Fluorescent lamps

The market for electrical products is huge. Each customer can choose what suits him the most. Fluorescent lamps are often purchased - a relative novelty among similar products.

Until recently, buyers were actively interested in energy-saving lamps. These devices are so called because they are more economical than incandescent lamps. They fit almost all chandeliers, therefore they are popular. In addition to this characteristic, the product has a lot of advantages that play an important role in the purchase.

So these lamps:

• Significantly reduce energy consumption. Buyers will notice the difference with incandescent bulbs after they receive their "payment" for the light at the end of the month.
• They serve for a very long time. The lamp can work for about 15 thousand hours. But this is very individual, since some devices shine longer, some less.
• They practically do not heat up. It is quite difficult to get a burn.
• These devices are much cheaper than LED ones, but more expensive than incandescent lamps. It is worth noting that using a fluorescent lamp is a more economical option than others. One such device can last longer than a dozen incandescent lamps - despite the fact that the cost will be 1 in 10.

But these lighting fixtures are not without drawbacks. For some, they will serve as an excuse to refuse to use, but for others, the advantages will still outweigh.

The cons are as follows:

• It is based on ultraviolet light, but its effect is excluded, since the intensity is thousands of times lower than that of sunlight.
• Unlike incandescent lamps and LED devices, the scope of application of such devices is more limited.
• Compared to LED - such devices are more fragile.

You can choose a lamp for any interior, since modern manufacturers offer a variety of shapes and product characteristics. Modern models come in different sizes, capacities.

The longer the tube, the greater its power. If we compare the spiral and U-shaped options, then they will be equal in power, although the first option is more compact.

This indicator is measured in kelvin. Typically, this value is indicated on the package with the lamp. The warmest white light has a temperature of 2700 K, just warm white (TB) - 3000 K. Natural light (E) - 4000 K, cold white (CB) - more than 5000 K. This is the so-called daylight.

If the characteristic is below 5000 K, then the light will turn out with a reddish tint. If the temperature exceeds 5000 K, then the color of the light will turn green.

A very important indicator, without knowing which it is difficult to find a suitable light bulb, since there is a risk of buying a product with a too large or small base. The material from which the lamps are made is the same, but there is a difference in size. An indication of which base is required is on the chandelier.

Usually lamps and chandeliers are divided into several categories (by the size of the base):

1. A 2D base / plinth is used for decorative lighting. It can also be used as an airtight one in shower rooms. But in such rooms you can often find a G23 base.
2. This same type of G23 is used in wall lights, not just in bathrooms.
3. In domestic conditions, the most common are the socles 2G7, G24Q1, G24Q2, G24Q3. They are also found in industrial conditions.
4. Spotlights provide maximum energy savings. Their base is usually G53.
5. The most popular and common base is the E27. It is designed for a common cartridge that is used everywhere.
6. Bulbs with an E14 base are screwed into a smaller cartridge, it is used a little less often.
7. The large E40 base is less common, but sometimes lamps are required with it.

The lamp packaging is marked. Before buying, it is important to know what the letters in the marking mean. It consists of four letters and numbers (from which you can determine the power). The first letter means the type of product: for example, L is a lamp. The second indicates the color of the light:

1. L - luminescent;
2. D - daylight;
3. UV - ultraviolet.

There are several varieties with white light. The most common are cold white, white, warm white, natural white. In the marking, they will be marked with the letters HB, B, TB and E.

There are red, blue, green options. In such cases, the marking is also based on the first letter of the color.

The third letter is the color quality, and the fourth is the design feature:

• R - reflex;
• U - the tube or flask has a U-shape;
• K - annular or round;
• A - amalgam (rare now);
• B - there is a quick start option.

Such lamps can be used at temperatures from -15 to +40 degrees. Serviceable undamaged light bulbs are absolutely safe for humans. But at the same time, the class of waste to which they belong is toxic. This is due to the fact that the flask contains mercury vapors that are dangerous to living beings.

To dispose of the used lamp, you must take it to a designated collection point. This way you can protect the environment from the effects of harmful compounds.

