Which LED lamps are better: how to choose. Choosing the type of lamps for household lighting - which is better for health? The best lamps for home lighting

In the context of the ever-increasing price of electricity, we strive to save money and at the same time use normal lighting that does not hurt the eyes, is bright enough and does not cause irritation. That is why energy-efficient devices are the best solution for those who want to use high-quality light economically. From this material you will learn which lamps are the most energy-saving, what types currently exist, the better a particular type is, and whether their cost is really fully worth it.

Energy saving lamps: which ones are better

To understand which lamps are the most energy-saving, let’s compare them with the usual incandescent light bulbs that are already familiar to us all, or, as they were also called, “Ilyich light bulbs.” By purchasing one such device, in just a month you will understand how profitable it is, how pleasing to the eye and how economical it is. Compared to a conventional incandescent lamp they:

1. They consume less energy but give the same light output. That is, the efficiency of this device is much higher. Unlike an incandescent light bulb, which produces an efficiency of no more than 18–20%, such a product achieves maximum performance of no less than 70–80%. Speaking more in simple language, out of every hundred watts, an ordinary lamp, working at full power and heating the spiral, produces only eighteen to twenty percent of the light.
2. They last longer and have a longer warranty period. Any store that sells energy-saving light bulbs will provide you with a guarantee for a certain service life. In some varieties it can be about twenty years. Considering how often ordinary lamps burn out, this is very beneficial, because you can always replace a burnt-out energy-saving device under warranty.
3. Quite safe. All energy-saving lamps (except the halogen type) do not have direct contact connections, while the Ilyich light bulb has all contacts connected by a spiral. Therefore, in this case, a short circuit is practically impossible.
4. They do not carry such a load on the general apartment network as conventional ones. This is also one of the safety indicators; thanks to the non-overloaded network, other household appliances will not be affected.

To understand which products are better, it is worth considering the standard comparison table for energy-saving lamps. It compares light bulbs in terms of heating, power, anti-vandalism, luminous flux, service life and economic benefits. A comparison of energy-saving lamps with conventional lamps clearly speaks in favor of the former. And if you overpay when purchasing, you definitely save when using it.

If we consider all these devices regarding their effect on human vision, energy-saving lamps, incandescent lamps, daylight, then they all flicker with a certain periodicity during their operation. This is due to the way the electron pulse passes through them. This is not noticeable to the naked eye, but upon detailed study, scientists discovered that:

• The cold spectrum affects vision more than normal and because of this, the retina is destroyed.
• Brightness and increased flicker in fluorescent lamps affect the brain and the stability of the nerve ganglia. People who work in an office with such lighting are 30 times more likely to seek help from psychoanalysts.
• According to the latest data from ophthalmologists, the optimal brightness is considered to be 2700–3100 K. This is good for both the living room and the children's room. Therefore, when choosing a light bulb, take this into account.
• If the lamp is located opposite the mirror, it affects vision an order of magnitude higher. It is best to install energy-saving light bulbs near mirror surfaces and glass doors. By paying attention to your appearance, putting yourself in order before going out to the store or for a walk, your eyes and brain will not be so tired.

When comparing economical light bulbs with each other, it is worth paying special attention to heating. Your LED device will hardly heat up, the luminescent one will become warm, and you can even burn your fingers on the halogen one. In terms of warranty service life, they are also very different from each other, and if the halogen one will work for 2000 hours, then the LED one is ready to provide its factory warranty for at least 50 thousand hours.

If we talk in more detail about what they are and what they are, then let's move on to the next point of our material.

What types of energy-saving lamps are there?

By definition, an energy-efficient lamp is a special device for uniform light distribution, powered by electricity. In comparison with its analogues, this product has increased level light output and significantly saves electricity.

Such economical devices are linear (LL) and compact (CFL). They all contain mercury and LED substances. A common feature of linear and compact fluorescent lamps can be considered tangible savings in electrical energy consumption. And at the same time, they fill the space with much more light than conventional incandescent lamps. The latter are gradually falling out of use, as many countries around the world have recently set a course for the operation of energy-efficient devices due to their overall safety and cost-effectiveness.

Which lamps are energy-saving?

