That also results in an energy savings, and also helps to keep whatever room they are in at a cooler temperature. Over time, that amount of savings can make quite an impact on your overall electric bill. In fact, according to Energy Star , estimates that home owners can receive a return on their initial investment of a CFL in about six months.
Another major selling point of fluorescent lamps are the long light life they provide. On average a traditional incandescent bulb will last between to 1, hours. However, fluorescent lamps go way beyond that. Most will last about 10, hours, but many fluorescent are rated to last even higher, some even going as high as an incredible 50, hours. Having such a great light life offers another added savings, this time in maintenance and labor.
Obviously there will be no need to change out lamps as frequently as you would with conventional bulbs, meaning you'll need to purchase them less often and need to switch them out rather infrequently. And being you don't have to replace them very often, you can use fluorescent lamps in harder-to-reach areas with confidence. The con that fluorescent lighting naysayers will usually mention first is the fact that a fluorescent lamp includes a small amount of mercury liquid inside of it, which is converted into a mercury vapor when the lamp is turned on and is vital to the lamp's ability to make light.
This amount is incredibly small, especially when you think about the fact that not too long ago, we were still using thermometers that contained almost milligrams of mercury. And certainly fluorescent lamps do not cause the largest threat of mercury exposure to humans -- that honor goes to coal.
The EPA says mercury is naturally found in coal, so when it is burned at power plants, mercury is released into the air. The electrical circuit, which we'll examine later, is hooked up to an alternating current AC supply. When you turn the lamp on, the current flows through the electrical circuit to the electrodes.
There is a considerable voltage across the electrodes, so electrons will migrate through the gas from one end of the tube to the other. This energy changes some of the mercury in the tube from a liquid to a gas. As electrons and charged atoms move through the tube, some of them will collide with the gaseous mercury atoms.
These collisions excite the atoms, bumping electrons up to higher energy levels. When the electrons return to their original energy level, they release light photons.
As we saw in the last section, the wavelength of a photon is determined by the particular electron arrangement in the atom. The electrons in mercury atoms are arranged in such a way that they mostly release light photons in the ultraviolet wavelength range.
Our eyes don't register ultraviolet photons, so this sort of light needs to be converted into visible light to illuminate the lamp. If it still flickers, the starter may have failed in switch start circuits. If it still flickers, the ballast may be failing and will need replacing. Read our troubleshooting guide for more information.
This will be because the starter or the ballast is not operating properly and may need replacing. This may be because the ballast needs replacing. The ballast regulates the flow of electricity in to the lamp and towards the end of its lifetime, it may start to do this less effectively, sending to much or not enough current to the tube which has an adverse effect on the lamps average life. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled.
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These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. All fluorescent light bulbs need a ballast to function. A ballast is an electrical device used to supply the right voltage to start a fluorescent lamp, and limit it during operation. Fluorescent lights need ballasts because their gas components conduct electricity to operate.
To turn on, the lamps need a certain current. As the lamp continues to operate, its electrical resistance decreases. Charged particles multiply, and the current can climb on its own gas discharge.
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