GUIDE TO INCANDESCENT LIGHTING

Incandescent light bulbs were the first type of commercially produced lighting product. The history of the invention dates back to the 1800s. 

Today, incandescent lighting is still popular. The light bulbs are known for their aesthetic, or warm glow. Incandescent light bulbs set the “gold standard” for lighting products. Manufacturers are still trying to match newer lighting technology with the same benefits of a traditional incandescent bulb.

Throughout this article, we will explain what an incandescent light bulb is, how it works, and the pros and cons of using incandescent light bulbs.

If you have any questions about finding the right incandescent light bulb, please do not hesitate to contact us.

What is an incandescent light bulb?

When you think of the light bulb that Thomas Edison invented, you’re thinking of an incandescent light bulb. The light from an incandescent light bulb is the closest to that of the gold standard (the sun). Incandescent light bulbs are known for their warm, comforting glow.

We like to call an incandescent light bulb a controlled fire on display. Here’s how it works. Electricity enters the light bulb through the base. The electricity heats the tungsten filament inside the light bulb, heating it up to create “incandescence” or light produced by heat. Particles fly off the filament as it continues to burn. The light bulb burns out when there are no more particles to burn.

One thing you may notice in the description above: incandescence is light produced by heat. Incandescent light bulbs get very hot because they produce 90 percent heat and 10 percent light. For this reason, they are great as heat lamps or used in specialty applications.

Because they produce so much heat, they are also very inefficient when it comes to energy. In some states, it is not illegal to sell some incandescent light bulbs because of their low energy efficiency. You can read more about that here.

Incandescent light bulbs come in a variety of shapes, including the standard A-line or pear shape, globe, tubular, and more.

Halogen bulbs are included in the incandescent family because they use very similar technology to operate. Halogen light bulbs, however, may last longer because they reuse particles inside the light bulb.

How incandescent light bulbs were developed

The research into the incandescent light bulb started years before Thomas Edison began developing the first successful incandescent light bulb.

In 1802, Humphry Davy demonstrated the possibility of electric light. There was also another development in England: the carbon arc lamp, but these bulbs did not last very long.

Thomas Edison’s first patent came in 1879. In the years leading up to that, Edison and his team experimented with different filaments. His first patented bulb lasted 14.5 hours with a carbonized filament of uncoated cotton.

He continued to experiment after the patent, and eventually created a light bulb with a bamboo filament that lasted up to 1,200 hours. He made other improvements to the light bulb, like the screw base.

The first use of Edison’s incandescent light bulb was not in a home. It was on a ship. The steamer named Columbia became the first application for the invention in 1880.

While Thomas Edison is known as the inventor of the light bulb, it was really a series of small steps and inventions that gave the end result. You can read more about the creation of lighting and the incandescent light bulb on energy.gov.

Eventually, tungsten filaments became more sustainable. Sales in the United States quickly took off. In 1885, 300,000 lamps were sold. By 1945, sales grew to 795 million. That was five for every person in the United States.

The biggest problem with incandescent lighting is still the same as it was in the beginning: energy efficiency. For that reason, inventors focused on creating other types of lighting, like fluorescent and eventually LEDs.

Types of incandescent light bulbs

Incandescent light bulbs can be used in a variety of applications, including residential and commercial buildings.

Because of their natural glow, incandescent light bulbs are still a top choice for many people, especially in settings where décor is important, or you want to set a particular tone.

Here are several different types of incandescent light bulbs: 

• A19 – An A19 incandescent light bulb is a standard light bulb, shaped like a pear. Standard light bulbs are common in table, floor and desk lamps, ceiling fixtures, wall sconces, and pendants. Their versatility means you can find them in most commercial buildings, like hotels, restaurants, and office buildings. A-line incandescent light bulbs are also available in other sizes, like an A15 or A23. If you’d like to shop for A-line incandescent light bulbs, click here.
• Globe – Globe light bulbs have a nice round shape, like a globe. They typically have a standard base, so they can be used in the same type of fixtures as A19s or standard bulbs. Globe light bulbs are common in fixtures where the light bulb is exposed because of their nice shape. If you’d like to shop for globe shaped incandescent light bulbs, click here.
• Reflector – Reflector lamps are frequently used in flood lights, spotlights, track lights, or recessed cans. Standard halogen reflectors are either labeled “R” or “BR”. R stands for reflector, while BR stands for bulge reflectors. BR bulbs have an elongated neck to fit better in certain applications, like longer recessed cans. We also sell PARs, or parabolic aluminized reflectors. PARs can be used as interior or exterior lighting. If you’d like to shop for incandescent reflectors, click here.
• Torpedo – Torpedo light bulbs are used in chandeliers and other accent lighting fixtures. They have a smaller, more narrow shape than a standard light bulb. If you’re looking for a replacement for a torpedo bulb, be sure to check the base. Some torpedo light bulbs have a standard (E26) base, but others have a smaller base called a candelabra (E12) base. Click here to shop torpedo light bulbs.
• Halogen – Halogen light bulbs are slightly more energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs. For example, a halogen light bulb may last up to 2,500 hours while an incandescent light bulb may only last 800 to 1,200 hours. Halogen light bulbs are also more expensive than incandescent light bulbs, but you replace them less often because they have a longer lamp life. Since they still use the same type of technology as incandescent light bulbs, we categorize them in the incandescent family. Halogen light bulbs are available in most of the same shapes as incandescent light bulbs, including reflector lamps. If you’d like to shop for halogen light bulbs, click here.