Energy-saving fluorescent lamps include compact and linear lamps, which differ from each other in technical indicators and functions. Let's take a closer look at them to understand which energy-saving lamps are better for the home:

1. CFL (compact fluorescent lamps) It is characterized by an arched shape, which allows it to be placed in small lamps. They are almost always used at home, being an optimal replacement for conventional incandescent lamps. They are often included in the package of non-standard lighting fixtures. Such a light bulb contains inert gases (argon and neon, known to many), as well as mercury vapor. The outer casing is finished with phosphor. Due to the collision of electrons with mercury components, outwardly imperceptible UV radiation is released, which turns into scattered light (this is facilitated by the phosphor coating). Compact lamps consist of three parts: a base for connecting to the mains, an electronic control device for igniting and maintaining the light bulb. It makes the transition from a 220 W power supply to that required for stable operation of the lamp without flickering. The third component of the device is the bulb, which is the outer shell of the lamp. Due to the differences in these elements, the type of CFL is also determined: for example, by the color of the radiation, the features of the base (there are 2D categories, often installed in shower stalls, E27 - for a regular cartridge, E14 - for a smaller cartridge, E40 - for a large cartridge).
2. Linear fluorescent lamps (LFL) They can be circular, straight, or a specific U-variation. Straight-line devices have the shape of long glass tubes, at the ends of which there are glass legs, where, in turn, electrodes are fixed. There is a phosphor coating on the inner surface of the lamp, and the tube cavity itself is filled with inert gases and mercury. The safety of people from the harmful evaporation of mercury is guaranteed by hermetically sealing the lamp. Linear lamps differ in terms of the diameter and length of the tube, and the width of the base element. As a rule, the larger the dimensions of the LL, the greater the electricity consumption. Often, such luminaires are used in manufacturing plants and enterprises, in offices and places of public importance. Compact fluorescent lamps have become most popular among consumers, and their linear alternative is slowly going out of production.

Proven benefits of energy efficient lamps

Summarizing all of the above, I would like to emphasize that the use of energy-saving lighting devices in everyday life or at work has many advantages, among which the following are especially noticeable:

1. According to manufacturers of lighting devices, the use of energy-saving lamps can reduce electricity costs by up to 80%. The luminous flux of these devices is much higher than that of conventional incandescent lamps.
2. Energy efficient lamps have a long service life. This is more than 10 times longer than ordinary light bulbs last. So long time work is also a big plus for placing energy-saving lamps in places where frequent changes of light bulbs are very difficult (on high ceilings, between flights of stairs, etc.).
3. Produce less heat compared to conventional lamps. Due to this, it is advisable to install small CFLs with a high power rating, especially in complex designs: sconces, chandeliers and twisted forms of lamps. Economical lamps will not melt the wires and plastic elements of the socket, which sometimes happens when using ordinary lamps.
4. The light from energy-saving lamps is much healthier for vision because it is distributed evenly. A uniform glow is obtained due to the design of the lamp: the area of ​​​​their body is larger than that of the spiral of conventional light bulbs.
5. A choice of different color temperatures is possible. Lamps give 2700K white, 6400K - cold whiteness, 4200K - daylight. The specified data is measured on the Kelvin scale.

When choosing an energy-saving light bulb, you need to not only look at all the indicators and price, but also pay attention to the manufacturer, how reliably the base is made and the quality of the glass in the product. Only if you are satisfied with the whole set of factors, the product is worth buying. Otherwise, you may well be uncomfortable with such lighting; the lamp may quickly fail and cause short circuit throughout the entire apartment or may not be as economical as you would like.

For more information about choosing energy-saving lamps, watch the video:

Electricity prices are now such that, willy-nilly, you begin to think about saving. The easiest way to lower your energy bills is to reduce your lighting costs. It is this that “eats” most of the kilowatts in an ordinary apartment or house. We will discuss which lamps are better for the home and according to what parameters in this article.

You can see different lamps on store shelves. Let's take a closer look at those that are installed in private houses and apartments.

Lighting in the house should be cozy, comfortable... preferably economical

Incandescent lamps

The oldest lighting devices are more than a century old. They provide light that is pleasant to the eye, but during operation they get very hot, as they have low efficiency - about 97% of the energy is spent on heat generation. Therefore, lighting using conventional incandescent lamps is expensive. It is for this reason that many decide to replace them with more economical ones, while deciding which lamps are better for their home and wallet.

