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Light Bulbs
Light Bulbs Pegasus Associates Lighting has a good selection of fluorescent, halogen, and xenon light bulbs at competitive prices.
- Light Bulbs
- Fluorescent FAQ
- Halogen FAQ
- Xenon FAQ
- Compare Light Bulbs
- Customer Comments
Fluorescent Light Bulbs FAQ
- Basic Makeup
Q) What makes a light bulb a fluorescent light bulb?
- A) A fluorescent light bulb is one that has mercury vapor in the glass envelope, an electrode at each end of the glass envelope, a white coating on the inside of the glass envelope, and uses a ballast.
- Rated Life
Q) What is the rated life of fluorescent light bulbs?
- A) Depending on the lamp and the conditions under which it is being operated the rated life of a fluorescent lamp can be somewhere between 8,000 and 100,000 hours.
- Q) What does the term, "rated life", of a light bulb mean?
- A) The "rated life" of a lamp signifies the time at which 50% of a large quantity of these lamps will have burned out. This means that 50% of these lamps will burn out before the "rated life" and 50% will burn out after the "rated life”. The "rated life" does not mean that every one of the lamps will last at least that long.
- Q) Is this definition of "rated life" true for all types of light bulbs or just fluorescent light bulbs?
- A) Yes, this is the standard definition for the “rated life” for all lamps.
- Operation
Q) How does a fluorescent light bulb create light?
- A) A fluorescent light bulb creates light by first passing electricity through the mercury vapor inside the glass envelope. Once the mercury vapor is properly excited by the electricity passing between the two electrodes at either end of the fluorescent lamp, it gives off with ultraviolet light, which, in turn, is converted into visible light by the white coating on the inside of the glass envelope.
- Q) Are fluorescent lights relatively cool to operate?
- A) Yes, fluorescent lighting is, without question, one of the coolest light sources available.
- Q) Do I have to be concerned about touching a fluorescent light bulb with my bare hands?
- A) Absolutely not. Unlike some halogen lamps, fluorescent lamps may be handled with bare hands without experiencing premature lamp failure. (Caution: always wait for the fluorescent lamp to cool down before touching it.)
- Q) Can I replace my T12 fluorescent light bulbs with comparable T8 fluorescent light bulbs?
- A) Yes, as long as the T12 magnetic ballast is also replaced by the appropriate T8 electronic ballast.
- Q) Are fluorescent light bulbs considered to be energy efficient?
- A) Absolutely. Fluorescent light bulbs are still considered to be one of the most efficient light sources.
- Q) Do fluorescent light bulbs require a ballast to operate?
- A) Absolutely. Fluorescent light bulbs, unlike xenon and halogen light bulbs, do require a ballast to operate.
- Q) Do fluorescent light bulbs require a transformer to operate?
- A) No. Fluorescent light bulbs operate only with ballasts – not transformers.
- Type of Light
Q) Don't fluorescent light bulbs look "cool" with a relatively high color temperature?
- A) It all depends. Fluorescent lamps are now made in a variety of color temperatures: e.g., warm white, neutral white, cool white, and daylight. For the home we recommend using warm white fluorescent light bulbs with a color temperature of around 3000K. Fluorescent lighting was invented in the late 1930s and has come a long way from those days. The kind of fluorescent lighting used in offices for a long time was only cool white (slightly bluish) and, unfortunately, this relatively poor version of fluorescent lighting is the only kind of fluorescent lighting that many people still know as fluorescent lighting.
- Q) Don't fluorescent light bulbs distort the color of the objects being viewed?
- A) Again, this depends. Fluorescent lamps now come in a variety of color rendering indices (CRI). It is now possible to buy fluorescent lamps with a good color rendition in the 70s, a very good color rendition in the 80s, and an excellent color rendition in the 90s. The "old" fluorescent lighting used in offices for many years had a CRI of about 60, a relatively poor color rendering index.
- Q) What kind of fluorescent light bulbs should I consider using in my home?
- A) When selecting fluorescent lamps for your home try to select lamps with a color rendering index greater than 80 and a color temperature of 3000K or less. This lamp will provide very good color rendition and the kind of “warm” light that most people like in their homes.
- Q) What kind of fluorescent fixtures should I use in my home?
- A) When selecting fluorescent fixtures for your home try to select those that have instant start electronic ballasts. This will ensure that the fluorescent lamp will turn on without flickering, that the fixture will not give off much heat, that the ballast will not emit an annoying humming sound, and that the fixture will accommodate the new energy-efficient fluorescent lamps.
