Which lamps are better: LED or energy-saving? Comparison and evaluation of parameters. Comparison of resistance to adverse factors

Every person who creates lighting in their home immediately begins to ask the question: which light source to choose? As a rule, people choose between LED and energy-saving lamps. However, many do not understand how they differ and which ones are better. Therefore, in this article we decided to compare LED and energy-saving lamps, remember the main characteristics, talk about efficiency, pros and cons.

Comparison of LED and energy-saving lamps: pros and cons

Power consumption

When buying a light source, every person first of all thinks about their efficiency. Let's take a standard incandescent lamp as a basis and imagine that it consumes 100%. Energy-saving light sources consume 20%, and LED 10% at the same brightness.

Conclusion! LEDs consume less electricity and produce similar lighting. Accordingly, they win seriously here.

Glow brightness

Let's pay attention right away! The brightness of the ice glow is several times better than its energy-saving counterpart.

If we talk in more detail about fluorescent lamps, they do not correctly convey the light spectrum; there are also many shades. LEDs in this regard are more stable and versatile.

Look at the photo to see how the luminous flux differs.

Which lamp is the most economical - a clear example

Environmental friendliness and safety

LED lamps are a big winner here too, this is due to the fact that they do not contain mercury. But ordinary housekeepers contain mercury, it belongs to the first hazard class (the most dangerous). We even reviewed the article: how to recycle fluorescent lamps, so when buying them, you should clearly understand that you still need to properly throw them away after use.

The second serious problem with fluorescent lamps is that they emit harmful infrared radiation, which can cause many diseases. LEDs do not have such disadvantages, so in modern realities it is better to buy them.

Flicker

Every light source flickers. If we are talking about energy-efficient lamps, then they flicker 50 times per second. This flicker can cause eye fatigue and irritation. However, here you still need to understand that a lot depends on the quality of the build. If a good driver is installed, the flickering will not be too harmful to the human body.

Speaking of LEDs, they seriously stand out. Since they do not flicker and fill the room with only high-quality light. But, a lot also depends on the quality of the lamp; if we speak for Chinese manufacturers, then their quality begins to seriously suffer and flickering may appear.

How long do they last?

Here's a list right away:

1. Energy-saving lamps last up to 10,000 hours.
2. LEDs boast a service life of 50,000 hours.

The indicator differs by more than 5 times! The advantage here is significant, even though LEDs are a little more expensive (if we are talking about expensive manufacturers).

Who turns on faster

Fluorescent lamps turn on in one second. This is due to the fact that the driver needs time to warm up, and the mercury also needs to be heated. Accordingly, it takes longer to heat up.

Please pay attention! After one year of use, energy-saving light sources can be turned on even longer.

LEDs have no problems here either; they start working instantly and do not lose their brightness even after a certain time.

Which lamp is better: LED or energy saving?

Guarantees

It is also very important to look at manufacturers' warranties:

• Manufacturers provide a three-year warranty on Ice;
• energy-efficient ones can only boast a one or two year warranty.

You should draw your own conclusions here.

Heating temperature during operation

The housekeeper heats up to 50 or 60 degrees during operation. This is not much, but over time it can heat up even more as the main elements of the driver wear out.

The LED generally shows stable operation and never overheats. Accordingly, they can be used in any room.

Price

The average cost of both lamps in our territory is 220 rubles. So, it can be called a fair draw. However, here it is worth clearly understanding that much depends on the manufacturers. We strongly recommend choosing only high-quality light sources, because it is better to pay once and use it for a long time. Cheap Chinese analogues will almost immediately fail, and you will have to buy new ones, which will result in you having to overpay.

Video on the topic

We found several more interesting videos online, from which you will learn:

• Advantages and disadvantages;
• life time;
• design features;
• spectrum of light and much more.

These videos will help everyone understand the basic subtleties of choice.

Conclusion

This concludes our comparison of LED and energy-saving lamps. As you may have noticed, LEDs are ahead in all respects, so we recommend choosing them. However, when purchasing, try to look only at high-quality models that have quality guarantees.

