Bright lamps for the home. What are the best lamps to use for lighting in the house? How much did we pay yesterday?

At major renovation or improving comfort in your apartment, house, cottage, etc., it is very important to focus on the choice and organization of lighting. 4 main types of household lamps are widely used, which differ not only in design and energy efficiency (consumption electrical energy), but also durability. Moreover, the cost increases with increasing efficiency and durability, which ultimately allows you to save by reducing the amount of electricity consumption.

To determine which is best for your application, compare lumens old lamp with a new lamp. Yellow light, also called warm light, leaves the atmosphere more cozy, so it is ideal for relaxing areas such as rooms, rooms, libraries, etc.

White light, also called cool light, makes us more alert and always gives a feeling of space and cleanliness, which is why it is always used in bathrooms, kitchens and other environments that require more attention. Below comparative analysis light temperatures. Be careful when you replace the lamp, as fluorescent or incandescent lamps can break easily.

And this is very important, given that in 2013 in the Republic, prices per kilowatt of consumed electricity repeatedly and significantly increased, and further, as the authorities predict, the rise in price will continue at an even faster pace. Therefore, do not save money today - buy and install energy-efficient lamps today, or at least replace the lamps in existing ones with more economical analogues.

Then remove the reactor that was used by the fluorescent lamp. Lighting for gardens and yards requires a good eye to make sure everything is correct. Reflectors and spotlights are ideal for outdoor environments as they have a strong light to illuminate the night.

Installation of this type of lighting in gardens should be done using reflectors. Always pay attention to the direction in which the light should be installed so that it does not disturb the glass or glass doors. For sports fields, always look for a design to ensure that the entire area is well lit.

1. Incandescent lamps.

The most common today are the usual old type of incandescent lamps, which are the leader in inefficiency, but are also the cheapest. Operating principle: in a special environment when passing electric current the spiral heats up and begins to glow. Its service life is no more than 1000 hours, and the efficiency (or percentage of transformation into light radiation) is less than 5% of the energy consumed. Therefore, this type of lamps is being discontinued in Europe and soon this trend will reach us. We recommend using incandescent lamps with a power of no more than 60 watts, and where more light is required, use more economical analogues. I recommend using incandescent lamps only in the bathroom, hallway and bathroom, that is, where frequent switching on and off is required and the light does not burn for a long time, because these lamps are cheap, and more expensive ones, for example, with a regular base, inexpensive energy-efficient fluorescent lamps do not last long - due to frequent switching on.

Incandescent lamps will no longer be sold in Brazil. Despite their popularity, these models leave much to be desired. According to the Brazilian Lighting Industry Association, only 5% of the energy from an incandescent lamp is converted into light. The remaining percentage turns into heat.

Incandescent lamps act as heat emitters. Therefore, they attack our skin and can increase the risk of melanomas. In addition, they produce carbon dioxide, which is extremely harmful for promoting deterioration greenhouse effect. In the Brazilian market, the consumer currently finds three lamp options. Before choosing which one will light up your home, the board should evaluate some factors such as.

2. Halogen lamps.

is structurally similar to incandescent lamps and differs only in the addition of a halogen buffer gas cylinder with a spiral inside, due to which not only the lamp life increases to 2500-4000 hours, but also the efficiency is three times higher, i.e., the power of a 30 halogen lamp will be as much give the same amount of light as a regular 90 W incandescent light bulb.

Energy efficiency Health risks Service life Composition Price impact on environment. They last five to six times longer than others. This the best option than a halogen lamp. This is an inexpensive model with good energy efficiency. But you have to be careful about discarding. Fluorescent lamps consist of mercury, which is a toxic gas.

Composed of filaments of the metal tungsten and iodine or bromine, it is not unlike old incandescent light bulbs. They are highly recommended by interior designers to give a modern and sophisticated look. In addition, they illuminate the entire environment in a uniform manner.

When purchasing, it is important to pay attention and take into account the scattering angle of the light beam from a halogen lamp, which can be either narrow, medium or even wide. A narrow angle is useful for concentrating light in a specific desired location, such as where you often read, but it will not be enough for efficient lighting toilet or bathroom.

