Harm and benefits of energy-saving fluorescent lamps

In recent years, the policy of transition to energy-saving technology has led to the emergence of a large number of commercially available fluorescent lamps.Although using this type of lighting is already quite a long time about their safety disputes do not fall silent until now.So what's the harm and benefits of energy-saving fluorescent lamps, try to understand this article.

Mercury Properties

all concerns when using fluorescent lighting were not born in a vacuum.After all, in the production of lamps using a small amount of mercury vapor, which are toxic to humans, according to the majority.Making sense of this stereotype enable knowledge of the properties of this unique liquid metal in vivo.

Of course we know chemistry that mercury at ambient temperature is liquid.By itself, it is a heavy metal silver is not dangerous.However, mercury is able to evaporate even at a low temperature, not to mention the more serious its values.These couples are not only able independently distributed through the air indoors, and to form volatile compounds with organic substances absorbed on household items, furniture and even ordinary dust particles.

vapors may penetrate the building materials, the thickness of the water and soil.Liquid mercury has a low viscosity and high surface tension, which promotes the separation of one drop into many smaller ones.This further increases the evaporation area.The particles of liquid mercury are very mobile, making it very difficult demercurization premises.They are readily soluble in organic solvents and in water, even in the absence of free oxygen.At pH 8, the solubility is at a minimum.If you change this parameter in either direction increases the solubility.Liquid mercury is capable of dissolving some metals, noble even without difficulty.This produces so-called amalgam.In this connection naturally that the substance acts deleteriously on metallic structural materials.

Chemical properties of mercury is such that it is very ionized, and this creates great difficulties in converting its vapor in a relatively safe salt.At room temperature, it is impossible to air oxidation.We need a very strong oxidizing agents.Not even suitable dilute acid, such as sulfuric and hydrochloric.It takes concentrated nitric acid or aqua regia to mercury oxidation reaction took place.It is the complexity of the neutralization of toxic substances and makes it necessary to take serious security measures in the use of mercury in various devices, including in fluorescent lamps.

Advantages and Disadvantages of fluorescent lamps

dismantled in the chemical properties of mercury, it becomes clear why the fluorescent energy-saving lamps have serious shortcomings, with all its advantages.

Today we can not imagine life without the use of artificial lighting.Whatever it may be, to create it used lamps.More often than not since the beginning of the 20th century, we use incandescent bulbs, which are different power - 40 watts, 60 watts, 100 watts.With such a relatively high power, have a small incandescent lamp luminosity, which greatly affects the efficiency of that even hardly reaches 50%.That is, we are paying the money not only for lighting, but also half of the heating filament in the bulb.

Such profligacy in modern conditions is increasingly becoming irrelevant, so was born the integrated fluorescent lamp.It is also called energy saving.

The fundamentally different from the energy-saving lamp incandescent bulbs?

device incandescent lamps simply to understand it and know about it most people.Put in a glass bulb from which the air is exhausted, the tungsten filament is heated to a bright glow under the influence of passing through it an electric current.The device is a fluorescent lamp does not understand everything.Saving lamp is a glass flask, which is filled with mercury vapor and inert gas argon.Also included may be, but not necessarily, ballast or starter.The inner surface of the bulb is sprayed from a special material phosphor.It is caused by ultraviolet radiation emits visible light.When the energy-saving light bulbs arises electromagnetic radiation, which provokes the mercury vapor to create ultraviolet radiation.It is in turn supported on passing through the surface of the lamp phosphor is converted into an ordinary visible light.

spectrum of visible light may have a bias in one direction or another.Therefore, there are fluorescent lamps with light whose spectrum is closer to yellow, and are closer to blue.The first are more natural, since their spectrum similar to sunlight.Modern lamps have the same socket as the incandescent lamps, which is hidden inside an electromagnetic transducer.The diameter of the cap is 14 or 27 mm.These are standard dimensions, allowing twist these lamps in all modern fixtures and chandeliers.

advantages of energy saving lamps

Now we can list all the qualities possessed by the energy-saving fluorescent lamps:

• Serious energy savings.Due to the fact that the efficiency of such lamps is very high, they pay 5 times more light energy than incandescent bulbs.Fluorescent lamp power of just 20 watts produces the same amount of light as a 100 watt incandescent light bulb.Savings in this case is about 80%.Over time, reduce the luminosity is not observed, in contrast to incandescent lamps.
• quality fluorescent lamps have a lifespan several times (5 to 15) greater than that of ordinary light bulbs.The manufacturer points out of 5 - 12 thousand hours.This is because they lack the items is heated to high temperatures.This feature is convenient in locations where frequent replacement of lamps is problematic.
• Fluorescent lamps have low heat dissipation, since all of their energy is converted into light output.These lamps are poorly heated.Therefore, they can be used in any of chandeliers and lamps, even in those where the standard bulb higher power can melt cartridge.
• Increased light output occurs due to the fact that energy is not wasted on heating the tungsten filament in incandescent lamps.Energy saving lamp gives light completely from all over its surface.Its light is more soft and diffused, which is beneficial for the eyes.Different shades of phosphor possible to produce lamps with mild or cold, yellow, or white light.Everyone is free to choose for themselves a more suitable shade.

