Incandescent Lamps
These are the common light bulbs you see in almost every house.
CFL
They are fluorescent lamps for regular home use, and are meant to replace incandescent light bulbs in the long run.
Good User Experience
These bulbs are standard, and can be used for all domestic, commercial and outdoor lighting needs.
The lamps start immediately when switched on and don't flicker. They are also well suited for places where a dimmer control is installed.
Incandescent light bulbs work well in cold weather, and even add heat to the room in cold temperatures. However, they are less convenient in hot climates as they produce a lot of heat.
Regular, integrated CFLs have a warm-up period when they start, so that they take a while to reach their full lighting capacity. They may also flicker noticeably while working, and most models buzz to some extent when switched on.
This effect is more noticeable in quiet environments, such as residential houses, and can be more disturbing in these circumstances.
The non-integrated CFLs provide a better user experience in these aspects, as they are quicker to start and hardly flicker or buzz at all.
CFLs are not particularly good where dimmers are installed. The integrated, dimmable models cost more than the regular models and currently provide a relatively poor dimmed performance.
The non-integrated CFLs are not much better in dimmed installations than the integrated models.
Most people find the light emitted from a dimmed CFL uncomfortable and even sinister.
CFLs also emit Ultraviolet light and may therefore damage paintings or light-sensitive fabrics. In some cases, the UV may even initiate polymer degradation.
The CFLs do not emit heat and their light is perceived as colder. As a result,they do not have the added effect of warming up cold rooms. On the other hand, they are excellent in hot climates where the heat generated from the incandescent light bulbs requires the air conditioning systems to work harder.
Various Use Options
The lamps generate a lot of heat when working - some data states that 90 percent of the energy consumed by incandescent light bulbs ends up as heat rather than light. While this is usually a disadvantage, for some uses this is actually a good thing.
Incandescent lamps may be used for egg-hatching incubators and other animal habitats requiring both heat and light sources. They can also be used as a combination light and heat source in bathrooms, for industrial heating and drying processes, etc.
In colder climates, the heat that escapes from incandescent lamps helps with heating (on the other hand, in hot climates, the lamps make the air conditioning systems work harder).
The Incandescent lamps give light immediately when switched on, and are good for cold temperatures or for places where the lamps are normally turned on and off inside a short period of time (under 15 minutes). They are therefore better suited than CFLs for outdoor lights or for lights activated by motion-sensors.
The incandescent lamps also react well to dimming when required, providing a full range of dimmed light.
Some CFLs will not even start in cold weather unless they are fitted with a special ballast.
Additionally, the CFL lifespan is shortened considerably when they are turned on and off inside a short period of time (under 15 minutes) which renders them useless for lights activated by motion-sensors.
Most CFLs are not well suited for dimmer control. Regular CFLs are useless at dimming which shortens their lifespan and does not provide a good dimming range. For passable dimming you need a type of CFLs called Cold Cathode CFLs, and even those are not usually as good as regular lamps when dimmed.
CFLs may interfere with remote controlled appliances, since the infrared light emitted from the lamps can be interpreted as a signal. This may also affect some cellular phones and means that CFLs may not be suitable for use in some rooms.
Safety
Like all electrical appliances they should be handled with care.
The base is more likely to catch fire as a result of the electrical components overheating. Additionally, CFLs contain mercury. The health risks around mercury exposure when a CFL breaks are not completely clear yet.
In an experiment it was demonstrated that even when following best-practices for cleanup of broken CFLs, a lot of mercury remains in carpets and it is extremely difficult to remove it completely.
It is worth mentioning that CFLs are not likely to break on soft carpets and that as mentioned above - the health risks are not clear yet.
Light Quality
The only down side is that they are not very efficient at producing it, using up to 90 percent of their energy to produce heat instead of light.
For most people, dimmed incandescent light that is perceived as warm and pleasant.
To counter this, some CFLs are manufactured with different technologies that improve the perceived quality of their light, and newer CFLs are closer in 'light temperature' to the incandescent bulbs.
As CFLs age they produce less light than they do at the start of their life. By the end of their lifespan, CFLs usually emit 70-80% of their original light output.
Most people feel that dimmed CFL light is cold and even sinister.
Lifespan
Interestingly, they are very sensitive to the voltage they receive. Reducing voltage, even by a little bit, reduces the light emitted, but also increases lifespan tremendously.
This method is good for light bulbs placed in difficult-to-reach locations such as high ceilings or stairwells, where the amount of light emitted is not that important, but the trouble of replacing a bulb is considerable.
