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https://www.facebook.com/theblaze/videos/ [login to see] 70608/
Almost any bulb will last far longer if you never switch it off. Each time you close a circuit, switch it on, there is a surge of electrons much like the surge you experience when you open the valve on a hose (and for much the same reason). Did you ever notice how most bulbs "pop" when you first turn them on?
Almost any bulb will last far longer if you never switch it off. Each time you close a circuit, switch it on, there is a surge of electrons much like the surge you experience when you open the valve on a hose (and for much the same reason). Did you ever notice how most bulbs "pop" when you first turn them on?
TheBlaze
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Basic Electricity and Electronics
Basic Electricity and Electronics
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 4
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This is also true for PCs & laptops. That’s why many companies leave them on overnight.
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Bulb longevity has long been a contention of mine. Especially back when CFLs first came out.
First of all, there is no substitute for a quality product. You wanna buy cheap? Expect cheap results.
For the sake of discussion, let's assume that the power source (the power company) is providing a constant voltage with little or no voltage spikes, and the voltage is between 115 to 120 VAC. This will eliminate any discussion about the adverse effects power spikes and whatnot can have no longevity.
INCANDESCENT BULBS: A tungsten filament which is heated by electricity passing through it.
Quality matters here. Cheap bulbs will behave like cheap products...they're built to lower standards, using lower quality materials. They just don't last long. So buy quality.
Two factors affect incandescent bulb longevity: temperature and vibration.
If you lower the temperature at which the bulb operates, it'll last longer. There are a couple ways to do this:
1. Use bulbs with a higher voltage rating. A bulb designed for 125 Volts, for example, will last longer because it will produce less heat than one designed for 120 Volts. The tradeoff, however, is a slightly dimmer bulb and less efficiency.
2. Install a continuous dimmer switch. Slowly turning on the incandescent bulb, and operating it at a lower voltage, will make it last significantly longer.
Incandescent bulbs, with their tungsten filaments, are sensitive to vibrations. Door slams, rattling from passage of nearby trains, machine vibrations, etc. You can buy rough service bulbs, which have an extra filament to reduce (dampen) vibrations. This can increase bulb life 2 to 10 times.
COMPACT FLOURESCENT LIGHTS (CFLs):
I hate CFLs for a variety of reasons. First of all, many of them (especially when they first came out) simply don't fit regular light sockets because of the shape of their base, which contains the electronic components to light up the bulb. Add to that the fact that CFL designs are NOT conducive to regular indoor house lighting: meaning, they're not actually meant to be turned on and off all the time, like room lights. Finally, when I turn a light on, I want light RIGHT NOW! I don't want to wait several minutes for full brightness!
CFL design, therefore, meant that often times they didn't last any longer than, indeed sometimes they didn't even last as long as, standard incandescent light bulbs. Which sucks...because you're paying several times the cost of an incandescent bulb and getting less out of it.
How to increase longevity:
1. Don't install CFLs in lamp sockets where the base (remember those electronics?) will be exposed to heat. This means don't install them in ceiling fixtures, where the base is above the bulb portion. And make sure they have adequate ventilation, too.
2. Don't turn them on and off all the time. A five minute on/off cycle alone will reduce their life expectancy to that of an incandescent bulb.
3. Don't buy cheap. There's simply MORE components in a CFL which can fail, and buying cheap often means a significantly greater chance they WILL fail...and end up with a life expectancy LESS than that of an incandescent bulb.
4. Don't use them outside unless they're designed for it. Extreme temperature variations (both high and low), as well as high humidity conditions, will radically shorten their lifespan.
LEDs:
I like these. They're more costly...but you can pick from various types of LED bulbs which affect the quality/brightness/color/temperatur of the light emitted, the amount of lumens, size, shape, etc. When you turn them on, they're ON RIGHT NOW. And they use the least amount of power of all the other options out there, not to mention the longest lifespan of them all.
But they have the same electronics weakness that CFLs do: Namely, don't allow the part that contains the electronics to over heat. Make sure they have adequate ventilation and installed such that any heat generated by operation does not flow towards the electronics.
First of all, there is no substitute for a quality product. You wanna buy cheap? Expect cheap results.
For the sake of discussion, let's assume that the power source (the power company) is providing a constant voltage with little or no voltage spikes, and the voltage is between 115 to 120 VAC. This will eliminate any discussion about the adverse effects power spikes and whatnot can have no longevity.
INCANDESCENT BULBS: A tungsten filament which is heated by electricity passing through it.
Quality matters here. Cheap bulbs will behave like cheap products...they're built to lower standards, using lower quality materials. They just don't last long. So buy quality.
Two factors affect incandescent bulb longevity: temperature and vibration.
If you lower the temperature at which the bulb operates, it'll last longer. There are a couple ways to do this:
1. Use bulbs with a higher voltage rating. A bulb designed for 125 Volts, for example, will last longer because it will produce less heat than one designed for 120 Volts. The tradeoff, however, is a slightly dimmer bulb and less efficiency.
2. Install a continuous dimmer switch. Slowly turning on the incandescent bulb, and operating it at a lower voltage, will make it last significantly longer.
Incandescent bulbs, with their tungsten filaments, are sensitive to vibrations. Door slams, rattling from passage of nearby trains, machine vibrations, etc. You can buy rough service bulbs, which have an extra filament to reduce (dampen) vibrations. This can increase bulb life 2 to 10 times.
COMPACT FLOURESCENT LIGHTS (CFLs):
I hate CFLs for a variety of reasons. First of all, many of them (especially when they first came out) simply don't fit regular light sockets because of the shape of their base, which contains the electronic components to light up the bulb. Add to that the fact that CFL designs are NOT conducive to regular indoor house lighting: meaning, they're not actually meant to be turned on and off all the time, like room lights. Finally, when I turn a light on, I want light RIGHT NOW! I don't want to wait several minutes for full brightness!
CFL design, therefore, meant that often times they didn't last any longer than, indeed sometimes they didn't even last as long as, standard incandescent light bulbs. Which sucks...because you're paying several times the cost of an incandescent bulb and getting less out of it.
How to increase longevity:
1. Don't install CFLs in lamp sockets where the base (remember those electronics?) will be exposed to heat. This means don't install them in ceiling fixtures, where the base is above the bulb portion. And make sure they have adequate ventilation, too.
2. Don't turn them on and off all the time. A five minute on/off cycle alone will reduce their life expectancy to that of an incandescent bulb.
3. Don't buy cheap. There's simply MORE components in a CFL which can fail, and buying cheap often means a significantly greater chance they WILL fail...and end up with a life expectancy LESS than that of an incandescent bulb.
4. Don't use them outside unless they're designed for it. Extreme temperature variations (both high and low), as well as high humidity conditions, will radically shorten their lifespan.
LEDs:
I like these. They're more costly...but you can pick from various types of LED bulbs which affect the quality/brightness/color/temperatur of the light emitted, the amount of lumens, size, shape, etc. When you turn them on, they're ON RIGHT NOW. And they use the least amount of power of all the other options out there, not to mention the longest lifespan of them all.
But they have the same electronics weakness that CFLs do: Namely, don't allow the part that contains the electronics to over heat. Make sure they have adequate ventilation and installed such that any heat generated by operation does not flow towards the electronics.
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Unless its a "dim bulb" those damn things last forever and wont shut up..........Oh wait you meant light bulbs :) My bad. On a serious note, I started using LED's a few years ago and while the light on some leaves to be desired (To damn bright) they last a very long time if not overheated. It cut my bill, means I have to reach hard to get places less often and it really lights up the areas.
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