When Is The Time Right To Upgrade Your Lights?

By Tom Sanderrs

If you want to save energy and money, you should do periodic checks in your home. Many homes have outdated lighting and need to upgrade in order to cut down on energy costs. But when do you upgrade? Even if your house is up to the latest building code standards, you should start by looking at your fixtures.

If you are still using incandescent lighting, you are wasting money. All of your old bulbs should be replaced with compact fluorescent bulbs. You see, the problem with incandescent bulbs is that most of the energy is heat, not light, and that's why they are hot when you go to replace them.

The CFL bulbs produce and emit the same light, but use less in the way of watts to do so than a regular incandescent bulb would. While you are in the process of replacing bulbs, it is also important to check out the fixture too. If it is old, cracked or make suspicious sounds when you switch it on, then the entire fixture should be replaced since it is just wasting you money and are also potentially dangerous. A fixture that makes sounds might have a short and that can eventually lead to a fire.

All fluorescent lights need a ballast to operate. The ballast alters the electrical current and makes the gas activate inside the tube. In the old ballasts, which were of a magnetic mechanism, you would get a buzz, and possible flickering of the bulbs. This old system was not only noisy, but are also way less efficient, because of the moving parts. New CFL have electronic ballasts built inn eliminating buzz and wavering lights.

If you still have and are using incandescent lighting or old version ballast fluorescent you might find it helpful to call in a professional to assess your lighting and they can tell you what you need. Also, in many areas there are energy assistance agencies that will pay for part of the cost of replacement. You can find out more information by checking with local agencies.

The main question asked is when lights need to be upgraded and quite simply, they should be replaced whenever a new technology is developed and made available. Even if you cannot afford things right away, it is best to stay informed on all the latest developments and know the advantages.

You might feel that it is expensive, but you can start of small, like replacing all those old bulbs with CFL. While you may think that these are a little expensive, but you will see a significant savings on your next power bill.

Many sources provide information on upgrading lighting and when to do it. Although many sources are online, there are also many in the community and especially those that are not yet familiar with the latest technology should gather as much information as possible. You need to know the terminology and learn about the different kinds of lighting available, such as LED or CFL bulbs. However, keep in mind that if a fixture is not working right then it has to be replaced for safety reasons since faulty fixtures can cause fires. - 29955

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