If you are still confused over which light bulb to use, then congratulations, this article will bring the answers to your questions. We have explored and experimented extensively on the LED light bulbs (Light Emitting Diode) and Traditional light bulbs (Compact Fluorescent Lamp/Halogen) and we will walk you through an exhaustive comparison of them.
Most times, these two light bulbs are confused for each other. Therefore, before we delve into the comparisons, it is crucial that we clear the fog of which is which, of the two light bulbs.
The Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL bulb) is spirally shaped while the Led light bulbs are long or sometimes oval.
Having made this clarification, we will now swing into the comparisons:
Cost:
Have you ever heard the cliché -the cheapest things are the costliest things? As weird as this cliché sounds, it is true. And it is true also, for these two light bulbs.
The LED light bulb is more costly than the CFL bulb but it will prove cheaper in the long run. This is because the LED light bulb is by far, more durable than the CFL. Therefore you may purchase as many CFL bulbs while one LED bulb is still delivering. In addition, the LED bulb is ideal for lightening effect and also yields brilliant light for decorative purposes.
Hazardous Nature:
The CFL bulb is filled with Mercury and this is a major disadvantage. This ordinarily should not be a source of worry. However, you will be concerned if the CFL bulb breaks. This is because when the bulb breaks the mercury pours out and inhaling it can cause damage to the nervous system. Therefore packing and disposing of the pieces is a real difficulty.
Also, when the bulb burns you should take a lot of care in disposing of it, as you need to take it to a place it won't pose any hazards. You can contact your local waste management team on how to dispose of used CFL bulbs properly. Conversely, LED bulbs do not involve any of those hassles; when it breaks or burns you can conveniently dispose of it.
Energy Efficiency:
There is no gainsaying that CFL bulbs have had a nice run. However, with the advancement of the LED bulbs in consuming lesser energy, it is clear that the CFL will phase out soon. This is because LED makes use of Diode light, which emits very little energy in the form of infrared radiation and this is by far more energy efficient than the filament light, which the CFL bulb uses. LED, however, uses more than 75% energy less than the Filament lights. If the power levels get lower the difference gets wider. Large LED bulbs can make use of 10 to 11 watts of energy in low power supply as opposed to the CFL bulbs that use 50watts.
Brightness: it is difficult to say which bulb delivers more brightness. This is because the two bulbs operate differently. LED light bulbs are directional, that is, they focus in a particular direction; while the CFL lights are omnidirectional, shines in all direction. Light output is measured in Lumen per watts and this difference in direction makes it somewhat difficult to determine which is more potent in brightness.
If you take a look at the average lumen/watt of each of the bulb, 61lumen/watt for CFL and 57lumen/watt for LED bulb from LED bulb manufacturer, it may seem as though CFL delivers more brightness. However, when you probe deeper, you will find something different. Taking into account that all the light delivered by the CFL bulb do not focus where you want them. A part of the light escapes behind from where you mount the bulb and focuses on the ceiling. The reflected light from the ceiling also helps to give more brightness. Conversely, LED light bulbs do not give this problem, since the light is directional, no matter where you mount them. All the light they give out yield brightness where you desire. Therefore, in theory, CFL bulbs may have more lumens/watt, but in practice, they do not deliver more brightness than the LED light bulbs.
Durability:
The LED light bulbs feature a break-through in technological advancement in power consumption and energy efficiency. They also last longer than any other light bulbs commercially available in the market, including the CFL bulbs. They last over 10 times more than the CFL light bulbs and 60 times of incandescent bulbs. This means an average LED bulb can last for six years if you leave it on for twenty-four hours of the day and seven days of the week. However, if you make do with 16 hours in a day then you are looking at more than 8 years of usage. Moreover, if you need it for only four hours per day, then you are going to have a stunning 35years of use.