All About Fluorescent Lighting

Add a little light to the past

Fluorescent lights date back to 1856, although they are quite a bit different now. The officially-recognized inventor of fluorescent lighting is Edmund Germer, who sold his patent to General Electric in 1938. Since then, fluorescent lights have become increasing popular.

Fluorescent lighting was once mainly used in commercial settings, due to large size and relatively high installation cost. These lights were also "cooler," or harsher, in color; that is, they didn't produce the warmer colors associated with incandescent lighting.

Now, however, technological improvements have caused manufacturers to begin to make smaller systems that are warmer in color, making them worthwhile, both practically and economically, to use residentially.

What's so great about a light?

So, you may be wondering what some of the advantages to using fluorescent lighting rather than incandescent lighting. Here's what we know.

Fluorescent light bulbs are more energy efficient. If, for example, you have a 60 watt incandescent bulb, you only need a 15 watt fluorescent bulb to produce the same light. What this means is that less energy is used to create the same amount of light.

Fluorescent bulbs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and fit many styles of fixtures. Instead of the long "tubular" shape traditionally associated with them, you can get regular bulb shapes, spirals, or other assorted forms.

Did you know that fluorescent bulbs last 8,000 to 15,000 hours? That's 10-20 times longer than an incandescent bulb. Need we say more?

Fluorescent lights are cool to the touch. Unlike other forms of light bulbs, you won't have to worry about burning your fingers.

Fluorescent grow lights work superbly in greenhouses. Are you trying to grow a plant from seed? The light from a compact fluorescent light bulb produces quick growth.

What's not so great

Fluorescent lights tend to flicker, instead of producing a steady output of light. While this doesn't usually have a large effect on the human eye, it can cause a small strobe affect.

Fluorescent lights are more costly at the outset. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, as the low cost of bulbs and use of energy can offset the initial cost over time.

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