Under no circumstances should the lamps be broken. If this happened by accident, then the fragments should be collected as carefully as possible, wearing a mask and gloves before this. For a thorough collection, it is best to use a vacuum cleaner.

These bulbs last three to five times longer than conventional incandescent bulbs. For each type of lamp, this indicator is individual and starts from three thousand hours. Most often they work from ten thousand hours. The term is influenced by the ambient temperature, product quality, frequency of switching on and off.

It so happens that a very high-quality device, with proper care, lasts up to twenty thousand hours. However, it so happens that devices fail after a little over two thousand hours of operation. In order to extend the service life, you should not turn the device on and off more than five times a day. But you also don’t need to leave it on for a long time.

A typical fluorescent lamp consists of:

1. glass cylindrical flask;
2. glass leg;
3. electrodes;
4. contact pins;
5. base;
6. shtengel (this is the name of the hole through which air is pumped out of the flask);
7. inert gas;
8. drops of mercury;
9. phosphor.

The product will have either a bulb or a tube, depending on the model. The number of plinths is one or two, also depending on the model. The electrodes are located inside, and the inside of the lamp is covered with a phosphor.

When electricity is applied, a discharge occurs between the electrodes, a current flows through the gas, and ultraviolet radiation appears.

There are a lot of types of fluorescent lamps.

There are different classifications - for example, according to what color the light of the lamp is. They come in cold white, warm light. Fluorescent lamps are popular.

For special rooms, explosion-proof, moisture-proof, dust-and-moisture proof lamps are chosen.

Thanks to modern technologies, devices have appeared on the market with motion sensor... It is very convenient. Such options are especially often preferred by those who regularly forget to turn off the light when leaving the room. But most often, such devices are installed in the entrances in order to save common house electricity. They turn on only when someone enters the room.

Another modern device - options with dimmer... Dimmers have been used for a very long time. They were designed for use with incandescent lamps. They received a new round in development precisely in modern times. A dimmer is a special device that adjusts the brightness of the lighting.

When dimmers first appeared, they were practically the only way to save energy. Now energy-saving lamps cope with this task. Dimmers, on the other hand, are now primarily aimed at making accents in the lighting design of the room. It becomes possible to adjust the light to suit different needs.

It is important to note that not every light bulb is designed to work in conjunction with a dimmer. This possibility should be indicated on the package.

Sometimes you can find an outdated model with ballast. It allows you to reduce the current value to the required level so that the structure does not fail.

The second option is more preferable, since such lamps practically stop flickering. In addition, the noise level that the device emits is significantly reduced. Such a hum is familiar to many who have at least once been, for example, in old clinics.

Fluorescent lamps vary in shape.

Linear lamps can be U-shaped or ring-shaped. According to GOST-6825-64, such devices must have a diameter of 38 mm. Thanks to this very parameter of the bulb, it is possible to ignite such a lamp even at low temperatures.

Separately, it must be said about compact fluorescent lamps. These lamps have a curved bulb shape to fit into smaller luminaires. In this way, a complete replacement of incandescent lamps with fluorescent lamps can be achieved.

Since such lamps are often used as decorative ones, you can find black, yellow, red, blue options. Colored lighting will refresh the look of the room, giving it mystery and romance. It helps to tune in a certain way. Thanks to the ability to choose interesting color solutions, such bulbs are very popular.

However, the most popular colors are the more natural ones.

In electrical stores, you can most often find the following options:

1. Cold bluish. Their second name, which is better known and recognizable, is "fluorescent lamps". These options are good for office spaces or home offices. In addition, this color is used in table lamps. It allows you to tune in to the working mood, and also with its help you can more accurately see the shades.
2. Warm. Their peculiarity is that they provide a calm yellowish light that is very pleasing to the eye. Such devices are well suited for living rooms, as the light is ideal for relaxation. In this light, the room seems more comfortable and relaxing.
3. White lamps Is an intermediate option between the other two. They are popular with those who prefer something in between. This lamp color is divided into two types: neutral white and cold white.