All incandescent light bulbs have a low color temperature. That means the light tends to be more red, orange, or yellow. Color temperature is measured in Kelvin. Incandescent light bulbs range between 2200 to 3000K. If you’re trying to decide if incandescent light bulbs are a good option, consider if the warmth and comfort of the light is a good fit for your application.

Benefits of Incandescent Light Bulbs

Incandescent light bulbs are still very common in households and in commercial settings like restaurants or retail stores, despite efforts to phase them out.

There is a lot of focus on the negatives of incandescent light bulbs, like energy efficiency. But incandescent light bulbs do have a lot of advantages, especially when the quality of light is your main concern.

However, it’s important to make sure you can still buy incandescent light bulbs in your state. Several states moved forward with a ban on light bulbs that do not meet the requirement of 45 lumens per watt. That means light bulbs must provide more light with less power. There are exceptions, like certain specialty bulbs that you use in ovens, but the purchase of most incandescent light bulbs is now illegal in certain states. You can read more here.

• Cheap initial cost – Incandescent light bulbs are inexpensive to manufacture and also to buy. If you’re not concerned with energy costs, and incandescent light bulbs are not illegal to purchase in your state, they could still be a good choice.
• Effective light source – Incandescent light bulbs distribute light in all directions, making them an effective source of light. LEDs are naturally a one-direction light source, but manufacturers have worked to create LEDs that operate as a multi-directional light source. Incandescent light bulbs also have a high CRI, or color rendering index. That means they produce light that’s as close to “true” as possible. The closer to 100, the better the CRI and visual output of a lighting product.
• High quality – Incandescent light bulbs produce high quality light. Incandescent lighting is still the “gold standard” or the closest quality to sunlight compared to other types of lighting. The aesthetic of the warm glow is hard to beat. This is called color temperature, or correlated color temperature. If you’re looking for an incandescent light bulb with a blue hue you will not find it. Incandescent light bulbs naturally have a warmer colors temperature, typically around 2400 to 2700 Kelvin. LED manufacturers have spent years trying to mimic a classic incandescent light bulb. There is also no warm-up time when you use incandescent light bulbs. They turn on instantly after you flip switch. Some alternatives, like CFLs, have a slight warm-up period and take longer to turn on.
• Dimmability – Incandescent light bulbs are easily compatible with dimmers. In fact, all incandescent light bulbs are dimmable. They don’t flicker when paired with a dimmer switch, like some other products. If dimmability is important to you, incandescent light bulbs are your best choice. LEDs are not as compatible with dimmers, and manufacturers have worked to find a product that can dim like an incandescent. We explain dimming problems with LEDs in this blog.
• No toxic materials – Incandescent light bulbs do not have to be recycled. When compact fluorescent light bulbs first came onto the market, they were a great alternative when it came to energy efficiency, but they need to be recycled because they contain mercury. Incandescent light bulbs do not contain mercury.

Drawbacks of incandescent light bulbs in comparison to LEDs

Even though there are certain instances where incandescent light bulbs work best, LED technology has come a long way.

Some LED products are now more suitable for applications where incandescent light bulbs were once common.

Plus, as LEDs become more available, the price on products continues to drop. Buying LEDs over traditional incandescent light bulbs is now much more affordable than it was 10 years ago.

Here are some of the drawbacks of incandescent light bulbs, especially when compared to LED light bulbs:

• Energy inefficient – Incandescent light bulbs are at the bottom of what we call the lighting pyramid. They are the least efficient type of lighting. 90 percent of the energy used to make incandescent light is converted to heat. That’s a lot of waste. That could also lead to higher AC bills since you’ll be trying to compensate for all the heat released by incandescent bulbs. As a result, the energy cost to operate incandescent lighting is very high. An LED can use about 25 to 80 percent less energy than incandescent light bulbs. Here’s a chart comparing different type of light bulbs to LED. All of them provide similar light levels, but with much different wattage. Since this is the biggest drawback to incandescent light bulbs and also the top reason they’re banned in some states, there are efforts to try to increase energy efficiency. MIT researchers developed a method they call “recycling light.” Since 2016, though, we have seen many advancements with the technology.
• Short lamp life – Incandescent light bulbs last between 800 and 1,200 hours. An LED can last anywhere from three to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent light bulbs, or up to 50,000 hours depending on the product. Switching to LED means a big drop in maintenance and time spent replacing light bulbs. The cost of buying replacement incandescent light bulbs can also add up.
• Long-term cost – Between the replacement products and the higher energy bills, you could spend more on operating costs for incandescent light bulbs than you would LEDs or even CFLs. By the way, the price of LEDs has dropped significantly over the years. It could be costing you more if you’re waiting to upgrade your lighting.
• Option limitations – Incandescent light bulbs are limited in their capabilities outside of dimming. These days, you can do a lot more with LEDs. You can change the color temperature and even the color. LEDs also have a wider variety of lumen output, directionality, and other specifications to make sure you find the lighting product that best fits your need. While there are some challenges with dimming LEDs, it shouldn’t be a problem if you buy compatible products. You can use the filters on the left side of our search page to help find the exact product you’re looking for.
• Durability – Incandescent light bulbs are not very durable. The tungsten filament can easily be broken, not to mention the glass encasement. LEDs are more durable products that will also last longer. 

Click here to shop our LED products.

If you need help selecting the right product, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our lighting specialists are always ready to meet your lighting needs.