Which lightbulb is best?

I was listening to KLOVE and Lisa Williams was talking about getting some of those "curly" light-bulbs in her house. It started me thinking about the different types of bulbs and the pros and cons of each. Lets introduce the contenders and get to know them a little better.

Incandescent Bulbs (what your used to):

Incandescent bulbs are what we have been using since Edison's time. These are the great old bulbs that he invented. There are some problems with them, though. The main problem is that they use more power than the other choices. They also burn out much quicker, leaving you in the dark and heading for the replacement bulbs. Their use produces a lot of energy in heat. If you are in a cold climate, this means that you need to heat your home less, but in warmer climates, this is a problem. On the positive side, they have a less expensive purchase cost and produce a nice warm light. There is also a new bit of legislation outlawing them. It is phasing out their use over the next few years.

Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs):

CFLs are very energy efficient. Lisa Williams mentioned that her bulbs take a moment to come on. This is a real problem CFLs, especially in cold weather. They also do not work well on dimmers and burn out quickly on motion sensors too. Disposing of them is a problem. Most people just toss them in their trash. They contain toxic mercury! This mercury leaches out of the landfills and directly into the streams, then out food and water. Many people complain that fluorescent lights give them headaches, and they have a depressing nature to them. Their cold light is not as nice and studies have shown that they are linked to high rates of depression. They also break easy and can't be used for theatre lighting.

The positives are also numerous. They are not much more expensive than incandescent bulbs, but last 10 times as long. They remain cooler when on, producing some heat, but not a lot. CFLs emit the same number of lumens for about 1/4 the wattage compared to incandescent. These plusses make them very popular bulbs. Also, many advances in the technology has let to better CFL bulbs. There are now bulbs that work better outdoors, and some called "instant on" that do not take a while to turn on. You can even get the equipment to make them work on a dimmer, but it is spendy.

Light Emitting Diods (LEDs):

LEDs are a third option, not often looked at. They are expensive to buy, costing as much as $40 for a bulb that can replace a 15 watt incandescent. They are also directed lighting, which is good for spotlights, but do not give the multi-directional light we are used to in incandescent and CFL bulbs. They also can have problems with dimmers and motion sensors that are not made for their use.

On the plus side, they are even more energy efficient than CFLs, and last 10 times longer than CFLs (100 times longer than incandescents). They also stay very cool, so you can touch them when they are turned on. They don't have the mercury in them, so tossing them in the trash when they die is not a worry. Some LED bulbs can change color, which makes for some cool lighting on stage shows. They are also very bright, not what most people think of LEDs doing. LEDs have replaced the lights in most street lights, traffic signals and many automobile lights. These lights are hard to replace, so putting in super long lasting bulbs makes since. The other issues are also being worked on. They now have multi-directional lights, but they are also more expensive.

Buying new bulbs:

When buying a replacement bulb, you need to be sure you know what your getting. I recently saw an LED bulb and thought about getting it. I looked at the packaging and saw that it was a 90 lumen bulb. I choked and put it away. A 75 watt incandescent emits between 1080 and 1200 lumens, depending on the bulb. That is a LOT more than that 90 lumen bulb! You need to make sure the bulb you get throws the amount of light you want.

If anyone knows of a good, reliable source for LEDs, please let us know. They must be able to replace my 75 watt incandescents.

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