There is another unpleasant property of incandescent lamps - their service life is not very long. On average it is about 1000 -3000 hours. Since the price of these lighting fixtures is low, it is a small burden on the wallet. However, frequent replacement can be nerve-wracking - you have to always have a couple of pieces in stock.

A widespread trend - traditional incandescent lamps are being replaced by more economical ones

It is also worth taking into account that, due to the design features, they are produced only with a screw base, but they operate from a 220 V network and do not require any converters or special devices. Because of large quantity They are not used to illuminate furniture, they are not compatible with all suspended ceilings, and they are not at all friendly with suspended ceilings. In general, this is a classic lighting, but not ideal.

Halogen

Halogen lamps are a type of incandescent lamp. They differ in that the flask is filled with halogen vapor (most often iodine or bromine), which increases the service life by 2-3 times. The design allows them to be made not only with a screw base, but also with a pin base. Different bulb shapes and the use of reflective coating make it possible to create light sources with different scattering angles. Therefore, at one time, they were widely used as built-in ceilings or furniture.

Halogen incandescent lamps - a more “advanced” option

Since these are also incandescent lamps, they have almost the same disadvantages - significant heat generation. And that's the problem. But the energy consumption is less (about 2-3 times). So they are more economical compared to the classic design. But they have an additional disadvantage - they do not tolerate contaminants on the flask. A fingerprint can cause burnout. Therefore, installation must be done with gloves.

Luminescent: tubular and compact (housekeepers)

The operation of these lighting devices uses another principle - the property of certain phosphor substances to emit light under certain conditions. Structurally, it consists of a glass tube coated with a phosphor. Inside the tube there are electrodes and a certain amount of mercury vapor. An electric charge is created on the electrodes, the energy of which is converted into light radiation using a phosphor.

To create and maintain an electric charge, fluorescent lamps need a starting and regulating device - a voltage transformer and a starter. In the standard version, these devices are mounted on the body of lamps, which can only work with this type of lighting fixture.

Available in two types:

If we talk about comparison with incandescent lamps, they are 3 times more economical and hardly heat up. A serious disadvantage is that due to the pulsation, the light is unpleasant for the eyes and potentially hazardous to health (leads to increased fatigue and can cause a bad mood). In this type of lighting fixtures, it is almost impossible to get rid of pulsation. What can be done is to minimize it and, by adding one incandescent lamp, reduce the negative effect to a minimum.

Many are also concerned that the flask contains mercury vapor inside, which carries a potential danger. This is briefly about the main disadvantages, then we will consider in more detail the pros and cons of fluorescent lamps.

LED

This is the third type of lamp that uses semiconductor devices - LEDs. They do not require any special atmosphere, so their flask is not airtight, and this is more a tribute to tradition than a necessity. All the LEDs need to operate is a constant voltage of 12 V or 24 V. So operation is not difficult - to connect to a 220 V network you need a voltage converter (power supply, adapter). In LED lamps for standard luminaires, this converter is built into the housing, so they can easily replace conventional incandescent lamps.

Briefly about the properties. They have high efficiency - they require 7-8 times less electricity than similar incandescent lamps, and have a much longer service life (according to manufacturers' requests, they can work for 25-35 years). Disadvantages - they are expensive, it is difficult to determine the quality, low-grade ones have strong pulsation, which negatively affects the eyes and well-being, and often fail. Therefore, choosing an LED lamp is not an easy task and requires certain knowledge. But the bills actually become significantly smaller.

Which lamps are best for home

All these lighting devices are used to illuminate residential premises. It is definitely impossible to answer which lamps are best for the home - they all have advantages and disadvantages. If your main concern is eye comfort, the answer to the question “which lamps are best for the home” is incandescent. But at the same time you will not be able to save on lighting. The situation is a little better with halogen ones. But the lighting from 12 V halogens is more pleasing to the eye, which requires transformers. Those that operate on 220 V have too bright light.

When it comes to saving on electricity bills, LED bulbs are the best. This is undeniable. But you need to buy with knowledge of the matter - so that they are good quality and they worked for a long time, but these are expensive. But, even under such conditions, they are beneficial, since they really help to significantly reduce energy consumption. A

Why LED and not housekeepers? Let's compare their properties.

