Choose the option you need according to the above characteristics and recommendations, and arrange your home correctly and comfortably.
Unlike conventional incandescent lamps, which differ only in power and workmanship, LED lamps have many parameters that affect the quality and safety of lighting. I will talk about the main parameters of LED lamps and recommend which lamps are best suited for your home.
Power
LED lamps should not be selected based on power - the efficiency of different lamps is different and lamps with the same power can vary greatly in brightness: lamps replacing a regular 60 W pear bulb can have a power from 6 to 10 W, lamps replacing a 40 W "candle" can have a power from 4 to 7 W.
Power equivalent
Most LED lamp manufacturers indicate the equivalent wattage of an incandescent lamp. For example, the packaging may indicate that the lamp has a power of 6 W and shines like a 60 W incandescent lamp. Some manufacturers indicate this equivalent rather incorrectly, so I recommend that you always pay attention not to the power equivalent, but to the luminous flux.
Luminous flux
The brightness of a lamp, or rather the amount of light that a lamp gives, is determined by the “luminous flux” parameter, measured in lumens (lm).
For ordinary lamps (pears, candles), you can approximately estimate the required luminous flux by multiplying the power of a conventional incandescent lamp by 10: 40 W - 400 lm, 60 W - 600 lm, 100 W - 1000 lm. So, if you're looking to buy an LED bulb to replace a 60-watt incandescent bulb, look for bulbs with a lumen output of at least 600 lumens.
Unfortunately, many manufacturers overestimate the luminous flux value. In reality, it may even be half as low as stated, and a lamp that should shine like a 60-watt incandescent lamp will only shine like a 25-watt one. The actual luminous flux values can only be determined from the results of independent testing.
Color temperature
Incandescent lamps emit a warm yellowish light with a color temperature of 2700-2800K. If you want an LED lamp to produce light as similar as possible to incandescent lamp light, choose lamps with a color temperature of 2700-2800K. Many LED lamps have a color temperature of 3000K - this is whiter, but no less comfortable light. Light from lamps with a color temperature of 4000K is called “neutral white”. This light is more suitable for office spaces. It is believed that white light helps improve performance, and yellow light helps to relax and unwind, so at home in the evening the light should be warm with a color temperature no higher than 3000K. Lamps with cool white light 5000K and above are intended for use in utility rooms. There is no place for them at home.
Voltage
LED lamps are produced that operate from a 220-230 V network and from 12 volt power sources.
LED lamps use drivers (electronic boards installed in the lamp base) different types. Many lamps use stabilized drivers. The brightness of such lamps does not change when the network voltage fluctuates within very large limits. Some of the lamps shine equally brightly when the mains voltage is reduced from 230 to 70 volts. Unfortunately, manufacturers often do not indicate the actual voltage range: the lamp packaging may say 220-240 V or 230 V, but in reality the lamp burns at a much lower voltage.
12 volt lamps are available with sockets E27, E14, GU5.3, G4 and can operate on both direct and alternating voltage. Most microlamps with a G4 base and some spot lamps with a GU5.3 base, when operating on alternating voltage, have a very high light pulsation, which is harmful to the eyes and well-being in general. In order to avoid pulsation of such lamps, you will have to replace the transformers with DC power supplies.
Color rendering index (CRI, Ra)
The light of an LED lamp differs from the light of an incandescent lamp in terms of spectrum. Although the light appears white, it contains more of some color components and less of some. The color rendering index shows how uniform the level of different color components in light is. At low Ra, shades are less visible. Such light is visually unpleasant, and it is very difficult to understand what is wrong with it. Incandescent and solar lamps have Ra above 98, good LED lamps have more than 80, very good ones have more than 90. It is better not to use lamps with Ra below 80 in residential areas.
Unfortunately, some manufacturers overestimate Ra: on the box they write Ra > 80, but in fact it only slightly exceeds 70 and it is better not to use such lamps in residential premises.
