Halogen Lighting Explained

The traditional incandescent light bulb is the most familiar and commonly used type of light bulb in the United States. Compared to other lighting options, incandescent bulbs are the least costly to purchase, but the most expensive in application due to high energy consumption and a relatively short useful life. A halogen lamp, also referred to as a halogen tungsten lamp, is a type of incandescent light bulb that is more energy efficient and offers an alternative to traditional incandescent light bulbs.

Incandescent lamps in general produce light by utilizing the energy from electricity to heat and excite a tungsten filament, releasing photons, which are the basic units that make up all forms of light. A filament is a thin wire inside a bulb that gives off light when heat is introduced. When an incandescent light is turned on, tungsten evaporates from the filament and becomes affixed to the inside surface of the bulb wall. When there is no longer enough tungsten in the filament to conduct electricity, the filament gradually becomes more delicate and breaks, which is indicated by the bulb burning out.

Unlike standard incandescent light bulbs, halogen lamps contain a halogen gas, often iodine, within them. The shells of the bulbs are most often composed of quartz or a heat resistant hard glass rather than thin glass because of a high heat requirement for use. The halogen gas serves to return evaporated tungsten to the filament, instead of allowing it to permanently deposit itself onto the inside wall of the bulb. Fewer deposits inside the bulb result in a cleaner wall for light to penetrate, thus improving the luminance. Additionally, the process which allows tungsten to return to the filament increases the time it takes for the filament to break down, thus giving halogen bulbs a longer life than standard incandescent light bulbs. Like standard bulbs, halogen bulbs do burn out, but provide a longer useful life due to the slower dissipation of tungsten.

Halogen lights are popular for use in homes as well as industrial applications such as stadiums and medical facilities. Dimming capabilities make halogen light bulbs an attractive and versatile option for homes, but high heat can pose a hazard in certain situations.

Just as halogen lighting evolved from standard incandescent light bulbs for extended life and reduced energy consumption, viable alternative lighting solutions continue to be developed for the lighting industry. Fluorescent lights, which provide long life and low energy consumption, are widely available but require a higher initial investment than incandescent bulbs. Researching the positive and negative aspects of different lighting options will enable you to make an informed and appropriate lighting choice for your application.

About the Author: John Billington is the president and CEO of Five Rivers Inc., a leading online provider of home lighting, bathroom lighting and decor. For more information, please visit www.fiverivers.com.

About the Author: John Billington is the president and CEO of Five Rivers Inc., a leading online provider of home lighting, bathroom lighting and decor. For more information, please visit www.fiverivers.com.