Light Bulb Comparisons

Quick, who invented the light bulb? Thomas Edison, you say? A very popular answer, to be sure. But not the right one!



So how’s your light bulb IQ? Specifically, can you name the most energy-efficient light bulb for your every day, “Around the House” usage? The answer might just surprise you, as will the amount of money you can save by saying “so long” to incandescent bulbs!


The amount of light given off by a light bulb is measured in lumens. One lumen is the equivalent of the light given off by one candle. A watt, on the other hand, is the amount of electricity a light bulb uses to produce light.
That’s an important distinction, because a new 13-watt compact fluorescent light bulb produces as much light (or, as many lumens) as a traditional 60-watt incandescent bulb. As much light, and yet it uses only one-quarter of the electrical energy!

And now that we have your attention…


Incandescent: The usual suspects.
Thomas Edison, while credited with the invention of the incandescent light bulb, was actually beaten to the punch by Sir Joseph Wilson Swan, an English physicist and electrician. Swan produced his first experimental light bulb in 1860 using carbonized paper as a filament. Unfortunately, he didn't achieve complete incandescence, so he turned his attentions to other pursuits. Which is why you’ve probably never heard of him.
More to the point, 90% percent of the energy produced by incandescent bulbs is heat, not light…and that makes them highly inefficient light sources.
While regular incandescent bulbs usually last between 750 to 1,000 hours before burning out, some long-life bulbs last up to 2,500 hours, but are even less energy efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs.

Next Up: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs.
In the mid-1980’s, compact fluorescent light bulbs were introduced as an alternative to both traditional fluorescent and incandescent models.
Compact fluorescent run far more quietly than traditional fluorescent bulbs, and can be screwed into incandescent light sockets. Best of all, they run on a quarter of the energy used by incandescent bulbs, and last ten times longer. Some models even work with dimmer switches. Definitely worth a try, don’t you think?

Today, like always…
…we hope you’ll call on us, no matter what the electrical service need. Act now, and save $50 on the electrical service of your choice…courtesy of your friends at Aux Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electrical. “Around the House,” there’s nobody more reliable.