Working with a switch with an indicator
Many LED lamps do not work correctly with switches that have an indicator light or LED. When the switch is turned off, these lamps flash or glow dimly. Only a few manufacturers indicate whether their lamps work with such switches.
Dimmer support
Most LED lamps cannot work with brightness controls (dimmers), but special dimmable LED lamps are available that support brightness adjustment. These lamps work with most conventional incandescent dimmers, but the minimum dimming level can be quite high (about 20%). In order for lamps to be dimmable to reduce brightness to almost zero, it is necessary to use special dimmers for LED lamps.
Light pulsation
Light pulsation leads to eye fatigue and a general deterioration in well-being, so it is very important to use only those lamps that do not have visible pulsation. According to SNIP for various types indoors, the pulsation of light is normalized in the range of 5-20%; in fact, pulsation up to 35% is invisible to humans. Only some manufacturers write “pulsation-free” on the packaging of lamps. Other lamps may have a low ripple level, but this is not indicated in the lamp parameters. The presence of pulsation can be checked using the “pencil test” or by looking at the light of the lamp through a smartphone camera (if there is pulsation, stripes will be visible on the screen).
Illumination Angle
Conventional incandescent lamps shine in all directions, while halogen spots provide a narrow beam of light. With LED lamps everything is more complicated.
Many LED lamps that replace conventional incandescent lamps have a hemisphere-shaped cap of the same diameter as the body. Such lamps practically do not shine back and if they are directed downward, the ceiling will remain dark, which can be uncomfortable. Fortunately, recently many lamps have appeared whose transparent cap is larger than the body and due to this the lamp shines a little backwards.
LED filament lamps have the same wide illumination angle as conventional incandescent lamps.
Most LED spots (lamps for suspended ceilings with sockets GU10 and GU5.3) shine with diffused light with an angle of about 100 degrees and are blinding because the angle is too wide (halogen spots give a narrow beam of light with an illumination angle of about 30 degrees). Only some LED spots have the same narrow illumination angle as halogen lamps. Such lamps are easy to recognize by the presence of lenses in front of the LEDs.
Lamp type
In a conventional LED lamp, several LEDs are covered with a cap (usually frosted). Sometimes you can still find outdated corn lamps, the entire surface of which is covered with many small LEDs, reminiscent of corn kernels on the cob. A new type of LED lamps is filament lamps (or LED filament lamps). Such lamps are very similar in appearance to incandescent lamps - they have a glass bulb and a wide lighting angle. Inside the lamp there are LED filaments - ceramic or metal plates on which many small LEDs are placed in a row.
Such lamps are more efficient than conventional lamps (they produce more than 100 Lm/W) and their light is as similar as possible to the light of incandescent lamps. Most filament lamps are clear, but some are matte. The disadvantage of such lamps is their lower service life compared to conventional LED lamps.
Service life
Manufacturers indicate lamp life from 10,000 to 50,000 hours. In fact, no one knows how long a lamp will actually last, because technology is improving very quickly and all service life is calculated theoretically. I recommend paying attention not to the indicated service life, but to the warranty period, during which you can exchange a lamp that has failed.
Guarantee
All LED lamps have a warranty of 1 to 5 years. Stores are required to replace lamps under warranty during this period if they fail. In addition, according to the consumer protection law, you can return the lamps to the store within 14 days after purchase if you do not like them, provided you have intact packaging and, if possible, a receipt.
How to choose good lamps
Selecting LED lamps is not an easy task. Even from the most famous manufacturers, there are lamps with unacceptably high pulsation. Some manufacturers have some good lamps, and some not so much. In order to know exactly which lamps are good and which are not, I created a project for independent testing of LED lamps http://lamptest.ru. I test lamps and publish the results of measuring all the main parameters. Now more than 1000 models of lamps from 75 brands have been tested and the work continues. Therefore, the easiest choice is to find the lamp you are interested in on lamptest and look at its measured parameters:
The ripple factor should not exceed 35% (or better, it should be less than 10%);
The color rendering index must be at least 80 (for utility rooms it is possible from 70);
The luminous flux must be no less than that of the incandescent lamp that you want to replace with LED;
If you have a switch with an indicator, make sure the lamp can operate correctly with it.
