Compact Fluorescent Lights

The big attractions of using compact fluorescent lights are energy efficiency and economy. Typically CFL lamps last around ten times longer than incandescent ones and use a quarter of the electricity. And although they quite a bit more expensive to purchase initially, they pay for themselves quickly through reduced energy usage.

However, there are some things you need to take into consideration if you’re planning on using CFLs outside. The most important is temperature. CFL lights will not work efficiently in low temperatures, and can even fail to function at all. Particularly high temperatures may cause low light output and reduce the lifespan of the lamp. The recommended air temperature range is between 20 and 140 degrees farenheit (-6 to 60 degress centigrade). So if air temperatures of less than 20 degress F, including wind chill, are common in your location, CFLs may not be a good choice.

Another consideration is that compact fluorescent lamps are not good at providing a concentrated spotlight-type beam of light. Though they provide good general illumination which will be useful for most applications, incandescent or halogen lights are better if a single point light source is required.

There is no doubt that CFL lamps will become more and more popular – partly by consumer choice and partly due to government legislation – and as a result puchase costs will come down, making them an even more attractive proposition.

Wattage Equivalency Table