- Dimmability
Q) Are fluorescent light bulbs dimmable?
- A) Yes but only if they are operated by a special dimmable ballast and controlled by a special fluorescent dimmer.
- Q) Will dimming a fluorescent light bulb increase its average life?
- A) More often than not, dimming a fluorescent light bulb will reduce its average life.
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Halogen Light Bulbs FAQ
- Basic Makeup
Q) What makes a light bulb a halogen light bulb?
- A) A halogen gas (such as iodine or bromine) has been introduced into the glass envelopes of the halogen light bulb.
- Q) Why add halogen gas to the other gases inside the glass envelope of a light bulb?
- A) The primary reason is that the addition of a halogen gas into the glass envelope increases the rated life of the lamp.
- Rated Life
Q) What is the rated life of halogen light bulbs?
- A) Depending on the lamp and the conditions under which it is being operated the rated life of a halogen lamp can be somewhere between 8,000 and 20,000 hours.
- Q) What does the term, "rated life", of a light bulb mean?
- A) The "rated life" of a lamp signifies the time at which 50% of a large quantity of these lamps will have burned out. This means that 50% of these lamps will burn out before the "rated life" and 50% will burn out after the "rated life”. The "rated life" does not mean that every one of the lamps will last at least that long.
- Q) Is this definition of "rated life" true for all types of light bulbs or just halogen light bulbs?
- A) Yes, this is the standard definition for the “rated life” for all lamps.
- Operation
Q) How does a halogen light bulb create light?
- A) A halogen light bulb, like an incandescent light bulb, creates light by passing electricity through a filament until the filament reaches the point of “incandescence”, the point at which the filament gives off light in addition to heat.
- Q) Do I have to be concerned about touching a halogen light bulb with my bare hands?
- A) Yes, unlike xenon lamps, some halogen lamps (such as JC bipin lamps and double-ended quartz halogen lamps) should not be handled with bare hands. The oil from your hands will almost always cause the halogen lamp to fail prematurely. (Caution: always wait for the halogen lamp to cool down before touching it.)
- Q) Are halogen light bulbs relatively cool to operate?
- A) No, halogen lighting, in general produces a good deal of heat.
- Q) Do halogen light bulbs operate hotter than xenon light bulbs?
- A) Yes, they do. Line voltage (120 volts) halogen lamps operate especially hotter than line voltage xenon lamps.
- Q) Are halogen light bulbs considered to be energy efficient?
- A) Not really. Because halogen light bulbs create light in much the same way standard incandescent light bulbs create light, they are not generally considered to be energy efficient. However, in general, halogen light bulbs are considered to be 10% to 20% more energy efficient than either standard incandescent or xenon light bulbs but less efficient than fluorescent light bulbs.
- Q) Do halogen light bulbs require a ballast to operate?
- A) No. Halogen light bulbs, like xenon light bulbs, do not require a ballast to operate.
- Q) Do halogen light bulbs require a transformer to operate?
- A) If the halogen light bulb is rated at 12 volts or 24 volts (low voltage), then it requires the appropriate transformer to operate. If, however, the halogen light bulb is rated at 120 volts (line voltage), then it does not require a transformer to operate.
- Type of Light
Q) What "kind of light" is given off by halogen light bulbs?
- A) Halogen lamps provide light that is often described as a “crisp, white light”, light that is a bit cooler in appearance than the light coming from a xenon lamp.
- Q) Do halogen light bulbs provide good color rendition of the objects they are lighting?
- A) Absolutely. Halogen light bulbs are considered to have a color rendering index (CRI) of 100, which is considered perfect – like the sun.
- Q) Where should I consider using halogen lighting in my home?
- A) Halogen lighting can be used very effectively in accent lighting, display case lighting, and recessed downlighting.
- Dimmability
Q) Are halogen light bulbs dimmable?
- A) Definitely. Low voltage (12 volts or 24 volts) halogen light bulbs and line voltage (120 volts) halogen light bulbs are all dimmable.
- Q) Will dimming a halogen light bulb reduce the amount of energy it consumes?
- A) Absolutely.
- Q) Will dimming a halogen light bulb increase its average life?