If you have a dimmer installed, make sure the lamp is dimmable;
If you choose spotlights, pay attention to the lighting angle. Lamps with an angle of more than 50° will be blinding when installed in the ceiling of a large room.
If the lamp you are interested in is not yet available on lamptest.ru, I recommend following the following selection criteria:
If the package says “no pulsation”, there is a high probability that the pulsation of the lamp light will be less than 5%. If this is not indicated and it is possible to turn on the lamp, look at its light through the camera of your mobile phone. There should be no stripes across the screen. Try twirling a pencil or other long object in front of the lamp. If the contours of a pencil are blurred, there is no pulsation; if you see “several pencils,” there is a visible pulsation and such a lamp is not worth buying.
See what the skin of your hand looks like under the light of a lamp. If the color is grayish, the lamp has a low color rendering index and it is better not to buy it.
Compare the brightness of the lamp with the brightness of an incandescent lamp or other lamp whose brightness you know. A rough comparison can be made using the light sensor of most Android smartphones. Install any light meter application (for example Sensors Multitool and select “light” there). The sensors of all smartphones are not calibrated, so the values of all smartphones will be completely different, but for comparison this is not important. Take a matte lamp at home in advance of the same shape as the one you want to buy, launch the application and lean the smartphone with the sensor against the lamp (the sensor is located above the screen on the left or right, bring it to the top of regular lamps and to the center of the side of candle lamps). Write down the resulting value. In the store, turn on the lamp, wait at least a minute (as LED lamps warm up, they lose up to 12% of their brightness), launch the application and place the sensor against the lamp. Compare the value with what you measured at home. Now you will know almost exactly whether the measured lamp is brighter than the one that was measured at home, or dimmer.
Pay attention to the production date of the lamp (for most lamps it is indicated on the body). If a lamp was released more than two years ago, it is better not to buy it - progress is very fast and modern lamps are better than those that were produced before.
Please note the warranty period. If the warranty is long (3-5) years, the probability of lamp failure is much less.
After purchasing, take a photo of the receipt. If the lamp fails, this photo will help you get it replaced under warranty if the regular receipt gets lost or fades.
I wrote this article for Yandex Market. Hope it helps a large number People can't go wrong with choosing good LED lamps.
As the name suggests, the light source in LED lamps is miniature electronic devices - LEDs. In conventional incandescent lamps, light is emitted by a red-hot metal coil. In energy-saving lamps, light is emitted by a phosphor, which is applied to inner surface glass tube. In turn, the phosphor glows under the action of a gas discharge.
Before moving on to the LED lamps themselves, let’s briefly consider the features of each type of lamp.
Incandescent lamp The structure is very simple: a spiral of refractory metal is fixed inside a transparent glass flask, from which the air is evacuated. Going through the spiral electric current heats it to a high temperature, at which the metal glows brightly.
The advantage of such lamps is their low price. However, it is compensated by an equally low efficiency: less than 10% of the electricity consumed by the light bulb is converted into visible light. The rest is uselessly dissipated in the form of heat - the light bulb gets very hot during operation. In addition, the service life of the device is very short and amounts to approximately 1,000 hours.
Compact fluorescent lamp, or CFL(this is the exact name of an energy-saving lamp), with the same brightness of light, it consumes about five times less electricity than an incandescent lamp. CFLs are more expensive and have several significant disadvantages for the consumer:
- it takes quite a long time (several minutes) to light up after switching on;
- the lamp with its curved glass bulb looks unaesthetic;
- The CFL light flickers, which is hard on the eyes.