It is the fluorescent lamps that are used for the light design of the room - because of the wide variety of shades. Using such lighting devices, very interesting decorative solutions can be realized. Designers can leverage the latest in electrical products to create great interiors that are enjoyable to live in and enjoy.

Such lighting fixtures come in different shapes as they are used in different conditions. The following options can be distinguished:

1. U-shaped;
2. thin single-pin;
3. medium - with two pins;
4. closed;
5. with double female connector;
6. round annular.

Long tubular options are often found in various institutions; such lamps are rarely used at home.

The size of a fluorescent lamp depends on many factors. First of all - from belonging to one type or another. The T5 flask has a diameter of 16 mm, and the T6 is 26 mm. In everyday life, mainly compact, miniature, short lamps are used, while longer versions are used in industry and public institutions.

Compact lamps can be sized from 27 × 13 × 135 to 27 × 13 × 235. Miniature lamps must have indicators that correspond to GOST 15150-69. Short lamps can be fitted with an E27 base to fit most luminaires used in home lighting.

Luminaires can be divided into two large groups: ceiling and furniture.

• Furniture devices are most often wireless. They are powered by batteries or accumulators, so they do not need to run electrical wires that are ugly sticking out of, for example, a wardrobe.
• Ceiling devices are built into suspended or stretch ceilings. The best way to install such fixtures is to hang them on trunking light boxes.

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The luminaires can be divided into one-lamp, two-lamp, three-, four-lamp. This characteristic is determined by the number of lamps that can be placed in the luminaire.

Fluorescent lamps are also used for street lighting

There are ceiling and wall luminaires. The former are most often used. They are designed to be placed inside apartments.

In sanatoriums, hospitals and hospitals, wall lamps that are located above the bed are often used. They have a soft, individual glow. Such a device allows you to read comfortably and safely: your eyes will not get tired.

There are different ceiling devices. They are built-in and overhead, raster, rack and pinion, point.

For a long time, fluorescent lamps were of interest only in terms of operation in special institutions (schools, stadiums, hospitals). Throughout its existence, this type of lighting, which appeared almost simultaneously with the incandescent lamp, did not attract the attention of the general public for a long time.

The advantage of these lamps, such as the minimum power consumption, which now makes the governments of many countries demand to replace incandescent lamps with devices of this type, has not been duly appreciated. The uneven growth in popularity of such devices is due to the technical difficulties that accompany the installation of these devices.

However, in general, the number of people willing to buy such lamps has increased significantly.The scope of application of such devices began to gradually expand: they resorted to using such lamps in swimming pools and even in the entrances of apartment buildings. Now this type of lamp is replacing all others, even in those countries where the replacement of devices of one type with others is not compulsory.

Now the installation of these lamps does not require special technical means and skills. It is possible to replace an incandescent lamp with a fluorescent one without significant effort, since the production of such bulbs with an E27 base has long been established.

The scope of application of fluorescent lamps is very wide: there is still no analogue in those places where the application was initially found. There is still no such economical equipment as fluorescent lamps - despite the urgency of the problem with energy saving. These devices are especially often used where a large amount of artificial light is required.

It is worth dwelling in more detail on such places of application of these lighting devices as apartments and photo studios.

As for residential premises, the displacement of incandescent lamps by fluorescent lamps is associated with the development of technology. These lamps can now be installed anywhere. Of course, the choice of such lamps for the home is also due to decorative solutions.

It is possible to truly appreciate the advantages of these lighting devices when photographing: a photography studio does not have the same capabilities as large enterprises, so the need for a large amount of artificial light here must be correlated with the economy of lighting devices.

Modern studio photography is almost impossible without the use of fluorescent lamps. They are indispensable in this area: photographers simply have no choice in this matter - in terms of the combination of price, energy consumption, space occupied, such equipment has no analogues.