This type of lighting is mainly suitable for living rooms, offices and libraries. Technology for durability. If you use the lighting every day for 24 hours, you only need to change the bulbs after four and a half years of use. After just a few years of the energy crisis, when several Brazilians rushed to stores to change their incandescent lamp bandits to fluorescent lamps at the time, the retro lamp fashion is emerging. A new villain in the concept of energy efficiency, but the flirtation of the show scenery and increasingly sought after by Brazilians is classy and sophisticated.

Attention, the halogen lamp is afraid of any appearance of dirt on its surface! Never touch it, even with washed hands - this will subsequently lead to its breakage due to quite high temperature heating When replacing it, take a new one and insert it only in the package.

In my home I use halogen lights built into the ceiling only in the bathroom and toilet.

But are these lamps worth using? The carbon incandescent lamp is usually called a retro lamp, and the name is very appropriate, because it is truly a rebirth of the lamp of the past. Lamp created by Joseph Wilson Swan and later supplied to industrial production Thomas Edson, had light emission as its main function. At the time, the product that produced light was at its maximum, and this was the case until other elements and more efficient technologies were discovered.

The Thomas Edson lamp was improved, the filaments were changed, the filaments were better insulated, but although they had fantastic brightness, they generated comparatively more heat than light. They were expensive and only came in 12V versions that had to be powered by a transformer. But since it was impossible to find transformers for low power in the market, these lamps blinked. At that time, the solution was to connect several light bulbs to one transformer.

3. Fluorescent lamps.

Economical fluorescent lamps, which are a gas-discharge light source, are widely used today in offices, homes, apartments and garages. The principle of operation is simple: inside the lamp, in a specially created environment with mercury, a discharge is formed and constantly maintained, the energy of which is converted into light by a special substance - phosphor, covering inner surface lamp bulbs. The efficiency of such a lamp is 5 times higher compared to an incandescent lamp and allows you to get the same amount of light with a power of 15 W as from a 75 W conventional light bulb!

But these bulbs don't produce colors as they are, and as much as they are described as warm light temperatures, they are still cool! And they still come in a variety of formats to suit decorators and architects crazy. They alone decorate themselves, leaving the chandeliers simpler and simpler and demonstrating the beauty of their inefficient energy generation.

Yes, they are very ineffective. Hanging lamp with carbon filament lamp. Televisions, traffic lights and public lighting already have LEDs instead of the conventional bulbs used in their designs. If you've already jumped on this problem, know that the answer is quite simple and you can see a more detailed explanation below.

Today, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) with a regular base, designed to quickly replace conventional ones with more economical ones, are widely advertised and sold.

In all the rooms and in the kitchen in my house there are only fluorescent lamps.

Attention! This type of lamp contains mercury from 2 to 60 mg inside. Mercury vapor is extremely dangerous to human health, so I recommend taking it to special collection points for fluorescent lamps. In the Republic of Belarus, you can always find out addresses in City or District Electric Networks (RES).

In a common incandescent light bulb, less than 10% of the energy passing through it is converted into light. The other 90% of the electricity is lost as heat, which is why this type of lamp gets so hot when it is handled for long periods of time. Already thinking about energy saving, fluorescent lamps appeared, which consume much less energy than their successors, but they have mercury in their composition.

In addition to being very small compared to other lamps, the diode has a really good brightness ratio. In addition, heat generation during this process is virtually zero, which helps save energy. In Brazil you can already see some lamps using this technology instead of conventional lamps.

4. LED lamp.

We present lamps for lighting and growing plants: LED phytolamp, Osram fluora, fluorescent, incandescent and gas-discharge. We will tell you which lamp is best suited for growing, lighting and growing plants and flowers.

Lamps for lighting and growing plants: types

Every experienced gardener understands the importance of lighting and the role of lamps for indoor plants and flowers, especially in autumn, winter and spring.

The types of lamps you use determine good lighting in every room of the house. Although this is a very personal choice, there are some rules that can guarantee greater visual comfort and still provide a little help with the design. Ideally, home lighting matches the needs of each environment and represents low energy consumption at the end of the month.

Kitchen: makes it easier to identify food colors

Let us check which types of lamps are ideal for each room in the house? This environment requires optimal lighting for accurate viewing of food. Fluorescence is also widely used in this environment.