A CFL lifespan will get significantly shorter (and resemble that of an incandescent bulb) if the lamp is repeatedly turned on and off inside a short period of time (under 15 minutes).
Environment
The higher power consumption affects the environment more by requiring more power to be generated and more greenhouse gases to be emitted in places where electricity generation uses fossil fuels.
Incandescent bulbs require less energy in manufacturing than CFLs, but they use more power to operate.
The lower power consumption means they save a lot in greenhouse gases emissions in places where electricity generation uses fossil fuels. On the other hand, CFLs contain mercury which is bad for the environment when it is disposed of, as it creates air and water pollution.
The mercury problem in CFLs is not as bad in areas powered by burning coal. CFLs save energy by using less power, and overall reduce the amount of mercury that gets into the air or water, as coal emits mercury when burned.
Energy Efficiency
This also means that in hot climates, these lamps may increase the energy used by air conditioning systems to offset this heat.
For any given measure of light, the incandescent bulb consumes 3 to 5 times the power that a CFL requires.
Some types of incandescent lamps are coated with a special substance that reflects infrared light back inside the lamp. This coating renders the lamp a bit more efficient and less heat emitting. However, this type is quite rare.
A typical CFL usually requires a third to a fifth of the power used by an incandescent light bulb to produce the same amount of visible light.
Since CFLs use less power for the same amount of light they decrease the overall effects of power generation and are hence 'greener' in this sense.
While it is true that CFLs take more energy to manufacture, they last longer than incandescent light bulbs and are therefore more energy efficient in the long run.
Low Cost
The incandescent bulbs have very low manufacturing costs, which means that they are quite cheap. They usually cost a tenth to a third of an equivalent CFL.
However, these lamps have a shorter lifespan and higher power consumption, which in the long run means higher costs.
While they usually cost three to ten times more than an equivalent incandescent light bulb, the price difference is offset by the CFLs having a longer lifespan and consuming less power, thereby having a lower total cost in the long run.
Non integrated CFLs are more expensive than the integrated type, and require a different light fixture, which contributes to the total cost of the lamp. The non-integrated CFLs have an even longer lifetime than the integrated ones.
CFLs are very cost-effective in commercial buildings when compared to incandescent lamps. This is because those buildings usually have more lamps installed, and the electricity savings over time amount to a considerable sum. Some statistics show that the initial investment in changing the lights from incandescent to CFLs pays itself back within a month.
Incandescent Lamps
CFL
Incandescent Lamps
based on 16 customer reviews
Feel factor: 1
GE Reveal natural lighting bulbsA++
(Score 5/5)
I have replaced all lights in the house over last 2 years with GE reveal. They seem to have a long lifespan and the difference in color is amazing... walls that once were yellow tinted are now white... colors are more vibrant... especially poinsettia plants at Christmas! The rooms seem more lush and vibrant. Whatever room you do first... be sure to replace all the bulbs or else he mixed effect may cancel out the benefit.
Posted on: 2010-01-15
By Matthew M
Helpful index: 100%
100 year old technology
(Score 1/5)
I'm not sure why anyone would buy an incandescent light bulb. They are pretty inefficient compared to the alternatives. They do not last as long as the alternatives and they are many times more expensive to run. In the short term they do have a smaller sticker price, but this is really misleading. A Compact Fluorescent Light CFL will last many times longer. Also in todays world of accelerating climate change we should all be striving to use less energy. Be smart and go buy some energy efficient CFLs instead!
In the United States, a CFL can save over 30 US$ in electricity costs over the lamp's life time compared to an incandescent lamp, and save 2,000 times its own weight in greenhouse gases.
For a given light output, CFLs use 20 to 33 percent of the power of equivalent incandescent lamps. Since lighting accounted for approximately 9% of household electricity usage in the United States in 2001, widespread use of CFLs could save as much as 7% of total US household usage.
If a building's indoor incandescent lamps are replaced by CFLs, the heat produced due to lighting will be reduced. At times when the building requires both heating and lighting, the heating system will make up the heat. If the building requires both illumination and cooling, then CFLs also reduce the load on the cooling system compared to incandescent lamps, resulting in two concurrent savings in electrical power.
While the purchase price of an integrated CFL is typically 3 to 10 times greater than that of an equivalent incandescent lamp, the extended lifetime and lower energy use will more than compensate for the higher initial cost. A US article stated "A household that invested $90 in changing 30 fixtures to CFLs would save $440 to $1,500 over the five-year life of the bulbs, depending on your cost of electricity. Look at your utility bill and imagine a 12% discount to estimate the savings.