LED lamp consists of several LEDs mounted in one housing with a power supply. You can’t do without a power supply: LEDs require power to work DC with a voltage of 6 or 12 V, in a household electrical network - alternating current with a voltage of 220 V.
Photo by the author The lamp body is most often made in the form of a familiar “pear” with a screw base. Thanks to this, LED lamps can be easily installed in a regular socket.
Depending on the LEDs used, the emission color of LED lamps may vary. This is one of their advantages.
| Incandescent lamp | Energy saving | LED | |
| Emission color | Yellow | Warm, daytime | Yellow, warm white, cool white |
| Power consumption | Big | Medium: 5 times less than incandescent lamps | Low: 8 times less than incandescent lamps |
| Service life | 1 thousand hours | 3–15 thousand hours | 25–30 thousand hours |
| Flaws | High heat | Fragile, takes a long time to burn | Low maximum power |
| Advantages | Low price, work in a wide range of conditions | Relatively economical and durable | Very economical and durable |
Advantages of LED lamps:
- very low energy consumption - on average eight times less than incandescent lamps of similar brightness;
- very long service life - they work 25–30 times longer than incandescent lamps;
- almost do not heat up;
- radiation color - optional;
- stable lighting brightness even with fluctuations in supply voltage.
The main advantage of LED lamps is their efficiency. It is expected that due to low energy consumption and long service life, LED lamps will significantly reduce lighting costs.
The price of LED lamps at the time of writing was approximately three times higher than conventional lamps. Consequently, in monetary terms they are 50–100 times more economical. Of course, these savings will be achieved provided that the lamp fully fulfills its promised service life and does not burn out prematurely.
The disadvantages of LED lamps limit their scope of application:
- uneven light distribution - the power supply built into the case obscures the light flux;
- a frosted bulb looks ugly in glass and crystal lamps;
- The brightness of the glow, as a rule, cannot be changed using a dimmer;
- unsuitable for use at very low (in the cold) and high (in steam rooms, saunas) temperatures.
What to consider when choosing an LED lamp
LED lamps have many characteristics. This makes it harder to get it right. Let's figure out what exactly the different characteristics mean.
Photo by the author Supply voltage
If the voltage in your apartment or house is unstable, you need to choose lamps that can operate in a wide voltage range. This is always indicated on the packaging. Unlike incandescent lamps, LED lamps burn as brightly at reduced voltage as at normal voltage.
Emission color
Color is characterized by color temperature, which is measured in Kelvin: as color temperature increases, light changes from yellow to blue. In most cases, the color of the radiation is indicated on the packaging and lamp body in degrees and in the words:
- warm (2,700 K) - approximately corresponds to the radiation of an incandescent lamp;
- warm white (3,000 K) - considered optimal for residential premises;
- cold white (4,000 K) - for and production premises; close to daylight.
There are lamps with variable color: when you switch the mode, the emission spectrum of such a lamp changes.
It must be borne in mind that many people do not perceive the blue part of the spectrum well, so the cold light of the lamps will seem dim to them. So, if you decide to install cold-spectrum lamps in your home, choose them with a power reserve.
Power
The packaging of LED lamps indicates their luminous flux and power of incandescent lamps similar in brightness. The actual power consumption of LED lamps is on average 6–8 times less. For example, a 12-watt LED bulb is as bright as a regular 100-watt bulb. This ratio can be used when choosing an LED lamp to replace an incandescent lamp.
However, an unpleasant surprise may await you here: the declared power may not correspond to the actual power, and the lamp will shine weaker than expected.
In addition, the brightness of LEDs decreases over time. It is possible that the light bulb will have to be changed long before its service life expires due to the fact that it has become too dim.
Other Important Points
- Dimensions. LED lamps are slightly larger in size than similar incandescent lamps. Therefore, they may simply not fit in small lampshades.
- If your lamp is switched on with a dimmer, you need appropriate bulbs. The packaging should indicate that the lamp is adjustable.