Comparing fluorescent and LED light bulbs

When people have a desire to reduce their electricity costs, they begin to think about replacing incandescent lamps with more energy-efficient ones. These are considered energy-saving (compact fluorescent) and LED. To understand which lamps are best for your home, you need to take a closer look at their advantages and disadvantages.

Having decided to replace incandescent lamps with more economical ones, you need to decide the question: which lamps are better for the home - LED or compact fluorescent

Housekeepers

This is what compact fluorescent lamps are called. They were the first to appear on the market (compared to LED ones), which is why this name was assigned to them. Let's start with advantages:

At the time this was a very good offer. The ability to obtain “warm” and “cold” light and save on electricity - all this has led to the popularity of energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs.

But flaws they have serious:

There are many shortcomings, and almost all of them are serious. They are the ones who stop many, even despite the savings.

LED

These light bulbs are made on the basis of semiconductor elements - LEDs. A certain number of them are installed in a single housing and connected to a power source. Power supply is from a constant voltage of 12 V. In order to use lamps in standard lamps, a rectifier and a circuit that lowers the voltage to 12 V are built into the housing (both of these devices are often called a driver).

LEDs generate heat when operating. To remove it, a radiator is built into the body. And the bases of these lamps are different. They can be installed instead of incandescent lamps of different sizes, halogen, tubular fluorescent.

If we compare all four types in terms of power consumption with equal luminous flux

Advantages LED lamps:

• They consume 7-8 times less electricity than incandescent ones, and 2-3 times less than fluorescent ones (housekeepers too).
• They have a long service life.
• Not afraid of vibration and shock.
• Lights up immediately after switching on.
• They have a wide range of operating temperatures -40°C to +40°C.
• Can be of any shade (any color).
• There are dimmable ones (changing the brightness of the light).

The advantages are impressive. The efficiency and service life are particularly impressive. But the figures stated by the manufacturers (about 25-35 years) must be treated with skepticism. They are for ideal conditions, which in our realities are practically unattainable. The warranty period declared by the manufacturers actually indicates the service life. This is the time they will most likely work. But even despite this, the period is considerable - 2-5 years.

Without shortcomings it didn't work either:

• High price. 4-5 times more expensive than energy-saving ones and 20-40 times more expensive than incandescent ones.
• Low quality LED lamps have significant pulsation.
• Without a diffuser, the light will blind the eyes, which is why most LED lamps are made with milky glass. Those in a transparent flask can only be used in conjunction with matte shades.
• LEDs are afraid of overheating. When the critical temperature (about 90°C) is exceeded for a long time, they lose their brightness. Therefore, use LED lamps in lamps closed type unreasonable.

When compared with the properties of fluorescent lamps, LEDs clearly have the advantage. But everything is not so rosy in reality.

Which lamps are better for the home: LED or fluorescent?

In fact, LED lamps are better in all respects. But eating it hurts “BUT”. These must be high-quality LED lamps. The thing is that the manufacturing technology is simple and does not require highly complex or very expensive equipment. It is difficult to make LEDs, but assembling an LED light bulb from them is not difficult. That’s why there are a lot of fakes and low-quality goods on the market. They use cheap, low-quality crystals; the driver is made to be the simplest, which does not suppress flicker and quickly fails.

The difficulty is that it is impossible to determine “by eye” the quality of LEDs or the same driver. Some experts are able to distinguish good LEDs by appearance. But in lamps they are hidden under a frosted bulb. Having set a goal, their quality can be checked by indirect signs - by measuring illumination, pulsation, and assessing color rendition. But the quality of the parts used in the power supply cannot be assessed. You will only find out when something burns out.

All this leads to the fact that many consider LED lamps unreliable - they burn out quickly and are expensive. So it turns out that there is no saving. And there are also problems with flickering... It seems so, but this is only true if you buy cheap LED lamps. Branded lamps really serve for years without problems and produce an even light that is pleasing to the eyes. So the main task is to find good quality LED lamps. And then you will know exactly which lamps are best for your home.

Instead of the bottom line: replacing incandescent lamps with LED ones will save on lighting bills only if they are used for a long time, and this is possible only if they are of high quality. High-quality light bulbs are not cheap. So, perhaps, this is the case when saving during the purchase is not worth it.

When building a house or major renovation We always have a question about the right lighting.