Bathroom: Avoid shadows on your face

There are a lot of mistakes made in this room. The rule for the bathroom is simple: and uniform, especially in the sink basin.

It is at these times of the year that many plants need additional lighting or even constant artificial lighting with the help of special phytolamps.

In this regard, the question arises: “What is the best lamp to use for lighting and growing plants and flowers?”

For additional lighting of indoor plants you can use Various types lamps: incandescent, fluorescent, gas-discharge and LED.

Room: using a variety of lighting

The bathroom should be well lit, as this is where women dress and men shave. Reflective bulbs should be avoided as they cause shadows and interfere with these moments. Ideal for the bathroom is the use of fluorescent lamps. The lighting that produces the greatest impact in a room is the uniform and indirect lighting produced by using frosted glass or acrylic filters.

Living room: choose warm lighting

For a pleasant and cozy environment, choose lighting made with yellowish bulbs. However, dichroic lamps provide a sophisticated environment with more focused illumination, but one must be careful about its use as it may cause a glare sensation.

Each type of lamp has its own advantages and differs in efficiency of use.

Incandescent lamps

A standard incandescent lamp is low efficient and has many disadvantages (low light intensity and service life, heating, light spectrum only promotes vertical plant growth (lots of red and very little of blue color), high energy consumption).

Dining room: offer different types of lighting

The dining room can offer various options scenes, for example: two light bulbs from the ceiling, providing a more intimate air to the environment, central hanging chandelier or washers for indirect lighting, which gives a very pleasant feeling, used in family dinners.

External area: use energy-efficient lamps

A dimmer for this area of the house is very useful and guarantees good savings.

Office: keep it well lit

An office should have lighting in some places such as the desk and shelves. However, care should be taken when using the type of light that can cause glare - which is the case with reflective lamps, especially in relation to a computer screen, as well as the absence of light, which can cause fatigue.

They can only be used when large quantities light in winter in southern latitudes (length of daylight hours 10-12 hours) in greenhouses and winter gardens as evening lighting.

Incandescent bulbs work well for short-stemmed, long-leafed plants or long-stemmed vines.

Incandescent lamps for plants have a special reflective surface and produce a spectrum of light with a peak in the blue and red ranges.

Most commonly used lamp types

Halogen incandescent and incandescent lamps: These have a classic format and are usually white, bright and intense. Traditional incandescents are the ones that consume the most and produce the most heat. Fluorescent lamps: These come in two types: compact, more modern and tubular. Are you unsure which one to buy? Understand the differences between each and choose the best option for your environment.

They have much lower energy consumption than incandescent lamps.
They can be found in white and yellow colors.

Sold by the linear meter, the tapes are also durable, reaching 50,000 hours of use.

Basically, incandescent lamps are used as an additional source of light with red rays together with cold (4000K or 6400K) lamps.

T8 fluorescent lamps for plants

The lamp spectrum is close to daylighting(6500K – daylight), economical energy consumption.

Most indoor plants grow well and many bloom (Saintpaulia, impatience). This is the basic option for artificial lighting indoor plants and seedlings.

They spend about 8 watts per meter to achieve the brightness of an extinct 60-watt lamp. The hoses are also easy to dry with heat and short lengths. In addition, a driver or stabilizer is measured for each tape measure, which adjusts the complete change in light intensity without changing the color of the light.

For example, they are easier to install than ceiling lamps. "Just one day to apply them where you want them and that's it," says lighting expert Herbert Abreu. Hoses also withstand more system changes such as power surges.

Unlike strip lighting, which often requires skilled labor to install safely, lightweight hose can be applied by anyone with a hammer and plastic cable clamps. Adding a comfortable effect to your environment is also easier with hoses since they have incandescent bulbs with yellow lights. If someone makes a mistake and chooses the first one, it will result in home office lighting.

There are special phytolamps for indoor plants, for example: osram fluora.

The emitted light of phytolamps occurs in the red and blue spectrum (we see pink-violet color), which activates photochemical processes and improves the growth and development of plants.

