Advantages and disadvantages of CFL and LED bulbs

After phasing out incandescent light bulbs, you’ll decide which energy-saving bulb to buy the next time one of your lights goes out. While all energy saving light bulbs use less electricity than older incandescents, there are significant differences between the various options.

CFLs

Compact fluorescent lights are a smaller version of the fluorescent light strips often associated with commercial or public buildings. These small fluorescent tubes offer a high-quality light similar to the light produced by incandescent bulbs. A CFL bulb typically uses about a quarter of the energy of an equivalent incandescent bulb, and it also has a much longer lifespan, so it could help you save money for relatively little initial cost.

However, CFL bulbs also have their drawbacks. They contain mercury, a toxic metal. While metal doesn’t pose a health risk while safely stored inside the bulb, its presence means you can’t throw away a CFL bulb with your other household waste; instead, you should take it to a local recycling center, where it can be safely handled. You also need to be very careful when cleaning a broken CFL bulb.

leds

Light bulbs that contain light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, have many advantages over their CFL counterparts. LEDs use small amounts of energy – the LED equivalent of a 60W incandescent light uses only 6-8W. As a result, you could make big savings on your electricity bill. LEDs also have a long lifespan: around 50,000 hours, compared to 1,200 hours for an incandescent bulb or 8,000 hours for a CFL bulb. They also contain no toxic mercury.

The main disadvantage of LED bulbs is the cost. Although LED bulbs can save you money in the long run, you can expect to pay a lot more to purchase the bulbs. LEDs are also directional, meaning they emit all of their light in one direction, making them less than ideal for use in lamps. However, some specialized LED bulbs contain diffusers to address this issue.

Conclusion

While LED bulbs have a high initial cost, they can help you save money over the years. The decision to install CFL or LED bulbs in your home depends on your current budget and your long-term plans. If you plan to move house in the next few years, investing in LED bulbs may not be worth it. However, if you take a long-term approach to saving energy and want to avoid bulbs that use harmful mercury, then LED bulbs are the way to go.