- The color rendering index of LED lamps is low: this means that they somewhat distort the visual perception of colors. In some cases, such as when photographing with LED light, this can be important.
Strategy for switching to LED lamps
The prospect shouldn't make you lose your head. Don’t rush to run to the store and buy light bulbs for all the lamps in the house at once. It is advisable to be guided by two principles.
- Replace only high power lamps - 60 W or more. The savings from replacing low-power lamps will be small, and the cost of a new lamp may not be recouped.
- Replace lamps in lamps that have the longest burning time during the day: for example, in chandeliers in living rooms. It makes no sense to change a light bulb in some utility room, the light in which comes on occasionally and not for long.
You should not expect that energy consumption will decrease significantly.
The main consumers of electricity in everyday life are various types of heating devices: iron, electric kettle, washing machine and especially the electric stove. According to several people interviewed, the energy bill after switching to LED bulbs decreases by somewhere between 15-25%.
Another tip: do not buy many lamps of the same brand at once, first take one or two to try. The fact is that lamps with the same color temperature from different manufacturers can differ greatly in the light they emit. What if the spectrum of these particular lamps is unpleasant to you? It's better to try.
Conclusion
LED lamps, compared to traditional incandescent lamps, are a fundamentally new solution for lighting.
Just a few years ago they were a very expensive technical novelty, but today their price is already comparable to the price of other types of lamps. As for the characteristics, LED lamps are noticeably superior to previous lighting devices. The verdict is clear: the transition to LED lamps is completely justified.
The idea of switching to LED (in common parlance - “ice”, from the abbreviation LED, Light Emitting Diode) lamps for home use is gradually winning the minds of consumers. The process, it should be noted, is proceeding at a decent speed - the era of brutal prices is already behind us, the price gap between LED and energy-saving lamps has today narrowed to an acceptable level. Maybe it's time?
Sylvania LED lamps
Quite a lot has been written about the advantages of such lamps; at 3DNews we already examined all the main technical aspects of these difficult electronic devices. LED lamps have many advantages: almost eternal operation (up to 50,000 hours), environmental friendliness, and energy consumption tending to zero... only they don’t brew coffee.
The most interesting thing is that almost all of this is indeed true, but with some reservations and point by point. However, when listing the advantages, it is customary to diligently hush up the disadvantages, which, unfortunately, even such super-wonderful lamps have.
⇡ Cons
For example, service life. 50 thousand hours is an ideal, which is currently unattainable, at least because no one can practically confirm whether the lamps of a particular brand and series of the manufacturer today will burn continuously for almost six years without shutting down.
Next is the color spectrum of the glow. Unfortunately, not all manufacturers can really provide honest “warm” light with a temperature of about 2700-3000K. As a result, you can buy both 6000-kelvin monsters with an unearthly dazzling white light that fades to blue, and lamps that give a dull yellow light. Not warm, but bright yellow. Many Chinese manufacturers are guilty of this today, but we’ll get to that today.
GU10 form factor spotlight
As for form factors and in general appearance LED lamps are produced for all the most common sockets: E27, E14, GU10 and MR16. Moreover, there are options with a light-scattering bulb, and simply with “naked” LEDs on the top of the head, and even unusual-looking “corn lamps”. Here it’s a matter of taste and area of application: if the lamp is hidden by decorative lampshades or just covers, even a simpler option with open LEDs will do. For chandeliers, the choice with bulbs and reflectors looks more decent.
And here is the notorious “corn lamp”
The disadvantage of lamps with a flat surface is that the angle of scattered light is not wide enough, generally no more than 120 degrees. They are usually intended for spot lighting (for example, in the bathroom) to replace traditional halogen lamps. Lamps with a bulb are generally free from this drawback, and even manufacturers of simple “LEDs” have already realized this, which now gives new lamps the appearance of a traditional incandescent lamp. By the way, the same cannot be said about energy-saving lamps - they are also compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), which still look like ugly spirals.