The above advantages in many respects determined the popularization of fluorescent lamps in recent years.This contributed to the unification of the cap with conventional bulbs.However, there are shortcomings that are still obstacles to the full replacement of incandescent bulbs with fluorescent.

Disadvantages of energy saving lamps

Currently, the most important disadvantage of energy-saving lamps is their very high cost, which exceeds the cost of incandescent light bulbs in 10 - 20 times.However, this disadvantage offset by efficiency and duration of use.According to calculations, high-quality fluorescent lamp is able to pay for themselves in less than a year in some cases.This applies to those places where lighting is required on a daily basis.An important prerequisite is the use of lamps is qualitative because some Chinese instances have the same service life as the incandescent lamp, if not smaller.

There is another important feature of energy saving lamps, which undoubtedly should be attributed to a shortage.This mercury vapor, which it is filled.We have already discussed the danger of fumes and the difficulty of their neutralization.So too dangerous to break up the lamp in the apartment and other premises.Treat them must be very careful.This forces them to carry environmentally dangerous devices, so their utilization is governed by special regulations and presents some inconvenience to the user.Dispose of used lamps is prohibited.

methods

proper disposal of energy-saving bulbs An important drawback is the use of energy-saving lamps of mercury vapor in their design.This makes them unacceptable throwing in the garbage disposal or in the container.Their disposal is strictly regulated.We know two ways of utilization:

• Blown saving lamps must be attributed to the district Deux or RG.They have special containers to be installed.Acceptance in Moscow free of charge on the basis of the Moscow government decree "On the organization of work for the collection, transportation and processing of waste fluorescent tubes" of 20 December 1999 № 1010-up area.In other regions, there may be their regional regulations governing disposal.
• If the lamp enough (this applies to businesses or offices), it is a contract with organizations that are engaged in activities for the reception and disposal of mercury-containing products.The site of Greenpeace, you can find a list of points of reception of fluorescent lamps.

should be remembered that the correct disposal of hazardous devices depends on our environmental security.

What you should pay attention to when purchasing fluorescent lamps

choosing to buy energy-saving lamps, you must have an idea of ​​what characteristics and properties should pay attention:

• Power is a very important parameter.In fluorescent lamps, it varies from 3 to 90 watts.It is necessary to multiply the capacity by 5 to understand what this lamp luminosity will have, when compared with the incandescent lamp.Therefore, when buying a lamp for a particular device, you need to see what light bulbs it was.If there is screwed lamp 100 watts, then you want the fluorescent lamp 20 watts.
• Spectral characteristics of the lamp light.They can be identified by the following marking: 2700 K - warm white light of 4200 K - Daylight, 6400 K - cold white light.By lowering the color temperature shift of the spectrum there is the red, while increasing to blue.Therefore, you should first pick a suitable color for you.Only then can you buy light bulbs of the same spectral type.

• The shape of the lamp are spiral and U-like.The principal difference in their work and do not have the characteristics.Just the first smaller and more expensive second.It should also take into account the features of the lamp.After all, not every light bulb can come in size for him.
• By type lamp base also differ.Most of them are designed for E27, and some on a plinth E14.Accordingly, if the chandelier in the great patrons, the first type of approach, if small, then the second.Lamps for lighting of office space can be in the form of long, thin tubes.They have a fundamentally different type of cap and contacts.

All of these characteristics are available on the packaging of bulbs.For example, marking ESS-02A 20W E27 6400K on the packaging indicates that the lamp has a 20 W, with a large cap (E27) emits a cold white light (6400K).

In summary, it can be concluded that the main advantages of energy-saving fluorescent lamps is their high efficiency and very long lifetime.This gives a very significant savings, especially on the scale of the whole household.The range of lamps in the stores big enough to give everyone the opportunity to choose the right product.At the same time, the difficulty may arise for disposal of mercury-containing lamps, as not all the cities there are specialized companies engaged in this activity.