Fluorescent Lighting

Fluorescent lamps are considered to be the most energy efficient, but they often suffer from a reputation as flickering, eerie sources of light suitable only for institutional settings. They are the light source of choice in industrial and commercial settings because of their efficiency and long life—something worth considering for your home as well. Modern fluorescent fixtures have a place in residential settings.
A fluorescent lamp is constructed with …

• A glass tube.
• Argon or argon-krypton gas and a small amount of mercury.
• Phosphor coating on the inside of the tube.
• Electrodes at each end of the tube.

As electricity passes between the tube’s electrodes, it jostles the mercury atoms, which then give off ultraviolet radiation. The radiation is converted to light when it interacts with the phosphors lining the tube. The fixture itself comes with a ballast to kick-start the current passing within the tube and to keep it regulated. The range of phosphors available to manufacturers enables them to produce lamps with different color tones for different applications.
Fluorescent fixtures also produce less heat and more light for the amount of electricity they consume as compared to incandescent lamps.
One of the biggest changes in fluorescent technology is the shape and size of the lamps. In the past, you were stuck with straight, U-shaped, or circular figures. (The last always seemed to be used outside small-town, drive-in, ice-cream stands for some reason.) Now we have compact fluorescent lamps that can be an efficient substitute for incandescent lamps. A 40-watt compact fluorescent lamp, for example, can replace a 150-watt incandescent lamp and can last up to 10 times longer. (It had better, given the typical cost of $20 or more.) Two types of replacement units are available:

1. Integral units, which include a compact fluorescent lamp and ballast in a self-contained unit
2. Modular units, in which the bulb is replaceable Now you know that you can replace your incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent lamps, but is it worth it?