⇡ Pros
The advantages of LED lamps are numerous, significant and obvious. Firstly, low electricity consumption: the average power of an LED lamp is from 1 to 7 W. Secondly, an even luminous flux and full power from the very first second (no need to wait several minutes for the lamp to warm up, unlike many CFLs). Thirdly, and importantly, unlike CFLs, LED lamps are much more environmentally friendly: if you drop and break such a lamp, you will have to worry about the toxic fumes of dangerous chemicals, as in the case old lamp, you won't have to.
When choosing LED lamps, you also need to pay attention to the aperture ratio, expressed in lumens. Most lamps provide an average of no more than 250-400 lumens, and this is enough only if a small room is illuminated without pretensions to the quality of lighting in every corner, for example, table lighting or a toilet (though in the latter case, minus those who like self-education in this cozy office) . In old Russian kitchens you can also still see antediluvian single-arm lamps: away with them! If the chandelier has 3-6 arms, this issue can be safely ignored.
Externally, this OSRAM LED lamp is distinguished by the absence of a radiator
In terms of reliability, alas, everything is still about the same as with energy saving lamps: in theory, tens of thousands of hours, but in practice everything directly depends on the crankiness of the assembly, on the quality of the original components and, in total, on the integrity of the manufacturer. In other words, it will have to be checked in practice.
Don't be surprised if one lamp lasts a long time, but another from the same batch fails within a few weeks. Therefore, it is with such lamps that the notorious warranty comes to the fore: when purchasing, make sure that the free replacement under warranty of a failed lamp is at least a year. Even better - three or more, but this is for serious brands like OSRAM or Philips.
⇡ Brands and “China”
At the dawn of the popularity of LED lamps (and the dawn was only one and a half to two years ago), inexpensive “seven-buck” light bulbs in Chinese online stores like Banggood or DX.com were in great demand, since in ordinary “offline” stores they cost 2 -4 times more expensive, and that’s at least.
Any Chinese online store will offer a variety of corn
But it’s not for nothing that they say that the miser pays twice: these are the Chinese light bulbs, unfortunately, from good quality did not suffer, and failed (and continue to fail) even earlier than other energy-saving ones. They could go out in a month or six months. And there are a lot of problems - complete chaos in the quality of light, complete unpredictability of the color temperature of light even in one batch. You could easily have been sent “cold” instead of the “warm white” you ordered, and headache regarding the replacement of goods would take weeks.
LED lamp on E27 base without bulb
As for brands, we repeat, in terms of reliability it is too early to talk, too little time has passed since the cost of such lamps became cheaper and mass use, too little practical information has been accumulated. Here, apparently, you will also have to check everything from your own experience. For example, my experience says that IKEA sold excellent CFL lamps (albeit with a slow starter) that last up to seven years (in fact: tested on myself), and it is quite possible that the Swedish concern orders LED lamps that are no worse. And, of course, the aforementioned OSRAM and Philips.
But you can get by with nameless Chinese ones for 90-150 rubles in online stores, or with the Russian Cosmos brand for the same price. Their CFL lamps were not distinguished by quality and reliability, but they were cheap. Chinese lamps purchased in Russia are preferable to the same ones purchased from DX.com: at least because for warranty service you do not have to wait for weather by the sea for a month or more.
Don't neglect Russian manufacturers: Recently, individual companies have ensured high stability of their products and thus demonstrate a significant interest in increasing customer confidence. Over time, we will definitely return to this topic and try to study LED light bulbs from various domestic companies in more detail.
Russian LED lamps "Era"
To summarize, we can summarize the following. Of course, even now the transition to LED lamps is already economically profitable (unlike last year), their cost is already more or less acceptable, and the price/quality balance, as usual, is something everyone decides for themselves. However, final, more or less reliable statistics on the reliability of LED lamps from different manufacturers will have to wait.