Today, a large number of fluorescent lamps are presented on the Russian market of electrical goods. The manufacturers of this equipment can be divided into several groups. It is worth paying attention to domestic manufacturers of energy-saving lighting devices. There are a lot of Russian-made lamps in electrical stores, but the share of domestic manufacturers in the segment of energy-saving bulbs is insignificant.

Now Russians are forced to reap the benefits of such an irresponsible attitude to resources and buy imported energy-saving equipment. However, domestic manufacturers were ready for the growing interest in such devices, so today it is already possible to single out major players in this market offering exceptionally high-quality products:

• Gauss. Among the advantages of these lamps, one can single out an unusual appearance, high quality, and affordability. They can be purchased both in company stores and in most specialized outlets - anywhere in our country.

• Optogan. Products with this name are focused on the realities of Russian reality. Optogan products are notable for their low price. In addition, Optogan is the basis of all domestic products in this segment, as it is the only full-cycle manufacturer in Russia.
• ASD Is the largest importer of fluorescent lamps in Russia.
• "Svetlana-Optoelectronics". This manufacturer has established itself in the domestic market with more than 20 years of successful work experience. Among the advantages, one can single out the constant expansion of the assortment.

An extensive segment of the domestic market is occupied by unknown manufacturers. These are products supposedly made in China.The names on the label, as a rule, are not familiar to the buyer, and such products have not been on the market for long.

Such products have a short service life and can be harmful to property and health. Experts recommend not purchasing products of unidentified production, wishing to save money. Such an attempt to save money can end in failure.

If we talk about good quality Chinese products, then there are several brands:

1. Selecta. The products of this company are known primarily for their high-quality ceiling lights.
2. Camelion. The advantage of these products can be called a democratic price.
3. Estare. Products of this brand meet the latest requirements.

One group includes all, without exception, Japanese and European manufacturers of fluorescent lamps. In these countries, the issue of saving electricity has been acute for a long time.

When buying a new fluorescent light bulb, it is important to remember a few important rules. Without observing them, the operation of the product will not satisfy you. So:

• Luminaires that are planned to be placed in the house must have electronic ballasts. It is better to select electronic ones, since they do not create noise and practically do not flicker.
• Along with the lamp, it is better to purchase a set of spare lamps for it. After a long time after making a purchase, you can forget the characteristics of your lamp, and a pre-purchased light bulb will solve the problem.
• If the light bulb that you need to purchase will be used in a room with a large number of people, then the color rendering index should be from 80 and above.

• For decorative lighting (for example, in the kitchen), you can purchase lamps with frosted glass. This will get rid of the glare that occurs on glossy surfaces and is very dazzling to the eyes.
• You should know in advance whether it is possible to use lamps with dimmers. They are called dimmers. Usually, the packaging with the lamp indicates the possibility of their joint use.
• It is important to ensure that the luminaire matches the false ceiling. The sizes in the stores are different, so it will be easy to find the right option.

You can place such bulbs in all rooms. The differences will be only in the color that the lamp emits, in power, shape.

For the hallway, those lamps that emit soft, but not the brightest, light will be good. Additional bulbs near the mirror will look good. Thus, leaving the house, the owner will be able to examine his outfit in all details and eliminate flaws, if any. It is much easier to do this in a well-lit room.

Approximately the same light bulb can be placed in the bathroom, near the mirror, but it is important to remember that in this case it must be well protected from water ingress. On the ceiling, designers recommend placing several compact lamps, which must also be waterproof. It is worth taking warm light - up to 3300 K.

It is recommended to hang several lighting fixtures in the living room, hall in order to regulate the degree of illumination of the room - depending on the needs. This way you can make the room fully lit or provide light only in part of the room.

In the kitchen, multidimensional lighting will also be relevant. Designers, as a rule, distinguish two main light zones: general lighting and local lighting above the dining table. The warmth of the light must be selected based on the overall design of the room. Warm light bulbs are not suitable for every interior, even if you prefer warm light.

It is not difficult to create a unique atmosphere in a room. Lighting design will refresh the room, modern devices allow you to adjust the light to a variety of needs.

You will learn more about fluorescent lamps in the following video.