To provide a room with high-quality lighting, it is necessary to use a reliable light source. At the same time, it is important that it is economical. Today, many people use LEDs instead of fluorescent lamps. And there are objective reasons for this. Below you will find out how an LED lamp differs from an energy-saving lamp in such aspects as:

• radiation;
• flicker;
• life time;
• temperature;
• ecology;
• Energy consumption.

In addition, we will cover the practical aspects required to replace energy-saving light bulbs with LEDs.

Radiation and flicker

Fluorescent lamps are gas-discharge lighting. The illumination is created by a phosphor exposed to ultraviolet radiation generated by the discharge. At the same time, the discharge itself also creates a small flux of light. Thus, fluorescent lamps create ultraviolet and infrared radiation.

This has a noticeable effect on human vision. High-intensity ultraviolet radiation can cause burns to the retina. But if its intensity is small, there will be no negative effect. On the contrary, exposure to ultraviolet light will relax the periocular muscle group, stimulate the iris and nerves of the eyes and increase blood circulation. The situation with infrared radiation is approximately the same. At low intensity there is a beneficial effect, at strong intensity it is negative.

LED lamps are more convenient in this regard. They are characterized by absolute coherence. That is, they are emitters of light of a given spectrum. The impact on vision of energy-saving and LED lamps differs in that the second option, in principle, cannot harm human health. There are also opposing opinions about this. Which one you support is up to you.

These two types of lamps also differ in the level of flicker. In this regard, an LED energy-saving lamp is better than a fluorescent lamp. Because it has virtually no shimmer. LEDs use constant voltage to operate. At the same time, fluorescent lamps are characterized by flickering, the frequency of which is 50 hertz. It also has a negative impact on human health and well-being.

Of course, there are also high-quality energy-saving lamps that contain electronic ballasts that provide a pulsation coefficient of less than 1%. As well as low-quality LED lamps that do not include a stabilizing driver and contain only a resistive-capacitive step-down circuit. However, the de facto situation has developed in such a way that a choke-starter circuit is mainly used as electronic ballasts in fluorescent lamps, and in the production of LED lamps, on the contrary, drivers with ripples of less than 1% are used.

If we talk specifically about lamps, then compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), of course, emit light of noticeably better quality than 4 x 18 W choke-start raster lamps, but noticeably fall short of the “self-established” quality standard of LED manufacturers.

The reason here is high competition: manufacturers of LED sources, fighting for a fairly strong place in the market, are trying to make their product better, and not just cheaper. After all, it’s cheaper on the market and it’s CFL.

Temperature and service life

LED crystals are small, but emit a fairly intense luminous flux. In this case, part of the energy goes into heat. Its removal is carried out through aluminum radiators. If the product is handmade, this will significantly reduce its service life. The same effect is created by the lack of the required amount of thermal paste. Note that at low temperatures these features do not manifest themselves.

Fluorescent tubes are less resistant to frost. At temperatures closer to zero, they have to spend quite a lot of time reaching operating temperature. Without this, the device cannot reach the nominal brightness level. Under conditions of high humidity, a film forms on the fluorescent tube, reducing the surface resistance. This in turn affects the ignition voltage of the device.

At negative temperatures, neither ordinary fluorescent lamps nor CFLs work at all. On the contrary, LEDs benefit from cold because they cool better.

In general, if you value durability, then replacing fluorescent lamps with LED lamps will be relevant for you. The service life of the latter is from fifty to one hundred thousand hours. Note that energy-saving light bulbs have a safety margin that is almost 5–10 times less.

Of course, when we talk about service life, we mean high-quality products from branded manufacturers that provide an appropriate guarantee. Cheap fakes from unknown manufacturers, both LED and fluorescent, will last a year or two at most.

Ecology and energy consumption

Fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury. Its amount can be from 1 to 70 mg. Please note that mercury is classified as a toxic substance of the first hazard class. Modern versions of this light source do not contain pure mercury, but its alloys. This significantly increases the safety of using the product.

