Halogen Powered Standard Light Bulbs

Having replaced your mains GU10 & 12v dichroic MR16 halogen spotlights with equivalent 12v LED spotlight substitutes, think about installing halogen replacement bulbs for those common or garden GLS light bulbs you have fitted in standard & ceiling lamps usually anything that makes use of some kind of lampshade & throws light in all directions.

Halogen capsules packaged inside standard light bulb casings have been around for some time, but were three times something of a speciality.




Now however, plenty of if not most do-it-yourself & hardware supplies, over ranges of halogen powered light bulbs that use regular bayonet & screw type fittings in different sizes & wattages.

These look like normal light bulbs in every way, the difference being a halogen capsule (similar to a halogen table lamp bulb) is embedded inside in lieu of a simple filament.

They also shine exactly like a regular GSL bulb, though perhaps slightly more bright & crisp. You could basically substitute a standard 40w light bulb with a 28w halogen equivalent in fact you might even get away with replacing a 60w bulb since the light from the halogen substitute is that bit sharper.

But the best bit is that although these halogen bulbs cost (at present) very 50% over the equivalent GSL fitting, they last to times as long ( a lot longer that that in fact if used together with a soft-start dimmer switch) & consume upto a third less electricity. While these savings are clearly not even close to what most LED home lighting can delivering, they are still significant since the primary cost of providing domestic lighting is the energy used to run it & the replacement costs of the bulbs.

The key to home lighting efficiency is a) reduce the operating cost (i.e. use less power) & b) reduce the frequency of replacement. The optimum solution of work is full LED home lighting where you are taking a look at reducing power consumption AND increasing bulb lifespan BOTH by a factor of at least twenty.

But as an intermediate step on the inevitable path to full LED home lighting, converting to halogen replacements for normal GSL light bulbs has much to commend it.

It is a simple DIY (do-it-yourself) job that any can do & the cost savings will basically outweigh the acquisition cost even in the event you march straight down to your local do-it-yourself or ironmongery store right now & throw away existing, perfectly serviceable GLS bulbs BEFORE they actually require replacing.

Keep in mind, the cost of lighting is the walking cost NOT the acquisition cost. Buy whatever costs the least to run. The earlier you start using low energy consumption lighting the extra funds you will save. It is no more complicated than that.