Lifespan Of Low Voltage & Energy Saving Light Bulbs

Although low voltage lights may appear to cost more than standard incandescent bulbs, the long term savings made from using these energy efficient low voltage bulbs more than compensates for the initial start up cost.

For example, a 15 watt energy saving light bulb can emit the same amount of light as a 60 watt standard incandescent light bulb.

As a result, you are able to illuminate your home using a fraction of the electricity that you normally would do, which means that you end up saving money on your monthly energy bills due to this reduction in energy usage.

In addition to lower power consumption, low voltage lighting also lasts longer than regular incandescent bulbs. This means less maintenance for you as the homeowner and fewer replacement bulbs.

In this article, we will concentrate on looking at just how long you can expect the different types of energy saving light bulbs to last you by revealing the lifespan of each of the main categories of low voltage lights.

Incandescent Light Bulb

Standard incandescent light bulbs use electricity to heat a filament that produces light. However, due to the thin filament used, and the resulting inefficiency of the bulb, the approximate lifespan of an incandescent light bulb is around 1000 hours (41 days of continuous use).

The main advantage of using incandescent bulbs to light up your home is that the bulbs themselves are very inexpensive to buy. In addition, their lifespan is also not affected by how rapidly you turn your light switch on and off as some energy saver bulbs are.

The main disadvantage is that they are quite power hungry and not very energy efficient. As a result, they are very costly to run in comparison to the energy saver bulbs.

Furthermore, depending on which country you live in, you may soon no longer be able to purchase incandescent light bulbs as some governments have decided to ban them from sale to help the environment. So who knows, perhaps in the future the only place you will be able to see these bulbs is in a museum?

Halogen-Tungsten Bulbs

Low voltage halogen lights are more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs because they have a thicker filament that provides less resistance to the passing electrical current.

The result of this is that halogen-tungsten bulbs can produce more light, whilst using far less electricity. This gives them an approximate lifespan of around 3000 hours (125 days of continuous use).

Halogen lights are very similar to incandescent bulbs and so they tend to run quite hot which can limit what you put them next to. Most of the time, halogen-tungsten lights are used as spotlights due to the intensity of light that they are able to produce.

One of the main disadvantages of using these bulbs however, is that the lighting equipment needed to run the bulb can be expensive as you have to purchase the right lighting fittings in addition to a transformer.

Fluorescent Tube Lighting

Fluorescent tubes employ a different technology to tungsten-halogen lights, and as a result are able to run cooler and more efficiently.

Fluorescent tubes have an approximate lifespan of around 20,000 hours (833 days, or just over 2 years of continuous use).

These are excellent low power lights that are very energy efficient and very long lasting. As a result, they are very suitable for providing light in areas which need to be kept lit for long periods of time or lit permanently such as hallways for security reasons.

Furthermore, because fluorescent tubes are a relatively old form of lighting technology, the tubes themselves tend to be relatively inexpensive to purchase, and because they last so long, you won’t need to worry about purchasing replacement tubes very often.

Energy Saving Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL)

Compact fluorescent bulbs employ a similar technology to fluorescent tubes, although on a smaller and more compact scale.

They have an estimated lifespan of around 10,000 hours (416 days, or just over 1 year of continuous use).

Due to the low price of compact fluorescent light bulbs, and their widespread availability, they are currently the most popular form of low voltage indoor lighting.

It is important to note however, that even though compact fluorescent light bulbs have a potentially very long lifespan, in reality, the actual lifespan a homeowner can expect from these energy saving bulbs is far lower than their estimated life.

The reason for this is that a CFL is sensitive to being switched on and off within a short period of time. Basically, these bulbs last the longest when they are left on for long periods of time. If they tend to be used predominantly for short periods of time, their lifespan can be significantly reduced.

Light Emitting Diode (LED)

The recent advancements in LED lighting technology have paved the way for a new and highly energy efficient form of low voltage indoor lighting.

LED lights have a lifespan of up to 50,000 hours (2083 days, or just over 5 ½ years of continuous use). This makes LED bulbs the longest lasting low voltage lighting solution available.

The good thing about LED lights is that they are not sensitive to being switched on and off rapidly like the fluorescent bulbs and tubes are which makes them ideal for use around the home.

Variations In Energy Efficient Lighting Lifespans

It is important to note that the figures given above for low voltage lighting life spans are approximations based on lab test results which have left a light on continuously.

In reality, the life span of a light bulb can vary depending on how it is used and the quality of the bulb.

Quality Of Equipment

The quality of low voltage energy efficient bulbs can vary enormously. As with any type of product, there are high quality versions and low quality versions.

Generally speaking, lower quality bulbs will not last as long, or be as energy efficient, as the higher quality bulbs.

To select a high quality bulb, look for products which contain an energy efficiency stamp. These will last longer, and be more efficient than bulbs that do not have this stamp of approval.

Quality can also be influenced by the generation of the technology that you are using. For example, when the first generation LED lights and compact fluorescent bulbs came out they had much shorter lifespans than the current generations do.

So with any new generation technology, it is best to wait awhile until new and improved versions come out that correct the problems the first generations had.

Usage

The numbers given for the lifespan of each low voltage light are for continuous usage. However, in reality lights will not be left on continuously, but rather switched on and off throughout the day and night.

This is a major factor which can affect how long your low power bulb will last you. Low voltage lighting such as fluorescent bulbs, are especially sensitive to rapid on/off cycles.

In other words, switching a fluorescent bulb on and off rapidly will drastically reduce its lifespan.

To maximise the lifespan of your bulbs, you should ensure that they are only used when needed for long durations of time.

However, it is important to point out that not all low voltage lighting is sensitive to rapid on/off cycling. For example, LED lights are not affected by duration of use.

Furthermore, it makes sense to use different types of lights in different areas of your home. In areas which you only need to illuminate briefly, such as underneath the stairs or in a closet, a halogen-tungsten, incandescent or LED light would be most suitable.

For areas which need to be lit for longer periods of time, such as in a hallway, kitchen or bedroom, fluorescent lighting tends to be the most appropriate.

Lifespan Of Low Voltage Lights

Below is a summary of the different types of low voltage lights and their estimated lifespans. The longest lasting is listed first and lifespan is quoted as continuous usage in hours and days.

LED Bulbs will last about 50,000 hours (2083 days)

Fluorescent Tubes will last about 20,000 hours (833 days)

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs will last about 10,000 hours (416 days)

Halogen-Tungsten bulbs will last about 3000 hours (125 days)

Incandescent Light Bulbs will last about 1000 hours (41 days)

As you can see, LED bulbs are the longest lasting low voltage light and are also the most energy efficient. LEDs have more than double the lifespan of fluorescent tubes and five times the lifespan of CFLs.