When the flask is broken, the vapors of the toxic substance do not evaporate, but remain in solid form. However, fluorescent light bulbs should not be disposed of as household waste. They need recycling. The difference between LED lamps is that they do not contain materials hazardous to humans. This is a very significant advantage.

In terms of energy consumption, LEDs also win. LED sources are on average 2–2.5 times more economical than fluorescent ones.

How to choose analogues

Choosing a suitable LED lamp instead of an energy-saving one is not difficult. To do this, it is necessary to select an analogue of lower power, which has approximately the same luminous flux. You can do it easier - divide the power of the fluorescent source by 2–2.5 and get the required power of the LED.

For example, when choosing LED lamps instead of 18W fluorescent lamps, you need to select products with a power rating from 7 to 9W. Such LEDs will create the same level of illumination. If you need LED lamps instead of 36 W fluorescent lamps, you need to choose products with a power consumption of 14 to 18 W.

How to make a replacement

Changing one type of lamp to another in a lamp is very simple; if it uses an E14 or E27 base (and this is the standard for energy-saving CFLs), then simply Unscrew the old lamp and screw in the LED lamp.

If we are talking about tubular lamps for raster office or industrial fluorescent lamps, then there are also suitable substitutes on the market, called . Manufacturers of LED illuminators produce them with a base identical to that of energy-saving products. It is marked G13. Moreover, the sizes of one type of product and the other are absolutely the same. Therefore, replacement is not difficult. The only difficulty is that you will have to upgrade the electrical connection of the lamp before installing a new light source.

Installing an LED lamp instead of fluorescent lamps can be done in two ways. They depend on the type of new tube. You can install the lamp on AC 220 V or AC 110 V. The latter option can only be used for lamps with electronic ballasts connected in series. If you need to put two or more 220 V tubes into one illuminator, then you need to use exclusively a parallel connection.

If you install a T8 LED tube on AC 220 V, then you must:

• remove the old lamp;
• remove the starters and remove the ballast from the electrical circuit;
• short-circuit the throttle;
• disconnect the capacitor;
• insert T8 tube;
• turn on the power.

If you do not have starters, chokes and capacitors in the lamp, it means that it contains electronic ballasts, which should be completely excluded from the circuit by connecting T8 lamps to the network.

However, since there are many different products on the market with their own unique characteristics, when upgrading a luminaire with a specific type of LED light sources, you should read the manufacturer’s instructions.

Conclusion

This article provided a comparison of LED and fluorescent lamps. The advantages and disadvantages of their operation and use were considered, as well as how to select an analogue and replace it. Which light source to use in your room is up to you to choose. But before making a choice, you should definitely read the manufacturer’s instructions and calculate everything.

Video

All over the world there is a clear trend towards the transition to energy-saving lighting sources. The most economical ones today are fluorescent and LED lamps. Let's make a comparison and determine which light sources are better - LED or energy-saving?

There are also metal halide light sources, which have a luminous efficiency at the level of LEDs, but the high price of ballasts precludes their widespread use. Their destiny is lighting sources with a luminous flux of tens of thousands of lumens.

To understand which light bulbs are better, LED or energy-saving, let’s look at their key features.

Design Features

Despite their external similarity, LED and energy-saving lamps have significant structural differences. What is the difference between LED lamps and energy-saving lamps?

First of all, the difference is in the principle of obtaining the light flux.

LEDs use LEDs of an open design or placed in a plastic flask as a light emitter. The energy saving device has a glass tube filled with a special gas and coated on the inside with a phosphor.

Accordingly, LEDs are much more resistant to mechanical stress.

To ignite a fluorescent lamp on a spiral, it is necessary to apply a short-term high-voltage discharge, and at low voltage in the network they may not light up.

Mercury is used in the manufacture of fluorescent lamps. Such products require special disposal methods. In Europe, there is an administrative penalty for throwing energy-saving lamps into the trash bin.

Bottom line: LED lamps are better in terms of design features

Comparison by light output efficiency

If we compare the ratio of energy consumption and luminous flux, LEDs have a better ratio. Thus, an energy-saving device with a power of 13W gives a luminous flux of about 700 lumens, the power of LEDs with the same luminous flux is 7-9W.