OSRAM FLUORA FLUORESCENT LAMPS FOR PLANTS

For those who have a lot of young plants or with a great need for light, it is better to buy special phytolamps like osram fluora for plants.

Legalization Incandescent lighting is still legal in Brazil. Energy-saving light bulbs, also called “compact fluorescent light bulbs” or “low consumption light bulbs,” are being used to replace incandescent light bulbs, which have now greatly improved comfort and luminous efficiency. to all needs and adapt to all luminaires.

Energy-saving light bulbs actually use the same technology as fluorescent light bulbs, commonly called "neon lights." To adapt this technology for internal use, it has been miniaturized. The tube was folded, twisted, miniaturized and improved and therefore became more compact. The lamp actually contains a mixture of mercury vapor and rare gases, which, creating electric field, emit ultraviolet radiation, which the light-emitting powder turns into visible light. As for the fluorescent tube, the eco-friendly light bulb is equipped with a base containing electronic components that provide continuous illumination. Unlike conventional light bulbs, energy saving light bulbs take longer to heat up or a few seconds before full work lamps: usually 2 seconds to reach 40% of its intensity and 2 minutes to 80%. Good to know: when using quick start technology, the ignition speed allows the lamp to reach 60% luminous flux in less than 30 seconds.

Osram fluora fluorescent lamps for plants are 10-12 times more expensive than conventional fluorescent lamps, but have the best spectrum among all types of lamps.

The balance of blue and red with the peaks of these two colors is close to the ideal ratio. They can also be combined with a standard 765 or 840, 865 lamp.

OSRAM L 18 W /77 FLUORA - 18 Watt (60 cm), or OSRAM L 36 W /77 FLUORA - the same, 36 Watt (120 cm) T8 type.

Gas-discharge lamps (mercury (DRL), sodium (DnaT) and metal halide)

They are divided into mercury (DRL), sodium (DnaT) and metal halide.

1. MERCURY VALVES

In this group they are less effective and useful.

2. SODIUM LAMPS

This type of lamp has a number of advantages. Sodium lamps high pressure very different high efficiency, luminous flux power and long service life (12-20 thousand hours).

They are most often used in lighting large area: greenhouses, greenhouses, winter gardens. They are not recommended for use in residential areas due to their very high light output. You can try it on a remote loggia or balcony.

The spectrum of the lamp contains many red rays; it is useful for root formation and flowering of plants.

For maximum efficiency, they must be combined with mercury or metal halide lamps.

A 250 W sodium lamp in a special lamp provides illumination of 15 thousand lux on an area of 1 sq.m.

3. METAL HALIDE LAMPS

This type of lamp, according to experts, is the most perfect for artificial lighting of plants.

Metal halide lamps have high power, long service life and an optimal luminescence spectrum, but also a fairly high price.

Nowadays they produce lamps with a ceramic burner (Philips (CDM), OSRAM (HCI)) with a high color rendering index (CRI=80-95). Domestic analogues can be found in the DRI series.

Light Emitting Diodes (LED)

Advanced LED technology has a number of advantages. LED light bulbs have a long service life and minimal energy consumption.

In order for the plant to receive red and blue rays, the lamp must contain LEDs of these two colors at the same time in a ratio of 8:1 or 8:2.

Lamp color temperature

Color temperature is measured in Kelvin (K).

2700K– “warm” light / Warm light – radiation predominates in the red part of the spectrum, incandescent lamp light. Other types of lamps produce a glow close to that of an incandescent lamp. This type of glow is used for flowering.

4100K– “neutral white” light / Cool light – radiation across the entire spectrum, with a predominance in the green part.

6400K– “day or cool white” light / Day light – radiation predominates in the blue part of the spectrum, which is suitable for vegetative growth.

8000–25000K– ultraviolet / Black light – ultraviolet radiation.

What lamp power is needed to grow and illuminate plants?

The choice of lamp power is influenced by: the height of the lamp above the plant, the presence of a reflector and the group to which the plant belongs (bright light, moderate or weak (penumbra)).

UNIVERSAL FORMULA

Per 1 m2 of grown plants middle group illumination requires 400 W of incandescent lamp power or 5500 lumens.

Those. a shelf 1 meter long and 0.5 meter wide with plants will need 2750 lumens.

