Choose CFL Bulbs For Your Home

By Scott Rodgers

Earlier people use to go to a shop and purchase a light bulb either to 60 watts or 90 watts. However, in today's time so much of new bulbs are introduced in market that you need to make a wise decision while selecting the right kind of bulb for your requirement.

Most famous bulb among all the light bulbs is compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL). It's the best choice for consumers to switch to energy-efficient light bulbs. By any measure, the CFL bulb is worth all the fuss. Energy star rated CFLs use at least two-thirds less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light. These bulbs also last 10 times longer than standard bulbs. They generate 70% less heat, making them safer to use and potentially cutting energy costs from air conditioning.

The technology associated with these bulbs has reached so high that they are comparable to standard bulbs in most roles and have become the best alternative for the general public. These bulbs are available in warm as well as cool color options and various sizes and shapes to fit most fixtures. They also come in models rated to work indoors or outdoors, with dimmer and tri-way switches.

Incandescent (regular) bulbs, general fluorescent bulbs and halogen bulbs are also available along with CFL in the market. Quality, color of light, brightness, location, energy efficiency and suitability as per your lighting fixtures are some of the important features to consider while purchasing a light bulb.

It is very essential to keep in mind that you should never use a high voltage bulb for a socket or light fixture as it may result in fire. Therefore, for matching out the specifications you should keep the old damaged bulb along with you till you fix a new bulb in the fixture so that you can easily match the specifications.

If you are switching from an incandescent bulb to a CFL, match your old bulb's wattage to the comparable CFL wattage. The information is often on the CFL's package or in the product description. As a general rule, you can replace a standard bulb with a CFL bulb that has one-quarter the watts for the same light output. For example, a 60 watt standard bulb would be replaced with a 15 watt CFL.

If you are replacing standard bulbs with energy-efficient CFLs, focus on the areas where lights are used the most, such as family rooms, living rooms and kitchen. This will make the most of energy savings.

Try purchasing the lowest wattage bulbs that could meet your requirement and provide you sufficient light. Also install durable bulbs at the places that are not easily reachable as track lighting mounted on a cathedral ceiling.

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