Halogen

A halogen bulb is a special type of lamp with a temperature method of producing light. It is usually made of quartz glass. Inside the bulb there is a tungsten filament, and the whole is filled with a noble gas with a small admixture of halogen (halogen, e.g. iodine). Such a mixture regenerates the filament and prevents its spraying, which at the same time prevents the bulb from darkening from the inside. The first halogen bulbs were introduced in 1960. The halogen contained in the noble gas forms a compound with the tungsten (or, to be more precise, with the tungsten vapors in the bubble). This circulates inside the bulb very close to the filament before it decays back into tungsten and halogen. As a result, the particles of evaporated tungsten are transferred to the filament, which is technically known as the halogen regeneration cycle. This type of solution makes halogen lamps have a longer life compared to traditional incandescent bulbs, and also show a higher luminous efficiency. It is estimated that the average time of their operation is about 1000 hours (although there are models that work even 2000 hours). What's more, halogens are characterized by a higher level of energy efficiency, they give a slightly whiter light, thanks to which they are gentler to the human eye, and they do not dim at the end of the bulb's life. The halogen lamp emits light of up to 22 lumens/watt. Conventional bulbs in this respect reach a maximum value of up to 18 lumens / watt. Despite such performance, halogens consume up to 30% less energy. Installing this type of light source allows you to really reduce electricity bills. The great advantage of halogen bulbs is that they can be purchased in various shapes. They usually take the form of small lamps that are easy to hide in various types of luminaires. Halogens are ideal for spot lighting, placed both on the ceiling and on the floor. Halogen bulbs are often confused with LEDs (probably due to the similar sizes of both types of products). However, it should be remembered that these are diametrically different light sources, operating on completely different principles and showing different parameters. In direct comparison, halogen bulbs have a much lower luminous efficiency than LEDs, they have a shorter lifespan and higher energy consumption. However, they are a cheaper product. An important feature of halogen lamps is their very fast ignition. Halogens should also not be confused with fluorescent lamps, the operation of which is based on the use of a phosphor stimulated by ultraviolet radiation. These types of lamps are usually more expensive, contain mercury, and their light is less natural and therefore quickly tires the eyes. In addition, fluorescent lamps tend to decrease their lifetime with frequent switching on and off. Despite many advantages, halogens also have a few drawbacks. The greatest of these is the degree of heating of the bubble. Bulbs of this type should therefore be installed in safe places out of the reach of children. It is also not the most economical solution. Although halogen lamps consume less electricity than traditional incandescent lamps, they are far from the aforementioned LEDs in this respect. In addition, in the case of 12V halogen lamps, it is impossible to use standard light dimmers. Correct operation is guaranteed only by tronic RC electronic dimmers. It should also be remembered that the availability of halogen bulbs in stores will decrease. On September 1, 2018, the European Commission introduced a ban on the production and sale of this type of light source, wanting to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. The availability of halogens is quite limited at this stage, and the products will permanently disappear from store shelves as soon as all stocks are sold out. Halogen bulbs are ideal for home lighting as general lighting. They can be installed in any room, although due to the slightly whiter color of the emitted light, it is best to opt for them in the kitchen, bathroom and living room. They may be less useful where the lighting is to be a bit more subdued (e.g. bedroom). Halogens are also often used for accent lighting, in which the light beam is focused on one specific place or object. They are often used, for example, to display individual external elements of buildings. Bulbs of this type are also suitable for creating an impression of color saturation indoors. This effect can be observed in restaurants, bars, museums, art galleries, etc. High-power units (up to 2000W) are used on film sets, where it is very important to obtain clear and natural light at the same time. There are halogen bulbs with several additional solutions to improve their work. The market includes models with a built-in fuse to protect the lamp from explosion that may result from overvoltage. Such bulbs are suitable for installation in open luminaires, devoid of the so-called cover glass. There are also halogen lamps with a factory-installed UV filter, which prevents these rays from getting outside the lamp and thus protects the illuminated objects from fading out. There are also halogen models equipped with special bulbs that protect the product against vibrations that can lead to faster wear of the bulb. There are several types of halogen bulbs. First of all, lamps of this type should be divided into those powered by a reduced voltage of 12V and those powered by a mains voltage of 230V. The former need a special step-down transformer, which is usually installed in the base of the lamp, to work properly. 12V halogen bulbs are not very popular and are used for extremely small luminaires or for a multi-point lighting system based on GU5.3/MR16 and G53 sockets. At EL12.pl you can find both of the above-mentioned types of halogen bulbs. We have lamps of various shapes and sizes. The offer includes halogen bulbs with a classic bulb shape, reflector bulbs, capsule bulbs, spotlight bulbs, linear bulbs and car bulbs. In addition, it is possible to purchase lamps with different types of caps: E14, E27, G4, G6, G6.35, G9, G9.5, GU10, GU5, GU5.3, GY4, GY6.35, GY9.5, J118, J78 , PG22 and R7s. This allows you to choose a bulb even for extremely unusual luminaires adapted to less popular types of bulbs. The offer of the EL12.pl store includes halogen bulbs from renowned manufacturers, including from brands such as Phillips, GE Lightning and Helios. We offer lamps of various power ranging from 2.2 to 1500W, luminous flux ranging from 96 to even 3300 lumens and a color rendering index (CRI) of less than 80 or equal to 100ra. All products on offer emit a warm light color (2000-3500K).