Basic lamp Types
- Incandescent
- Halogen
- Fluorescent
- Compact Fluorescent
- High Intensity Discharge (HID)
Incandescent Lamps
* Incandescent - the original lamp
* Invented in 1879 by Thomas Edison
* Incandescent means - emitting visible light as a result of being heated
* Also referred to as a GLS lamp which stands for General Lighting Service
* A technology that has stood the test of time
* Incandescent lamps produce light when a length of wire (filament) is heated by an electrical current (about 2500C)
* The wire or filament is made of tungsten
* If exposed to air the filament would burn up in a short time
* Air is removed from the glass bulb to create a vacuum or an inert gas inserted, usually nitrogen, argon or krypton gas
* The lamp fails when the tungsten filament evaporates, a thin spot melts or becomes weak and breaks
* A cold filament has less resistance than a hot one " which is why many lamps fail when turned on
Incandescent Lamp Types
- GLS " General Lighting Service
- Reflector
- Spherical
- PAR
- Candles
- Fancy Round
- Pilots
- Blacklight Blue
- Indicator and various other types
Incandescent Lamp Bases
- Bayonet BC B22d
- Small Bayonet SBC B15d
- Small Bayonet SBC BA15d
- Edison Screw ES E27
- Small Edison Screw SES E14
- Giant Edison Screw GES E40
Strengths
- Instant on
- Instant full light output
- Excellent colour rendering
- Low initial cost
- Ease of replacement
- Dimmable
Weaknesses
- Expensive to operate when compared to other lamp types
- Shorter lamp life
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