Saving Funds With Flourescents | Not Simply A Dull Flicker Anymore

FL lights no longer provide just a dim flicker. Yes they are the ecological alternative to incandescent light bulbs, but they can also be funky and are a favourite of modern designers. So why are they a good environmental choice, and what’s so fashionable about them?

Every electrician will tell you that fluorescent lights tend to last four to ten times as long as incandescent (filament) light bulbs and use approximately 20% of the power. The trouble with incandescent light bulbs is that 95% of the power they use is lost through heat and only 5% is in fact utilized to light up a room.

While fluorescent bulbs are more expensive to buy initially, they will save you money in the long run, typically paying for themselves in under a year. And they fit in most existing light fixtures, so you won’t even need an electrician to change your fittings.

An additional direct green advantage is that for the reason that the light bulbs last so much longer they generate less waste for the garbage dump as fewer are being thrown away each year. And once you’re fitting them and doing your part, you might even feel so green and ecologically alert that you take your responsibilities further and turn lights off when they’re not being utilized.

When you do need to toss away fluorescent light bulbs then attempt and do so responsibly. Unlike normal light bulbs, they contain a small amount of mercury which is ecologically harmful if they are binned, so ask your local council about recycling services for light bulbs and do your part to keep them out of landfill.

Now for the fun part! Fluorescent lights are fantastic if you want to make a colour wash on the wall or against curtains. They can be recessed so that the luminosity seems to come magically from a hidden supply and if the light shines against a reflective surface, you can make a really dramatic effect. You can also talk to your electrician about installing more than one fluorescent tube so that you have a option of colours at your fingertips.

Fluorescent lights of course happen in white but also four basic colours – red, yellow, green and blue. If not any of these suit your plan, you may put a white light following a coloured filter of your choice or even get coloured theatrical lighting goo which can be practical to the bulb to achieve the effect you’re after. There are even companies that sell bulbs already coated, offering a range of colours if you can’t face doing it yourself.

If you’re putting together a lighting design bear in mind that fluorescent white light tends to appear cool rather than warm. Fluorescent bulbs can be integrated into a dimmer plan when of course they become less bright, but they won’t produce a warm glow like a normal bulb. As well as being put onto dimmers your electrician could go one step further and incorporate them into a plan of pre-set scenes to generate several mood choices for your room.

The fact is that in 2007 the US Government announced that incandescent light bulbs are to be banned by 2011, which ought to help save around 5 million tonnes of CO2 by US household users alone. So it makes sense to get ready now for this new period in lighting. Light bulbs in the US are now graded A-G for green efficiency, so it’s easy to pick ones that do less harm and that will save you cash in the mid and long term. And it doesn’t mean living in darkness – fluorescent lights have come a long way since their flickering early stages.