Energy-saving lamps: how to choose them?

Incandescent bulbs slowly and sadly leave everyday life, and it is no longer possible to buy more powerful 95W lamps to replace burnt ones. Fluorescent lamps are designed to prevent dark times, but choosing a good lamp is not so easy, especially because Chinese and Turkish factories operate to their full height and flood shops with outright junk.

If you want to comprehend the mystery of choosing a lamp that will please the eye and will not spoil the eyesight - welcome under the cat.


UPD: it should be noted that the engineers in the lamp manufacturing companies at work do not read work and are actively refining the lamps. Therefore, much of what is described in this article over time loses its relevance.
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For example, the newer (relative to those described below) Nakai FS mini T2 25W / 833 are not equipped with either special openings or a soft start (it lights up immediately, but it comes to full power in a couple of minutes), but at the same time they work normally with “illuminated” switches, do not have problems with overheating and come with a warranty from the manufacturer for 1 year. For 3 months of use there were no problems with any of the 22 lamps.

Light temperature

First of all, it is necessary to determine the temperature - it not only affects the technical characteristics of the lamps, but also sets the mood. Lamps of warm light have to coziness, while colder ones increase efficiency.

In residential areas it is best to use lamps with a temperature of 2700..3300K - an even warm light disposes to rest, the home furnishings, the food and the inhabitants in it look better. At the same time in the bathroom it is better to hang fluorescent lamps (4200..5400K) - their better color rendition allows you to better see the minor flaws in appearance. This will be especially useful for pretty ladies when applying makeup.

The use of lamps with different color temperatures in the same room, as well as fluorescent lamps in combination with incandescent lamps, causes discomfort and may adversely affect vision.

As practice shows, Chinese Kelvin can vary widely, so these data are valid only for standard lamps, but the standards are slightly lower.

Chroma and color rendition.

In order not to translate Chinese Kelvins into ordinary ones, international markings on color rendition and color temperature were invented (the full table can be found in Wikipedia ). Currently, the lamps of the 500s ... 700th classes go down in history and 800th classes lamps are actively used in everyday life.

This marking is quite simple to read - the first digit is the color rendering class, and the last two indicate the temperature of the light: the lamp 830 gives light with a temperature of 3000K, 842 - 4200K and so on. Lamps without such markings and the PCT icon are almost certainly junk and are suitable only for lighting corridors, basements and other places where you do not have to stay long.

Ballast and “soft start”.

Fluorescent lamps are a kind of gas-discharge, so these same discharges occur in them with one or another frequency. The frequency of the discharge is regulated by ballast and can vary by orders of magnitude (Wikipedia speaks of frequencies of 20–60 kHz, but some craftsmen make lamps with a frequency of 50 Hz from the mains). If, when checking, it seems that the light bulb is flickering, then it is better to leave it in the store. Lamps that meet the standards, most likely will not flicker.

A soft start minimizes lamp wear when turned on and using a lamp through a backlit switch (lamps without a soft start on such a switch flash every few minutes - noticeable only if you look at the lamp in the dark, but the resource is still generated). Lamps with a soft start turn on a couple of seconds after power is applied and may not burn to full at first.

Ballast ventilation.

During operation, the electronic filling of the lamp, which is located in a plastic case, is the most heated. Therefore, it is best to choose those lamps whose air vents are located in different parts of the plastic case. Already working lamps can be modified using a drill - a link to the description of the modification at the end of the article.

12 air vents near the cartridge.

Personal experience.

About 3 years ago, I purchased about 20 energy-saving lamps for the home — these were NAKAI NE FS-mini 15W / 833 (with PCT AI-50 and CE markings) with good ballast and soft start. They light up after one or two seconds after turning on the switch and smoothly reach full power in a few minutes. The first pause is at first unaccustomed, but the gradual ignition is very good - the light does not hit the eyes. The lighting is smoother and more pleasant than from incandescent bulbs, and electricity bills have decreased dramatically, as they say. All light bulbs are still working and delight the eye.


One of the lamps nakai after 3 years of household use. Despite the fact that the cartridge was located on top, yellowed plastic around the main ventilation.

A little DIY.

In order to justify the presence in this blog: After the purchase, take the light bulb out of the box and screw it into the cartridge by the base. Touching the lamp by the flask is not recommended.

But seriously, in the previous article about lamps, as well as throughout the Internet, there is much in common and interesting, but very little information that can be applied in practice. I am trying to fill this gap and I hope that this post will help you to take a course on energy saving without any serious consequences.

Useful links on the topic.

Consumer characteristics of energy-saving light bulbs
Flicker of different light bulbs
LED bulbs
Repair and modernization of energy-saving light bulbs