It should be taken into account that over time, the luminous flux of all gas-discharge light sources decreases. The answer to the question of which lamps are more economical, LED or energy-saving, is obvious.

The savings of LED lamps compared to energy-saving lamps, even without taking into account the service life, are at least twofold.

Let's compare service life

According to the passport data, the service life of an energy-saving lamp is 15,000-20,000 hours, and that of an LED lamp is 35,000 hours. As practice shows, the real indicators of “energy saving” companies are much worse.

When calculating the lifetime of a gas-discharge lamp, the manufacturer takes ideal conditions: the number of on/off switches during the day is no more than five, the absence of temperature and voltage changes.

In an average apartment, even if the light bulb is not located in a public place, such as a toilet or bathroom, its lifespan rarely exceeds 5000-6000 hours. And if you consider that in a couple of years the luminous flux will decrease by 30% and even less.

High-quality LEDs, providing stable voltage and current, last much longer.

How is the service life of a product determined?

For any industrial product, a load test is carried out. For shoes, for example, a robotic leg takes one hundred thousand steps, after which wear is assessed, similarly, any device with mechanical loads is examined.

For LEDs, they organize a multi-month marathon with continuous switching on/off and supplying increased current. Based on the results of such tests, the predicted service life of the LED can reach one hundred thousand hours.

Aging factor

Any gas-discharge lamp, including a fluorescent lamp, decreases in brightness during operation. This is caused by the evaporation of tungsten from the spirals and the burnout of the phosphor covering the inside of the glass bulb.

Bottom line: In terms of service life, LED lights are better.

Is it possible to control the brightness (dimming)

Dimming – controlling the brightness of a light source. LEDs allow you to change the brightness over a wide range. It is impossible to reduce the brightness of a gas-discharge lamp by reducing the voltage.

For these purposes, quite expensive high-frequency electronic ballasts are used. Changes in brightness are achieved by passing pulses with a frequency of about 50 kHz. With this mode of operation, the life of the device is significantly reduced.

Colorful temperature

According to these indicators, energy-saving and LED lamps are twins. Both have gradations of warm white, neutral white, cool white light.

Color rendering index

And again LEDs are better. An ordinary fluorescent lamp has a smaller emission spectrum than an LED. Only energy-saving devices with a three-component phosphor, like LEDs, have an index of 80-90; in other models, the color rendering index is 60-80.

Bottom line: LED lights can freely adjust their brightness. Energy saving lamps - no. LED bulbs have the advantage.

Comparison of resistance to adverse factors

When used in rooms with high humidity or dust, the service life of energy-saving paws is significantly reduced. What is the difference between LED lamps and energy-saving ones?

LEDs are practically not afraid of contamination and mechanical cleaning of the surface. At the same time, the bulb of a gas-discharge lamp categorically does not accept touching. When installing a new energy-saving device, it is recommended to screw it into the socket without touching the glass bulb.

True, there is one interesting phenomenon: at very low temperatures, incandescent lamps show incomparably better results. I recommend checking out the experiment:

Price comparison

The price of an LED lamp is definitely higher. Even despite the constant reduction in the cost of LED production.

Final table comparing LED and energy-saving lamps

As we can see, the only criterion by which energy-saving light sources are better is low base cost. But it should be taken into account that energy costs during operation will significantly exceed the difference in cost. So, despite the cost, LED lamps are better than energy-saving ones.

Progress does not stand still. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with all the new products that surround us. It seems only recently that incandescent lamps were practically the only known source of light in our homes. And now they are practically forgotten. Modern energy-saving ones have appeared. Before they had time to properly study the new product, they had competitors - LEDs. Which lamp is better to choose for your home – LED or energy-saving? Let's make a comparison, considering all the advantages and disadvantages of both lamps.

To make comparisons easier, you need to consider all the characteristics of LED and energy-saving lamps. In addition to technical characteristics, price, service life, environmental friendliness and safety play an important role.