A height of 30 cm reduces the luminous flux from the lamp by at least 30% and it turns out that you need three T8 fluorescent lamps of 36 W each. If the lamp does not have a reflector, then the luminous flux is reduced by another 30% and another 36 W lamp is needed.

For shade-tolerant plants light is needed by 30-40% less, and for light-loving people (bright light) more by 30-40%, respectively, the luminous flux from light bulbs.
According to the experience of gardeners, it is quite enough: tropical plants, citrus fruits, monsteras, philodendrons - 1 Fluorescent Lamp T8 18 W (60 cm) with reflector, suspended above the flower at a distance of 25 cm.
For palm trees 150-200 cm high - 2 T8 36 W fluorescent lamps (120 cm) with a reflector above the plant at a distance of 40 cm and 30 cm between each other.

Which lamp to choose for plants and flowers?

To illuminate indoor plants at home, it is best to use fluorescent lamps with a glow temperature of 6400-6500K and a color rendering index of at least 75, i.e. 765 is marked on the lamp, but 865 is better.

Depending on the number of colors, choose a T8 lamp type with a power of 18W (60cm length) or 36W (120cm length) - these are the most popular options that are easy to find and inexpensive, as are the lamps for them.

The main thing is to select a lamp for illuminating plants with a higher color rendering index: using osram or Philips lamps as an example: not 765, but 865 or the Lumilux series. The first number indicates the color rendering index: 7 – 70-75 or 8 – 80-82.

And the next two numbers are the color temperature in Kelvin: 40 – 4000K – neutral white light, 65 – 6500K – blue (cold daylight white).

EXAMPLE: OSRAM L 36 W /765 Daylight - 36 Watt (120 cm) T8 - the optimal combination of price and quality.

IMPORTANT! The closer the lamp reaches the end of its service life, the lower its luminous flux becomes. At the end of the service life it is no more than 54% of the initial one.

When working for 12 hours every day, the lamp will work for no more than 28 months. In practice, there is often no point in using a lamp for more than 12 months (5000 hours).

In addition, use an incandescent lamp so that in addition to the blue color, the plant also receives red waves. Main principle: per 100 W of light from a fluorescent lamp 30 W of incandescent lamp.

For a lamp 18 W 765 (about 80 W) - 25 W incandescent lamp, for a lamp 36 W (160 W) - 40 W incandescent lamp. This way you can get a better balance of red and blue.

ALTERNATIVE: LED bulbs. For those who can now afford to spend more money on artificial lighting for indoor plants.
The amount spent now will easily pay off in the future due to the large resource and low consumption of LED lamps.

Which is the best lamp to buy for plants? Results

SUMMARY: The choice of lamp for plants and flowers, of course, largely depends on the amount we are willing to spend and our goals.

For illuminating plants on the balcony in an apartment and for constant artificial lighting of flowers or seedlings in a greenhouse, different types lamps

The editors of the Flower Festival magazine recommend the following for the average florist:

A budget option– OSRAM L 36 W /765 Daylight – 36 Watt (120 cm) T8 fluorescent lamp + 40 W incandescent lamp.
Middle option– fluorescent lamp for plants OSRAM L 18 W /77 FLUORA - 18 Watt (60 cm), or OSRAM L 36 W /77 FLUORA - the same, 36 Watt (120 cm) T8 type.
The best option– LED phytolamp for plants LED Grow Light from a reliable manufacturer.

An example of an Osram fluora lamp

Yellow rays inhibit the growth of stems, so the peak in the yellow part of the spectrum is suitable for aquarium and stem plants (dracaenas, ficus, some palms).
Photophilous houseplants, for example, cacti, are optimally illuminated in a combination of light from “warm”, “daylight” and phytolamps.
The red (pink-violet) color of phytolamps tires the retina of the eye, so they are turned on at night or when there are no people in the room.

ADDITIONS TO THE ARTICLE:

We hope that now you know which better lamp for plants to use exactly in your situation.

After reading all the materials, you will definitely be able to provide the highest quality and most effective lighting and grow beautiful and healthy plants!

We wish that flowers and plants in your home will delight you in any light and at any time of the year!