As a result of grain boundary etching and the development of porosity due to tungsten evaporation (near the end of life, a cross-section of the filament resembles Swiss cheese) within the filament, the resistance increases during life so the current decreases at constant volts. However, the current decrease is not substantial. Light output over life will depend upon both operating wattage and any bulb blackening caused by tungsten deposits on the bulb wall.

Eye Saver is an incandescent bulb. NASA conducted research with other light sources but found the incandescent light bulb is the best light source for this application because it produces the maximum amount of light with less glare. (back to top)

Yes, the unit can be used to power resistive loads such as coffee pots, hot plates, blenders, and incandescent and halogen lighting (not fluorescent).

The gases in the Halogen bulb illuminate at a higher temperature, therefore creating more intensity (foot-candles) to desired the location. The Halogen bulb will create a whiter (Kelvin temp), and depending upon the engineering and design of the product, cooler field of illumination.

Incandescent lamps are quite sensitive to voltage. If a "10 volt" lamp is operated at 12 volts it will produce twice the light, but will suffer a 95% reduction in life. Minor levels of overvolting (10% or less) will improve efficiency without unacceptable reductions in lamp life. Nightsun's Tri-Light and SunSport both use overdriven lamps.

You can use a dimmer with a halogen lamps but some low voltage halogen lamps require a special dimmer. Particles from the filament in a halogen bulb will cycle from the filament to the inside of the quartz envelope and back while in operation. Halogen bulbs used on a dimmer will last longer if they are set to full "ON" for two minutes before being turned off — this helps the particles from the filament complete their cycle.

The limits of the halogen technology was reached with the introduction of the PREMIUM lamp. This lamp offer 30% more light on the road ahead compared to a standard lamp. The only way for further improvements was via a new technology. The gas discharge lamp proved the answer.

Both regular incandescent bulbs and halogen bulbs create light by heating a filament (made of tungsten) inside the bulb; the heat makes the filament white-hot, producing the light that you see. Usually, the bulb burns out when the filament wears out. The filament on a regular incandescent bulb wears out over time because the tungsten on the filament evaporates and is redeposited on the bulb's glass.

The life of incandescent and halogen light bulbs, referred to as tungsten filament lamps, is limited by the state of the filament. The filament is the wire inside the bulb that produces light when heated. The light bulb will not work if the filament is broken which may occur as a result of the application of force, such as dropping the bulb, or by lack of tungsten in a particular area over the filament.

Halogen bulbs produce a whiter light and are 10 to 20% more efficient than regular incandescent bulbs. Halogen can produce more light with a smaller bulb, and are often used in modern fixtures with sleek designs. Both types of bulbs can last as long as 6000 hours on average, but halogen bulbs tend to be more expensive to replace. If you need more light from an existing lamp there are halogen bulbs designed to replace most regular incandescent bulbs.

Regular incandescent lamps produce light by passing an electric current through a filament in a vacuum or gas filled bulb. They provide low initial cost, good color rendition and excellent optical control. Halogen lamps also use a filament; but since it is sealed in a pressurized capsule containing halogen gas , the lamp provides brighter, whiter light and improved energy efficiency.

There are two kinds of bulbs used in halogen lamps: transparent and translucent quartz bulbs. Materials inside the halogen lamp include tungsten filament, molybdenum foil, and filling gases consisting of a combination of Nitrogen (N2), Argon (AR), Krypton (Kr) and a small amount of halogen gas made up of iodine (I), bromine (Br), chlorine (Cl), and fluorine (F). The base of the lamp is usually made of steatite or heat-resistant metal.

A - It saves some energy, but the light output drops much faster than the energy saved. This is because as an incandescent lamp is dimmed, it still consumes a lot of energy generating infrared heat, so the energy savings are not as great as the reduction in light. If you need less light, a better solution is to use a lower wattage lamp, or use a more efficient source like a CFL. For instance, dimming a 75-watt incandescent lamp by 25% will still use 66 watts.

A - Yes. With the cost of electricity going up dramatically, all incandescent lamps that operate for more than three hours a day should be replaced with CFLs. Fortunately, the prices of CFLs have been coming down dramatically. CFLs equipped with electronic ballasts can now be purchased for less than $10.00 in many locations. CFLs are three to four times more efficient than incandescent sources and last many times longer.

According to "The IESNA Lighting Handbook," incandescent lamps are frequently used to light flowering plants since they are strong in the red portion of the spectrum. However, incandescent lamps give off considerable heat and if used without care can damage plants. This includes reflector lamps. To avoid excessive heat, consider using GE's new compact fluorescent reflector lamp (GE FLE20TBX/L/R40, Product Code 40332). It provides light with less heat than the incandescent reflector lamp.

The switches listed on this site have incandescent lamps. But we do have other switches that have LED's. Contact us if you need a special order with LEDS: Sales@colehersee.com

The halogen cycle effectively prevents blackening f the bulb wall so that there is no reduction of light output or color temperature.

The coating used on infrared halogen PAR lamps is made from tantala and silica. It is applied only to the outside of the bulb.

No. Standard 12V automotive power sources are incompatible with the HID light source. The standard halogen bulbs run at 12V, while HID lamps run at approximately 25000V and require several amps to start up. The additional hardware that comes with the kit is needed to convert your car's 12V power source to drive the HID system. The connector is also totally different from any automotive halogen bulb connector. Yes and no.

If you are doing a conversion for a 9006 setup using the custom fabricated beam pattern correct kit, then no modifications to the HID lamp is needed to make it fit. Some headlamp housings where the 9006 bulb is held in by a clip may require the removal of a small tab on the inner edge of where the bulb enters the housing. This can be done using a file, but care must be taken not to allow any particles or dust to enter the headlamp housing.