Lighting is the most essential element for functionality, affecting the mood of the room, illumination of the room and so much more. For lighting to be affected, there is a need for a source of energy directed to the light switching.
Also, the bulbs used are a determinant. There are a variety of bulbs that can be used, among them are LED and Halogen bulbs.
However, these bulbs have differences in how they work and the kind of light to produce.
Below, we will look for more information about Halogen and LED bulbs while giving you the right to make a conclusion on what bulb you should choose.
What is the difference between Halogen bulbs and LED bulbs?
With a variety of bulbs in the markets, halogen and LED bulbs are among the most famous around the world.
However, these bulbs have major differences that distinguish them and how they work. Below are the differences between halogen and bulb bulbs.
– Operation.
Halogen bulbs operate mostly like the traditional incandescent bulbs in homes. That is, it has a core that rests on a tungsten filament that is at the center of halogen gas-filled quartz encasement.
When the filament is fed with electricity, it becomes illuminated.
On the other hand, the LED bulb is more comprised of a single physical element called a semi-conductor.
The electricity is fed through the semiconductor that triggers the microscopic subatomic electron particle which starts to move thus generating energy that comes in the form of light.
– Energy efficiency.
Both bulbs have notable differences since the Halogen bulb uses much energy for its work. The filament that is fed with the energy turns it into heat before the production of light which makes it produce so much brightness.
While the LED bulb, requires only little energy which is triggered by a semiconductor eventually producing light.
– Variation in colors.
Halogen bulbs are made with bright white light which has a yellowish cast with a warm glow. It is ideal for use in bedrooms and living rooms while the LED bulbs have a white light with a blue light cast that is not best when sleeping.
– Production of heat.
Halogen produces heat when turned on due to how the filament converts the energy to light up the bulb.
On the contrary, the LED bulbs do not produce the light as it uses microscopic subatomic electron particles which merely move to produce lights thus no heat is exhumed.
LED Merits and Demerits
The LED bulbs have their advantages and disadvantages that users experience when using light up their locations. Below are the pros and cons of LED bulbs.
Pros
- Long-lasting.
The bulbs are very long-lasting that you may never need to replace them. For normal usage, they can give a service of up to 23 years.
- Energy-efficient
These small bulbs are well known for taking less energy. Due to the consumption of lower energy, you are assured of reduced bills thus saving costs.
- Variant colors
The LED lights have a broad range of brilliant saturated colors that perform across the spectrum.
The mostly used white color is available too. The different colors module enables the production of high numbers that offers usage in different areas.
- Are excellent in directional lights
They offer diffused light as needed in the living room. The product has evolved, thus offering omnidirectional lights with reflective surfaces that strive to provide an even glow.
- Comes with varied design and style
The lights are made with different designs such that it can be used in an exposed pendant or chandelier.
They are made with different finishes and shapes that make it possible to complement fixtures in a room while being energy efficient.
Cons
- They are not always dimmable compatible
Although some manufacturers may suffer that they have included dimmable features, sometimes it may end not working.
Halogen bulbs Pros and Cons
Just like any other product, their halogen lamps have their merits and demerits to the user. Below are among the pros and cons of using halogen bulbs.
Pros
- Small, lightweight
This is merit where the bulb is made in compact sizes. That means, it can be able to fit in in small fixtures, or low profile areas.
Besides, they are lightweight due to their small sizes that cannot be weighed down with the likeliness to fall. Their small sizes enable them to direct light in flood or spot beam angles.
- They are dimmable
These halogen bulbs work very well with dimmers. This means that they can dim according to the required lighting in a location.
They join the kind of bulbs that are preferred to be used in restaurants and homes where the amount of lighting varies as required.
- Produce white bright light
Among the reasons why they are preferred is because of the lighting they produce. The white bright light is similar to that of the sun that is yellowish cast with a warm glow.
When using the halogen bulbs, you can see through the clear, crisp light the color being brighter and the room seem more lager.
- High CRI
Unlike incandescent bulbs, the color rendering index in halogen bulbs is art 100 percent. That means, they render color extremely realistically making them be used by the fashion, jewelry, and fashion stores.
- Have greener options
After the breaking down of the bulbs, they can be taken to some areas for recycling. Besides, they are safe to dispose of in regular trash.
Cons
- Emitting heat
When in use, the bulbs are likely to emit a lot of heat in the room. That is why you’re not advised to use them in the kitchen, workspace, or elevators.
Also, they should not be touched when turned on as they can cause burns.
- Have a short life span
The demerit of this bulb is that the average hours of usages are up to 2000. That translates to six months. Thus changing bulbs in that span is time-consuming and costly.
- Cannot be touched with bare hands
Even if your hands are cool, you cannot touch them. The oils in fingers get in contact with the bulb thus shortening the life span.
- High-pressure gas
Among the demerit is the gas made inside it that has high pressure. This means that the bulb requires a shield in incase of potential shattering.
Which is better, LED or halogen lights?
Generally, both lights are good to be used for lighting purposes, however, LED light is better.
When you opt for LED light over halogen, you are going to save money due to usage of less energy thus reduced bills.
LED lights are more energy-efficient where they use low wattage and in turn, help you get more lumens.