- A) Dimming increases incandescent lamp life and halogen lamps are a type of incandescent lamp with a tungsten filament just like a traditional incandescent lamp. A pilot test performed by Lutron, a major manufacturer of dimmers, suggests that halogen lamps will have an expected lamp life similar to that of other incandescent lamps when dimmed. As an example, one type of halogen lamp with a rated life of 2000 hours dimmed to 25% has a life extension of about four times that of a non-dimmed lamp. Lutron is continuing testing with various halogen lamps.
- Q) What kind of dimmer should be used with halogen light bulbs?
- A) If the low voltage halogen lamp (12 volts or 24 volts) is powered by an electronic transformer, then the dimmer should be one that is designed to control an electronic low voltage transformer. If the low voltage halogen lamp (12 volts or 24 volts) is powered by a magnetic transformer, then the dimmer should be one that is designed to control a magnetic low voltage transformer. If, however, the halogen lamp is line voltage (120 volts), then the dimmer should simply be a line voltage dimmer.
Xenon Light Bulbs FAQ
- Basic Makeup
Q) What makes a light bulb a xenon light bulb?
- A) Xenon gas has been introduced into the glass envelope of the xenon light bulb.
- Q) Why add xenon gas to the other gases inside the glass envelope of a light bulb?
- A) The primary reason is that the addition of xenon gas into the glass envelope increases the rated life of the lamp.
- Rated Life
Q) What is the rated life of xenon light bulbs?
- A) Depending on the lamp and the conditions under which it is being operated the rated life of a xenon lamp can be somewhere between 8,000 and 100,000 hours.
- Q) What does the term, "rated life", of a light bulb mean?
- A) The "rated life" of a lamp signifies the time at which 50% of a large quantity of these lamps will have burned out. This means that 50% of these lamps will burn out before the "rated life" and 50% will burn out after the "rated life”. The "rated life" does not mean that every one of the lamps will last at least that long.
- Q) Is this definition of "rated life" true for all types of light bulbs or just xenon light bulbs?
- A) Yes, this is the standard definition for the “rated life” for all lamps.
- Operation
Q) How does a xenon light bulb create light?
- A) A xenon light bulb, like an incandescent light bulb, creates light by passing electricity through a filament until the filament reaches the point of “incandescence”, the point at which the filament gives off light in addition to heat.
- Q) Are xenon light bulbs relatively cool to operate?
- A) Xenon lighting is cooler than halogen but definitely not as cool as fluorescent. Line voltage (120 volts) xenon lamps operate especially cooler than line voltage halogen lamps, which can become extremely hot.
- Q) Do I have to be concerned about touching a xenon light bulb with my bare hands?
- A) No. Unlike some halogen lamps, xenon lamps may be handled with bare hands without experiencing premature lamp failure. (Caution: always wait for the xenon lamp to cool down before touching it.)
- Q) Can I replace my halogen light bulbs with comparable xenon light bulbs?
- A) Yes, as long as the xenon lamp has the same wattage rating, the same voltage rating, the same type of base (bipin, wedge, festoon, etc.), and the same shape and size glass envelope as the halogen lamp.
- Q) Are xenon light bulbs considered to be energy efficient?
- A) Not really. Because xenon light bulbs create light in much the same way standard incandescent light bulbs create light, they are not considered to be energy efficient.
- Q) Do xenon light bulbs require a ballast to operate?
- A) No. Xenon light bulbs, like halogen light bulbs, do not require a ballast to operate. However, fluorescent light bulbs do require a ballast to operate.
- Q) Do xenon light bulbs require a transformer to operate?
- A) If the xenon light bulb is rated at 12 volts or 24 volts (low voltage), then it requires the appropriate transformer to operate. If, however, the xenon light bulb is rated at 120 volts (line voltage), then it does not require a transformer to operate.
- Type of Light
Q) What "kind of light" is given off by xenon light bulbs?
- A) Xenon lamps have a color temperature that is between standard incandescent and halogen. That is, the light from a xenon lamp is cooler in appearance than an incandescent lamp but warmer in appearance than a halogen lamp.
- Q) Do xenon light bulbs provide good color rendition of the objects they are lighting?
- A) Absolutely. Xenon light bulbs are considered to have a color rendering index (CRI) of 100, which is considered perfect – like the sun.
- Q) What kind of xenon lighting should I consider using in my home?
- A) Xenon lighting can be used very effectively in under cabinet lighting, cove lighting, and inside cabinet lighting.
- Dimmability
Q) Are xenon light bulbs dimmable?