An energy-saving lamp is a sealed flask containing argon and mercury vapor. When voltage is applied, mercury emits ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light passes through a phosphor-coated bulb and produces a luminous flux.

The principle of glow in an energy-saving lamp

Light-emitting diode lamp (LED) – LEDs connected in series. A chain of LEDs is connected to a current stabilizer. The number of LEDs may vary. The more there are, the brighter the luminous flux.

Operating principle of LED lamp

Power consumption

First, you need to understand that the main thing when choosing lamps is the luminous flux, which is measured in lumens, although according to the meter we pay for Watts. Illumination depends on the number of lumens, not on power. With the same luminous intensity, LED lamps consume five times less energy than energy-saving lamps. That is, they are much more economical. 3 Watts of an LED lamp corresponds to 15 Watts of an energy-saving lamp. With the constant rise in electricity prices, this characteristic has a great influence on the choice of buyers.

And one more difference - to achieve full power, an energy-saving lamp needs time to heat up to a certain temperature. This creates certain inconveniences. LED does not require heating; it gains full power immediately when voltage is applied.

Color spectrum

Both lamps can operate in a different color spectrum - from warm yellow to cool blue. The color of the glow can be determined by the color temperature. This characteristic is measured in Kelvin. The value is indicated on the packaging (for example - 4300K). The more Kelvins, the cooler the light.

Light temperature determines the color of the lamp's glow

However, it is necessary to take into account that the color spectrum may differ from different manufacturers. For cheap Chinese companies, the luminous flux characteristics indicated on the packaging do not always correspond to reality. Therefore, it is better to choose quality products from trusted suppliers. When checking, be sure to pay attention to the color of the glow. Be sure to check all lamps you buy.

It is very important that lamps with the same glow color are installed in the same room. Otherwise, vision problems may occur. Vision is also affected by the presence of flicker. It is better to choose devices with minimal flicker.

High-quality LED lamps with high-quality driver components (current source) do not flicker. For residential buildings, doctors recommend using “warm”, natural light.

Durability

Energy saving lamps are durable. They can work up to 12 thousand hours. But when compared with LEDs, they lose. Manufacturers give them a guarantee of 50 thousand hours.

LED lamps are less sensitive to voltage changes. This happens often in our homes. In addition, the voltage there does not always correspond to the standard 220V. Their durability does not depend on the temperature in the house and the frequency of switching on and off. They are resistant to mechanical damage. With proper use, the luminous flux remains virtually unchanged over time. But with a low-quality driver and cooling, it may decrease.

The disadvantages of LEDs include sensitivity to high temperatures. Energy savers win this comparison. The more power, the more heating. LEDs require constant cooling. But we learned to deal with it. A high-quality heat sink can solve this problem. A radiator is usually used for cooling. But recently a new product appeared on the market - with liquid cooling.

Therefore, according to this criterion, the comparison is in favor of LED. But the durability of any equipment also depends on the integrity of the manufacturer. Therefore, for your home, it is better to choose products from well-known brands with a long warranty period. If problems arise, you can always replace the defective product.

Environmental friendliness

The main disadvantage of energy-saving lamps is the presence of mercury. They require very careful handling, since if the flask breaks, mercury vapor will be released into the room.

This may harm your health. It is especially important to ensure that the flasks do not fall into the hands of children. This deficiency creates a disposal problem. They can only be thrown into special containers. But, as a rule, none of the sellers warns about this. In addition, not all houses have places for disposal of mercury-containing waste.

LED lamps do not have this drawback. They are safe, do not contain harmful substances, and can be thrown into a regular garbage disposal.

Appearance

Energy-saving lamps are produced in only two types - in the form of the letter U and spiral. The most commonly used are spiral ones. They fit almost all chandeliers and sconces. The sockets come in small E14 and large E27. But the spiral does not look good in all chandeliers. In addition, spotlights have become widespread recently. You can't put a spiral in them. U-shaped lamps are much cheaper, but they cannot be used in all lighting devices. Their use in homes is limited.

