CFL Bulbs (Compact Fluorescent Lamps)
Low Energy CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) Bulbs
- Energy saving lamps use only 20% of electricity compared to traditional halogen lamps.
- Compact fluorescents (CFLs) last approximately 5x longer than their halogen counterparts.
- Megaman GU10 and Kosnic GU10 lamps for use with CFL downlights.
- Please see the table below displaying some of the advantages of using low energy lamps:
| Lamp | Wattage | Average Life |
Days Before Changing (6hrs a day use) |
| Incandescent | 40W Candle | 1,000 Hours | 166 Days |
| Halogen | 50W GU10 | 2,000 Hours | 333 Days |
| CFL | 11W Kosnic GU10 | 10,000 Hours | 1665 Days (4.6 years) |
| CFL | 11W Megaman GU10 | 15,000 Hours | 2500 Days (6.8 years) |
| LED | 4W or 5W Kosnic GU10 | 30,000 Hours | 5000 Days (13.6 years) |
- When compared to halogen, CFL bulbs are a great way of saving energy but they are not perfect. Unlike halogen CFLs have to warm up which takes time. When CFL bulbs are switched on they get to around 10-20% brightness in a few seconds then get brighter gradually. Both the Megaman and Kosnic GU10s take on average 1-2 minutes to achieve 100% brightness. This can be very annoying especially when they are used in rooms that are not in regular use like bathrooms.
- If you are considering replacing CFL for halogen, Downlights Direct recommends using LED instead. LED is more expensive than CFL but is more advanced. LED uses even less energy than CFL and is instant start up. With the arrival of power LED technology, LED now provides a true halogen replacement.