Posted on: 2009-11-08
By Barry Moore
Helpful index: 0%
Brings out the colors of woodwork
(Score 5/5)
My home has an extensive amount of red oak woodwork. These bulbs make the wood look substantially deeper and richer. I think that a lot of the mixed reviews here are due to the environment where they are used. I can imagine that the difference is not as noticeable if they are used in a room with white walls and beige carpet. However, when it comes to bringing out the deep, rich colors of woodwork (especially darker woods) these bulbs make a major difference in my home.
Enjoy them while you can still get them - I don't know if GE will have an equivalent product when the U.S. ban on incandescent bulbs begins to take effect in a few years and we are only allowed to buy Obama bulbs.
Posted on: 2009-08-10
By K. Neuheimer
Helpful index: 55.5555555556%
Amazon sent the wrong bulbs
(Score 1/5)
I ordered 100 watt bulbs from Amazon and instead received 60 watt. I don't know why they didn't catch the error since I ordered 4 packs. I don't see where these bulbs are worth the extra cost.
Posted on: 2009-04-08
By DesignerJR
Helpful index: 11.1111111111%
Pleasing light
(Score 5/5)
I'm a fan of Reveal bulbs because they create a much more pleasing spectrum of light in a room and 'reveal' the colors that were distorted by the over abundance of the yellow spectrum in normal incandescent bulbs. I use them for all of my interior lighting (except for a few halogen floods) and they provide very pleasing 'mid day' light. This is a product that is worth the extra cost because the time you spend in your home (which for most people is a significant chunk!) can be dramatically improved with good lighting. To me its like spending the money to get a good monitor for work.
These 60-watt medium base bulbs are perfect for overhead lighting and especially enclosed 'globe' lights that require lower watt bulbs. They really do make a noticeable difference!
Posted on: 2009-02-26
By Nathan Beauchamp
Helpful index: 100%
CFL
based on 9 customer reviews
Feel factor: 2
Bulbs not 60W equivalent
(Score 1/5)
These bulbs are not as bright as they claim. After switching to all CFLs I noticed right away that they were dim. This is compounded over time. My CFLs lost approximately 50% percent of their brightness in the first month. Before anyone questions this I should make you aware that this is the way fluorescent light bulb go out, they dim over time.
I have done research and found out the following:
1. Manufactures are overestimating the brightness of the bulbs.
2. Bulbs are approximately 50% dimmer then Incandescent equivalents.
EX: Incandescent 60W - 126 lux (126 lumen/square meter) CFL 12W ( 60W equivalent) - 77 lux (77 lumen/square meter) as measured by a light meter.
Don't get me wrong. I liked the idea of CFLs, longer life, lower electrical bills, and even though I am no tree hugger they are supposedly better for the environment.
But I now find myself buying more lamps to try to make the room bright enough to read. Does it really save energy if I replace one incandescent bulb with 10 CFLs?
Lets do the math.
1 x 60W bulb = 60W
10 x 13W CFL = 130W
Posted on: 2009-10-12
By D. Claessens
Helpful index: 33.3333333333%
General Electric 97659 13-Watt (60 Watt equiv
(Score 5/5)
Great light from little bulbs. They cost a little more, but are well worth the price.
Posted on: 2009-10-10
By L. Korowicki
Helpful index: 0%
Not a quality product
(Score 1/5)
I bought these bulbs with the idea of going green... little did I know it was going to cost me green.
Within a week and a half two out of the three bulbs I installed have burned out. I double checked and tried screwing them in a bit more just in case they somehow became loose in the fixture. They burned out far too quickly.
2 out of 3 is not acceptable.
I would suggest these are not the bulbs to buy.
Posted on: 2009-08-07
By M. E. Mahan
Helpful index: 66.6666666667%
Energy & electric bill saver!
(Score 5/5)
I ordered this 6 pack of bulbs because the price was just to good to pass on. I had recently purchased some "smart bulbs" and paid a lot more for the 3 count pkg. I must admit I was a bit hesitant but upon receiving my electric bill I am convinced!! I have saved over $50.00 a month so far! I am looking forward to the continued savings. The bulbs put off great light for a fraction of the coat. Thank you, Amazon!!
Posted on: 2009-05-27
By Tina
Helpful index: 0%
1 broken bulb in the package
(Score 3/5)
Well, they are light bulbs, they either work or they don't. Or, in my case, one bulb in the package was broken. The package wasn't crushed during shipment, and the tip that was broke off wasn't in the box, looks like it was packed that way. The only good news here is I found it before I got to the last bulb in the carton.
Posted on: 2009-05-24
By William G. James
Helpful index: 0%