- A) Definitely. Low voltage (12 volts or 24 volts) xenon light bulbs and line voltage (120 volts) xenon light bulbs are all dimmable.
- Q) Will dimming a xenon light bulb increase its average life and reduce the amount of energy it consumes?
- A) Yes, dimming a xenon light bulb will produce both of these positive effects.
- Q) What kind of dimmer should be used with xenon light bulbs?
- A) If the low voltage xenon lamp (12 volts or 24 volts) is powered by an electronic transformer, then the dimmer should be one that is designed to control an electronic low voltage transformer. If the low voltage xenon lamp(12 volts or 24 volts) is powered by a magnetic transformer, then the dimmer should be one that is designed to control a magnetic low voltage transformer. If, however, the xenon lamp is line voltage (120 volts), then the dimmer should simply be a line voltage dimmer.
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Compare Light Bulbs
| |
Fluorescent |
Halogen |
Incandescent |
LED |
Xenon |
Candle |
Operation |
When electricity passes through mercury vapor in a glass tube the invisible light given off interacts with the coating in the glass and produces visible light |
Similar to incandescent except that a small amount of a halogen gas has been added to the inside of the glass envelope |
When electricity passes through a metal filament to the point of “incandescence” the filament gives off light as well as plenty of heat |
When electricity passes through certain diodes (electronic components) they give off light and become a Light Emitting Diodes |
Very similar to incandescent except a small amount of xenon gas has been added to the inside of the glass envelope |
Cloth wick surrounded by wax has a small burning flame that often “flickers” |
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Fluorescent |
Halogen |
Incandescent |
LED |
Xenon |
Candle |
Type
of Light |
All types of white light (e.g., warm white, cool white, daylight) with good to very good color rendition |
Crisp white light with very good color rendition |
Yellowish light with good color rendition |
Many colors are available including warm white and cool white |
Similar to incandescent light only slightly less yellow |
Very yellowish light |
| |
Fluorescent |
Halogen |
Incandescent |
LED |
Xenon |
Candle |
Strengths |
Gives off a lot of light and is very energy-efficient; newer, compact models can fit some residential fixtures |
Good for illuminating art and fitting into small areas; need to be changed less often than incandescent bulbs; can be dimmed; better beam control allows light to be carefully focused |
Emits a warm light that flatters pretty much all skin tones; inexpensive to purchase; easily dimmable |
Uses very little energy or space; is inexpensive to operate; gives off with very little heat; can last for years |
Lasts longer than standard incandescents; can be dimmed; unlike halogen light bulbs the glass can be touched without reducing the life of the light bulb |
Flame flicker makes everyone look their best and cannot be duplicated by electric light sources |
| |
Fluorescent |
Halogen |
Incandescent |
LED |
Xenon |
Candle |
Weaknesses |
Older versions of fluorescent light bulbs can make you look gray-green; many fluorescent fixtures cannot be dimmed |
The light can be too bright for living rooms or some decorative fixtures; light bulbs and fixtures can become very hot; touching glass will shorten the life of the light bulb |
Cheaper models burn out quickly; use a lot more energy than fluorescents or halogens; emit a lot of heat |
Are not yet widely available for home use and certain types of fixtures can be expensive to purchase; cannot be dimmed |
Not very energy-efficient; emit some heat but not as hot as halogen |
Fire hazard; candles need to be replaced often to avoid messy half-burned look |
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Fluorescent |
Halogen |
Incandescent |
LED |
Xenon |
Candle |
Comments |
New fluorescents with new coatings give fluorescent lights a MUCH more flattering glow |
Have become increasing popular because of their ability to light well |
The “daylight” varieties (with a bluish tint) are closer to outdoor light than typical incandescent light bulbs |
Quickly becoming a standard in car dashboards, traffic lights, and taillights; home LEDs often require extra parts to operate |
Becoming VERY popular for under cabinet lighting |
Almost everyone looks better in candlelight |
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Fluorescent |
Halogen |
Incandescent |
LED |
Xenon |
Candle |
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Customer Comments about our Light Bulbs
Fluorescent Light Bulbs | Halogen Light Bulbs | Metal Halide Light Bulbs | Xenon Light Bulbs
Fluorescent Black Light Bulbs | SoLux® MR16 Halogen Light Bulbs
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SoLux® MR16 halogen lamps
"I have been ordering a variety of bulbs from Pegasus for several years -- much cheaper and better quality than places like Home Depot. Also, variety is great. Would use them again for sure." – Mark R.
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