Also, they are life long-lasting in comparison to halogen which needs changing every six months.
The LED lights are highly evolving and getting an even better feature for improving the lighting in your location.
Why shouldn’t replace halogen with LED?
It is important in the 21st century to consider replacing your light from the traditional and halogen to LED.
These lights have so much advantage over the halogens, among them include:
– Has endless color choice.
The halogen light is what most people were using a while ago, that is the warm bright light and by now many are used to it.
However, the LED lights come with many choices of color temperature according to what you may want.
Besides, the lights are not limited to providing the warm light color that is available in halogens.
 – The lights are better for the environment.
By replacing the halogen light with LED, you would have taken part in conserving the environment.
Firstly, it’s because the material making the bulb can be recycled and the second is that the bulb uses less energy thus reducing energy derived from the environment.
– Lasting longer.
The halogen bulbs are likely to keep crashing regularly incurring your cost of buying new ones while the LED bulbs may last approximately 20 times, longer than halogens. Thus a plus to replacing.
– Affordability.
Although the prices started quite high at first, they are now getting affordable while the cost of replacing the bulbs in your house has immensely reduced.
-Instant lighting.
Most halogen bulbs may take longer to reach full brightness.
With an LED lamp you don’t have to wait for 2 minutes for the bulb to reach maximum brightness since it was heating up. The lighting is instant and in seconds.
 – LED light using up less energy.
The lights are energy-efficient which means that they use up energy in comparison to brightness.
The LED lights use 90% less energy than the equivalent halogen bulb. That means, by replacing you will be saving up the amount you are used to paying for using halogen lights.
How to replace a halogen bulb with an LED bulb?
As a solution to saving your electricity bill and customizing the lighting of your home or business, you might decide to shift from Halogen bulbs to LED lights.
The LED technology has made it their mission to produce energy-efficient bulbs without having to lose the quality of light produced by the halogens.
This is an exercise you do yourself without stressing a professional thus saving on cost.
Below is a step-by-step process on how to replace a halogen bulb with a LED one.
– Step 1: Switch off the power supply from the circuit breaker box. This ensures safety from getting electrocuted in the middle of the activity.
– Step 2: Unplug the Halogen bulb available in the circuit. If you cannot reach it use a ladder or a solid piece of furniture. If the bulb has been turned on, give it ten minutes to cool off before removing the bulb and get it using a piece of cloth.
– Step 3: Examine the original fitting of the bulb if it’s through small pegs or pins. Look at how the connectors look to be identical to the LED built one and by checking at the base of the gloves you will confirm the wattage the bulb should use. However, the LED bulb uses much less power.
– Step 4: Use a screwdriver to loosen the screw and loosen the driver which is just above the fitting.
– Step 5: On the fitting are two wires, find and link fitting to the driver and make sure to cut the ends.
– Step 6: Take the wires and link them to the LED driver. This is the point where you attach the live wire to the live one and the neutral input to the neutral input.
– Step 7: Connect the driver to the bulb fitting and to a point where you use multiple fitting for a single driver, ensure to fasten each fitting separately.
– Step 8: Install the LED bulb and into the fitting. Of the fitting pins, the bulbs will easily snap into the fitting.
– Step 9: Turn on the power at the circuit breaker.
– Step 10: Finally, turn on the power on the light switch and enjoy the energy-saving LED bulb.
FAQs
1. Can you put LED lights in Halogen lights?
Due to the usage of Halogen bulbs for a long time, you may be feeling adventurous thus deciding to shift to LED light. This exercise might not require so much hassle as the LED lights can be put in Halogen lights.
You can replace the halogen bulbs yourself as long as there is low voltage and you are following the instructions to the letter.
Don’t be left behind with the Halogen bulbs while others are switching to the LED bulbs.
2. Are LED bulbs cooler than Halogen bulbs?
Yes, LED bulbs are cooler than Halogen bulbs.
Halogen bulbs require energy to transform into heat that later turns on into the light. That explains the reason why the bulb requires so much energy for it to light up.
Consequently, due to heat being extreme by touching it with your hands when it’s on, might cause your hands to severe burns.
However, the led lights only require much energy to be converted to light rather than heat. This is because the energy reacts with a semiconductor that triggers microscopic subatomic electron particles which move to produce energy.
The LED bulbs are cooler than Halogen bulbs because they do not require conversion of energy to heat for light to turn on.
3. Are LED bulbs cheaper to run than Halogen?
Yes, the LED bulbs are way easier to run than Halogen as they use less than 90% cost of energy.
By doing your calculations, on the wattage you use with halogens and that with LED the difference is big.
Effect it by establishing the cost by multiplying the number of kWh by the number of kWh. You will discover, the LED bulb requires little wattage to produce the same light.
The less wattage means less cost of paying the electricity bill yet enjoying the same brightness. Thus the need to switch the bulbs.
Conclusion
Halogen and LED bulbs are both found in the market. What will determine the kind of bulb to choose is the efficiency, the kind of color they produce, and how long they will be serving you.
From the above information, you have acquired more knowledge of both kinds of bulbs. It will be easier to make a wise decision as all have their advantages and disadvantages.