But the variety of LED lamps allows you to choose exactly what you need. They are produced both similar to ordinary incandescent lamps and to candles. They come in round and elongated, large and small, with and without a diffuser.

Flat lamps have a small beam angle. Therefore, they are best used for spot lighting devices. For chandeliers, the option with a diffusing bulb is more suitable. For lamps with lampshades, floor lamps - without a diffuser (for example, in the form of corn).

LEDs are suitable for ordinary chandeliers and spotlights, for living spaces and bathrooms, in apartments and country houses. In addition, they are produced not only with base E14 and E27, but also GU10, MR16.

Prices

LED lamps are more expensive than energy-saving lamps. But recently their prices have begun to decline slightly. But still, price is one of the most important factors influencing our choice. Replacing all the lighting in an apartment at the same time will cost quite a decent amount. And not everyone can calculate what will happen there in a few years.

Manufacturers

Since LED lamps appeared on store shelves relatively recently, it is still difficult to determine which manufacturer is the leader.

When comparing different brands, we can mention OSRAM, PHILIPS. But IKEA lighting devices have also proven themselves well. Domestic manufacturers are also not lagging behind, for example the ERA and COSMOS brands. It is definitely impossible to say that all Chinese manufacturers produce low-quality goods. There are also quite reputable Chinese companies on the market. The choice is yours.

It is not advisable to purchase products with a long warranty period from online stores. It is possible to replace a low-quality product, but it will require a lot of effort. Therefore, it is better to purchase lamps in a retail store.

So, we can conclude that it is better to give preference to LED lamps. In addition to saving energy, they also have a number of advantages: durability, variety of types, safety, and environmental friendliness. But, however, the choice is a personal matter for everyone.

In contact with

You pay a lot of money for electricity and are thinking about how to save money. For economic benefits, you need to decide which lamps to install in your home and office - LED or energy-saving. Incandescent lamps may not be considered at all, since they are already a thing of the past. The main thing is to understand the difference between LED lamps and energy-saving lamps, so that they become a cost-effective and safe solution for your health.

1 difference - economic benefit

You will save about 100 rubles per month when installing an LED lamp. At the same time, the energy-saving option will save only 22 rubles in the family or business budget. Imagine how much you can save in a year!

On average, an energy-saving light bulb costs 200 rubles and pays for itself in 1 year. At the same time, its LED alternative costs 600 rubles. It pays for itself in 2.5 years. Do you think you should go with the first option? You are wrong! The service life of lamps of the first type is only 5,000 - 6,000 hours, and lamps of the second type (more advanced) are 50,000 to 100,000 hours.

2 difference - safe use

Unfortunately, energy-saving light bulbs contain substances that are toxic to humans - mercury and phosphorus. At the slightest damage to the flask, when you turn them on, they begin to release mercury vapor into the confined space. If you do not ventilate the room every 20-30 minutes, the concentration of mercury will gradually exceed the maximum permissible standards by 120-160 times. If you break such a light bulb, leave the room immediately, but before doing so, open the window for ventilation.

LEDs do not contain chemical compounds, so they do not cause severe poisoning. They are completely recyclable and are thrown away with regular trash. While fluorescent lamps must be disposed of in special plants.

This is a safe solution for three reasons:

• they do not hum during operation and do not create background noise;
• do not flicker or strain the eye muscles, so you will maintain your sharp vision;
• They work at the lowest temperatures and can be left outside, in the country house and in the cottage.

3 difference - reliable operation

LED lamps can withstand voltage fluctuations and do not break during surges - from 110 to 270 volts. That is why they serve for so long to those who chose them.

The “Energy Saving Alternative” does not start at all and refuses to work at low voltage. These words will be confirmed by summer residents. They complain that you won't see any savings with such lighting equipment. You have to buy new lamps, because they quickly become unusable due to their complex and frail design.

You will adjust the light level when installing the LED bulb. It will adapt to your needs and preferences. You will never regret buying it for your home or office if you are not put off by its high cost. Think about how much money it will save you.