If you own an older home that features tube and knob wiring, you’ll need a  local electrician to replace it before installing light bulbs. Old wiring is rarely heavy enough to support modern illumination options. Even if home wiring isn’t an issue, there are four main bulbs to consider. Learn about each here to determine your illumination needs for each room.

4 Light Bulbs That Electricians Want You to Know About

1. Incandescent

The residential light bulb standard for decades, incandescents provide a warm, yellow-white glow that works that can be dimmed or brightened. Since the soft glow they provide is conducive to getting ready in the morning, they work best for bathroom and bedroom vanities.

They are also perfect for fixtures like chandeliers in living rooms, dens, and dining rooms, because they can be dimmed. While these bulbs last between 1,000 and 2,000 hours and have undergone energy-efficient upgrades, they still use the most energy and have the shortest life span compared to other options.

2. Fluorescent

Standard fluorescent bulbs emit a harsh, cold, bluish light without dimming possibilities, making them ideal for workspaces in home offices, garages, basements, and sheds.

Compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs, offer warmer tones for use in kitchens and bathrooms; however, both bulb types feature argon and mercury gas and therefore have special recycling needs. CFLs do not use as much energy as incandescent bulbs and last for up to 5,000 hours.

3. Halogen

A type of incandescent light bulb, halogen options produce white light perfect for “task lighting.” They are excellent in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, basements, and home offices. They also serve as flood lights and car headlights, and illuminate art and other decor.

While halogens offer greater energy efficiency than standard incandescents, they also burn hotter and require careful handling. Halogen bulbs last between 450 and 1,000 hours.

4. LED

Light-emitting diodes, or LED bulbs, provide light in colors like white, blue, and red. LEDs work best under kitchen cabinetry, on steps and stairways, and as part of landscaping and holiday light displays since they offer directional rather than diffused light.

They enjoy the greatest energy efficiency and can last up to 50,000 hours, depending on your frequency of use. Most LED bulbs are also recyclable. 

 

Get old wiring replaced by the experienced electricians at Cedar Park Electric before installing new light bulbs. The electrical company has served the Greater Cedar Park, TX, area since 1996, providing installations, repairs, replacements, and surge protection, among other services. Contact the commercial and residential electricians today at (512) 965-6789 to make an appointment or visit the website for more information. See what satisfied customers say about the electricians on Yelp.