You can “without bothering” use lighting sources that are traditionally, year after year, used throughout the entire former Soviet space, i.e. type "Ilyich's light bulb".

Or you can take advantage of the progress of the industry and purchase modern systems. To give preference to a particular lamp, you need to remember what is your highest priority and maintain a balance between service life, energy consumption, and their appearance.

It is necessary to mention that in the case of choosing lighting lamps, the principle “What is more expensive is economical”. The high cost of the lighting lamp is more than compensated by the savings in electricity bills. Currently, manufacturers provide us with a huge variety of lamps, so choosing the right one according to the criteria that you have planned for your own will not be too difficult!

Consider the classification of lamps for home lighting

• You cannot touch such a light bulb without gloves. Since when touched with bare hands, a grease stain forms on the light bulb, and, subsequently, darkening and burnout, i.e. fails;
• they are sensitive to changes in network voltage;
• The gloss effect leads to glare on the surface, which causes rapid eye fatigue.

The modern market presents 3 categories of halogen lamps with narrow, medium and wide beam angles. The concentration of illumination depends on the size of the angle. This means that the halogen lamp that we buy for reading is not at all suitable for uniformly illuminating the entire room. You can insert such a light bulb into the socket by wearing rubber gloves, or without touching the light bulb itself, but only the packaging.

There are 2 types of halogen lamps: 12 V and 220 V. For the former, an additional transformer is required. According to experts, 12 V lamps are distinguished by a light that is pleasant to the eye, close to daylight, while 220 V lamps emit a brighter and less intense light. natural light. This category of lamps can be installed in a room or corridor.

Fluorescent lamps

Fluorescent lamps in the interior

Such lamps are widely used not only in residential premises, but also in offices. We know a fluorescent lamp as a cylindrical hollow tube with electrodes at the edges. Mercury vapor is pumped into such a tube under pressure. When an electrical discharge occurs, mercury vapor begins to produce ultraviolet radiation, under the influence of which the phosphor applied to inner surface tube, creates a cool blue light.

The percentage of conversion of electricity into light for such a lamp is 5 times greater than for an incandescent lamp.

Due to the presence of mercury vapor inside the lamp, disposal of such lamps must be carried out with special care: under no circumstances should they be broken or thrown into a trash container. There are special collection points for used fluorescent lamps.

Currently, we are offered not only tubular fluorescent lamps for equipping offices, but also lamps designed to fit standard bases. Such lamps are called “energy-saving fluorescent lamps.”

The most common compact light bulbs resemble a twisting spiral in shape..

In this case, the range from 2700 to 3000 Kelvin would be preferable, due to the fact that this temperature segment demonstrates the yellowish glow of the usual sunlight. The color on the packaging is usually indicated in words. Look for models that say “warm white” or “soft white.”

Base type

Base types

When choosing an LED lamp by base type, you must choose the option that was before. For example, when a regular E27 threaded base is screwed into a chandelier, you need to buy an LED with exactly the same thread.

If you decide to install a spotlight, you must choose a lamp with a GU 5.3 base. The following thread types are used in nightlights and sconces: E27 and E14 (Mignon).

The shapes of LED lamps are varied: round, elongated, pear-shaped. Your choice in this case should be based on your taste and design of the lamp.

Important for LED bulbs is the presence of a heat sink, which removes the temperature from the LED block. If the proposed model does not have a cooling system in the form of an aluminum ribbed surface, you should not buy such a light bulb.

It happens that manufacturers of inexpensive products install a radiator in the form of a plastic outlet. Experts do not recommend buying such products, because plastic has many disadvantages and, in comparison with aluminum, it does not have such high cooling efficiency. It is worth remembering that frosted bulbs do not allow you to see the presence of a radiator.

Work resource

• power
• base type
• color rendering coefficient
• manufacturer information
• warranty period
• color temperature
• luminous flux
• barcode.

If, when looking at the packaging, you couldn’t find most of the parameters with your eyes, you should doubt the quality of such products.

When giving your preference to one or another LED lamp, you should pay attention to the product itself: all fastening elements must be made without irregularities, gaps and roughness.

Manufacturer

The company is a manufacturer - the information is quite important to the consumer. The quality of the products we purchase depends on the manufacturer. I would like to say that both foreign and domestic companies produce highly reliable products.

