There has been a surge in the use of halogen lamps in homes and businesses in the recent past. At the same time, many more people remain uninformed about the difference between halogen lamps and regular light bulbs.

There are several reasons why people are opting to use halogen lamps for their indoor and outdoor lighting. Whether you are installing new lighting fixtures or replacing your existing ones, halogen light bulbs offer an attractive alternative to incandescent light bulbs.

The following points highlight some of the benefits you get from using halogen lamps.

Energy Efficiency

The main advantage that halogen lamps have over the regular electrical light bulbs is that they tend to burn less energy while producing more light. This is because they give off more light per watt than regular light bulbs. On the other hand, incandescent light bulbs of similar wattage have been found to produce more heat than light during usage. This heat is usually lost making their energy consumption high.

Brighter Light

A Halogen lamp comes equipped with a much more focused beam. This enables it to produce more powerful and brighter light than an incandescent light. This is especially true when comparing the two types of light bulbs that have the same wattage and beam spread.

For this reason you may want to use a halogen lamp with a lower wattage when replacing your regular light bulbs with new halogen ones. Also remember that a halogen lamp with a wide spread beam may mean that you use fewer lighting fixtures than you normally would.

Long Lasting

Most halogen lamps have a lamp life that is generally twice that of the incandescent bulbs. The reason for this is that Halogen lamps use halogen based gases which when exposed to heat from the filament combine with the vapor from the burning filament. The resulting compound is deposited back on to the filament making the filament last longer.

By design, non-halogen light bulbs use argon and nitrogen gases. When these bulbs are lit, their filament burns, just like halogen lamps but unlike halogen bulbs, the filament burns much quicker until it becomes thin. It eventually breaks and renders the bulb useless.

Types of Halogen Lamps

Most halogen lamps are designed for optimum output in specific areas. For example the BT15 halogen light bulbs are made to easily replace your standard incandescent light bulbs in the house. However, if you require track lighting or landscaping lighting, then you will need to look for MR 16 or MR 11halogen lamps. Other categories available include the following:

Parabolic Aluminized Reflector Lamps (PAR Lamps)

These are designed for use outdoors. The heavy glass covering the lamp means that you can safely use them in your yard. Depending on your needs, PARS are available in wide beam or narrow beam.

'R' or 'BR' shape Lamps

All 'R' and 'BR' shape halogen lamps are used for indoor lighting fixtures or protected areas. They come in what is known as soft glass which may not be exposed to extreme weather.

Caution: Halogen lamps Can Burn

The sharper beam concentration of a halogen lamp means that the light is brighter. In addition, the heat intensity is more than in a regular light bulb. When you combine this with the fact that halogen lamps are much smaller in size and the wattage high, the potential for danger becomes real. If not properly protected, the heat generated by these lamps can easily cause a fire as has been the case.

It is important to avoid touching a halogen bulb with your fingers due to the qualities of the bulb casing. Touching this will leave some type of debris that can lead to overheating of the bulb. It is best to handle the bulb with a towel or simply hold the base.

Be sure that your halogen lamp is properly installed and that the wattage is suitable for the selected space.