Since the invention of fluorescent light bulbs, users have been
saving energy with the most efficient small light source available.
Now there are more choices in the color you would like to have in those lamps.
One of the most popular is the full spectrum compact fluorescent bulb. When it comes to lighting up a
space to be like more natural daylight, these are the best choice among all
types of lighting today. They are chosen most often because of the great natural
color which most people prefer along with energy efficiency as well. When compared to
incandescent lighting, these are longer lasting, using much
less energy making them a perfect choice for almost any type of lighting. They
don't have the yellow color of incandescent light either. There are several kinds of
full spectrum compact fluorescent bulb types which include the regular household base, some that are plug-in
types and some short linear bulbs.
As with all fluorescent bulbs, they rely on ballasts inside of the fixtures
or units to make them work. The ballast is important because
it is specific for each type of lamp. You can't change from one type of
fluorescent to another without changing the ballast in most cases.
On a rare occasion there may be a ballast that is made for several different
types such as in the case of some commercial plug-in Sylvania Dulux lamps. Most of the time
though the ballast in the lamp
are matched electrically so it's good to make sure the ballast you have is
the right one for the lamp you choose. Many of you are probably familiar with
the screw base that you would use a regular household light socket. On
these, the ballast is an integral part of the lamp itself. Usually they
are a one-piece unit and when you're done with it, you throw it away. This
is good for home users because you don't have to determine what has gone bad
when it finally does get to the end of its life. You simply replace it
with a complete new bulb that you have.
You can get these in almost any color you want including the more desirable full
spectrum light. The daylight compact fluorescent has special
phosphors that give it a similar color to daylight or natural sunshine. It
produces light the way our eyes naturally use it, giving better visual acuity
and reducing problems like eyestrain. This is one of the biggest complaints with
fluorescent lighting, that it's too stark or irritating. The full spectrum bulb helps reduce these complaints as people get the light that they are
naturally used to in daylight sunshine. But fluorescents can come in many other
colors as well and are identified by their Kelvin temperature. By definition,
virtually all are full spectrum in that they contain some of all colors in their
spectral range. However, the term full spectrum is primarily used when referring
to those lamps that fall into the white to blue/white color temperature range.
Color temperature is measured by a term called Kelvin. 3000 Kelvin would be a
warm tone color, 5000 Kelvin would be a white color and 6500 Kelvin would be a
blue/white color. You'll find a great variety of these for your home in
the regular household base, so you don't have to change out fixtures or table
lamps, simply screw it in and get great daylight color.
With the advent of higher electrical costs, many businesses are looking for ways
to save energy with lighting. Obviously, these
are the perfect choice to replace higher wattage incandescent lamps and save
energy. But why sacrifice color or the look you want when saving energy?
With the products available today, you don't have to. You can get a natural
daylight color while saving energy. You can do this in your home as well. Just look for areas
where you might use incandescent light bulbs and find the right replacement on
our web site. You will find a great reduction in your electrical bill
while still getting the amount of light that you want. Keep an eye out for
electric utility rebates in your area which might be available for these bulbs. This is more true in commercial lighting than it
is for residential as they are a larger user of electricity during the day or
high demand times. If you are a commercial user, then you might see gains in
productivity by using full spectrum compact fluorescent light bulbs, so it's a
good investment for your business too.
Remember that there are many types of full spectrum compact fluorescent bulbs, we describe some
of the most common used in home and commercial lighting here. Keep in mind
that we also stock all the larger or linear types of fluorescent lamps used in
commercial lighting. Whatever type you choose or have, you will be getting
more natural lighting and saving
energy. We have a
large inventory of bulbs for nearly every type of light fixture in
the field. If you need help identifying the bulb you have, our customer
service representatives can help you determine what you have.