Manufacturers of LED lamps for home

Advantages of LED lamps:

• efficiency, after all, such a lamp has minimal electricity consumption, and the high cost pays off with small bills for light
• duration of operation (5-10 years)
• heat transfer at a minimum. LED bulbs practically do not heat up, which provides the necessary safety. This is very important when you need many light sources.
• high degree of strength. The body of such light bulbs is made of plastic, which prevents the risk of breaking and injury from small fragments
• does not contain mercury vapor
• no problems with disposal

Flaws:

• high cost, but considering the long term, they are the most profitable.
• requires special lamps. For long lamp operation, strict adherence to the permissible power of the lighting device and its power is necessary.

LED lamps have the fewest disadvantages

LED lamps- This is a real breakthrough in the development of lighting systems; they are increasingly popular when choosing home lighting devices.

Be sure to pay attention to the power of such a lamp. When replacing incandescent lamps with LED lamps, you can use a simple but efficient way dividing the power by 8. This means that the “Ilyich light bulb” with a power of 60 W will be replaced by an LED with a power of 7.5 W.

Choose the right lamp light spectrum

Color spectrum

• Consider the price of the lamp. Quality cannot come cheap. A low price is a sign of a low quality product, the service life of which will not be long, and the desired savings will not be achieved. It is better to buy a product from a well-known manufacturer, preferably a European one.
• Pay attention to the LED pulsation during operation. The presence of pulsation or flickering will indicate the poor quality of the rectifier in the lamp power supply. The light emitted by such a lamp can cause vision impairment.
• Check the base holder and the quality of the radiator, because... These parameters are responsible for the life of the lamp.

A very necessary purchase for your home will be an LED lamp with a built-in motion sensor and night mode. In the dark, the lamp automatically turns on the standby lighting, and when a person appears, it turns on full brightness.

This option will be ideal for lighting a technical room, as well as a corridor or a bathroom.

At the end of the article, I would like to say a few words about the quartz lamp. Such a purchase will become a reliable assistant for parents during the season of the spread of infectious diseases. Its purpose is to stop the infection. This lamp can treat skin diseases, as well as joints, diseases of the nervous and respiratory systems. The choice of such lamps is huge. They are different technical characteristics and range of procedures.

When comparing lamps for household lighting, considering their advantages and disadvantages, in most cases, exclusively the material side is considered - that is, how reliable a particular lamp is in comparison with others and how economical it is. At the same time, the most important selection criterion is missed - harmlessness to health, especially to human vision. In this article we will consider which lamps are the safest for human health, what parameters should be paid attention to when choosing a particular type of lamp.

Color rendition of lamps and its effect on human vision

When choosing lighting sources, you should first of all pay attention to the correct color rendition of the lamp. This concept refers to the display of various colors in natural tones.

A halogen lamp and an incandescent lamp become very hot during operation, so they can melt materials that are nearby, in particular structural elements of lamps, releasing harmful substances. Therefore, when choosing an incandescent lamp or a halogen lamp, it is necessary to first analyze the possibility of installing them, since most of the lamps are not designed to work with these lamps. As for the incandescent lamp, it is very rare, but still there is a situation when the bulb of the incandescent lamp flies out of the base, breaking on a hard surface, or breaks in the lamp itself.

Which lamp should you choose? Taking into account the above arguments, we can conclude that an incandescent lamp and a halogen lamp are as safe as possible for both human vision and the body as a whole. An LED lamp and a compact fluorescent lamp (housekeeper) can be safe, but they can cause irreparable harm to vision or health in general. Therefore, if there is still a question about choosing LED or fluorescent lamp, then you need to take it seriously, choosing the most reliable and safe lamp.

If you are not confident in the quality of the products, then it is better not to risk your health and take less economical, but the safest incandescent or halogen lamps. Especially if you are concerned about lighting the child’s workplace - fragile eyesight is most susceptible to negative factors.

It should also be remembered that manufacturers strive to increase lamp sales by any means, so in order to attract buyers they often provide characteristics that do not correspond at all to the actual parameters of the lamps. Therefore, you need to pay attention to all the nuances during the operation of the lamps. For example, if its light is characterized by incorrect color rendition, then such a lamp cannot be used, at least in those places where a person spends a lot of time.

Andrey Povny