There are three main types of light bulbs; energy saving (‘CFL’ or ‘Compact Fluorescents), Halogen and Incandescent.

Energy Saving:

Energy Saving Bulbs use roughly 20% of the power of traditional incandescent bulbs and can last up to 5 times longer, they are perfect to use in areas where light needs to be provided for large periods of time such as an outdoor garden light or overnight light. They use gases instead of a filament used by incandescent and halogens, please be wary of how you dispose of your energy saving bulbs though and make sure you dispose of them properly as they all contain mercury and phosphor which can be harmful to the environment if not disposed properly.

They now come in all shapes and sizes ranging from the ‘stick’ type to the light bulb or candle bulb shapes, most of these are available in the four main bases or caps; Edison Screw (E27 or ES), Small Edison Screw (E14 or SES), Bayonet Cap (B22 or BC), and Small Bayonet Cap (B15 or SBC). There are also ‘dedicated’ versions of Energy Saving bulbs meaning that they have their own special fittings, usually ‘pins’, such as 2-pins and 4-pins.

Please also note that most energy saving bulbs cannot be put on a dimmer switch!

Halogen:

Halogen bulbs are more efficient then incandescent bulbs, meaning that you save energy. They also last twice as long. A slight downside though is that they produce a lot more heat.

Low Voltage- These bulbs use 12V (Volts) which means that a transformer must be used, generally on a light fitting the transformer will be provided and fitted inside the light, but on certain fittings such as low voltage recessed down lights for the kitchen, bathroom, etc, the transformer will need to be fitted separate from the fitting(s). The advantage of low voltage over mains voltage is that it provides a better, crisper quality of light. They also last longer then their mains voltage counterparts.

Low Voltage bulbs come in two main types, the MR16 is encased in a glass frame and is mainly used in spotlights or down lights and either throw the heat forwards (aluminium reflector) or backwards (dichroic) generally this won’t matter unless the fitting specifies a certain one. They come in 20W, 35W or 50W. The other type are capsule bulbs, very small bulbs, these generally come in two types; the G4 or GY 6.35. They come in 5W, 10W, 20W, 35W or 50W, the G4 tends to be the first three wattages and the GY6.35 tends to be 35W or 50W.

 

Mains Voltage- Bulbs that run off 240V. Mains Voltage Halogens give the advantage of having halogen without the need of transformers. Mains Voltage halogens are usually the glass encased GU10 (20W, 35W, 50W) versions that are seen mainly in spotlight or down lights much like the MR16, and a small capsule bulb called a G9 (25W, 40W, 60W) much like the G4 and GY6.35.

Incandescent:

Generally, good quality light bulbs should last an average life of 1000 hours. The three main types of incandescent lamps are:

These bulbs come in four main bases or caps:

These bulbs come in clear or frosted, for a chandelier or where the bulb is visible it is wise to use clear bulbs.

LED Lighting:

These are very small but relatively bright for their size and have a life often in excess of 50,000 hours. LED is yet to break the market in a large way but it is only a matter of time until it becomes a major light source. Currently, they are very popular for outdoor lighting or garden lighting along with kitchen lighting for undercabinet or undershelf lighting plus for feature lighting in the home.

Dimming:

Incandescent and Halogen bulbs can be dimmed, most energy saving bulbs and LED can’t. Please also de-rate a dimmer by 25% when using mains voltage halogen, so for example, a 400W dimmer will only be able to dim 300W of mains voltage halogen.