This presentation provides a cursory overview of the different types of fluorescent bulbs available to the average consumer. There are images to help our readers visualize our words as well as a couple of charts detailing sizes, lumens, and why each is different.

1. Fluorescent Lamps
Types and Uses

2. What is a fluorescent lamp?
 Fluorescent lamps work by sending an electrical discharge through mercury
vapor. An electrical current is shot through the gas, exciting the mercury
atoms.
 The UV light produced by the vapor is absorbed by phosphor layers that
coat the inside of the bulb.
 These phosphor layers produce visible light.
Before Electricity After
Electricity

3. Choosing Your Fluorescent Bulb
 There are five things to look at when deciding on a
bulb:
 Color
 Brightness
 Rated Life
 Bulb Diameter
 Bulb Length

4. Color
 Color is determined by the mixture of phosphor coating, made up of certain
salts and metals, including lanthanum, cerium, europium, terbium, and
yttrium.
 Color is a variation on white, depending on the temperature, measured in
Kelvin (K). Higher Kelvins means brighter and colder lights; lower Ks mean
softer and warmer lights
Type Color Temperature
Daylight Bluish >5000K
Cool White Pale Blue 3000-5000K
Warm White Pinkish <3000K
Full Spectrum White 5000-10000K

5. Brightness
 Fluorescent bulbs need time to achieve peak
brightness, a few hours at most.
 At about 40% of a light bulb’s life, the fluorescent
bulb burns at 90% brightness.
It’s
working!!!
Hours
Later…
Peak
brightness
achieved!!!

6. Rated Life
 The rated life of a fluorescent bulb is between
20,000 to 30,000 hours or about 3 ½ years.
 Want to extend that life? Leave the lamp on
continuously. Switching a bulb on and off and on and
off and so on, causes the bulb to dim faster.

7. Diameter and Length
 There currently exists a wide selection of tube sizes
and shapes, each referred to by the letter “T”, which
means the bulb is a tube.
 There is a number after the “T” that refers to the
diameter, ranging from T2 to T12.
 Length ranges from 6 to 96 inches, from the tip of
the lamp to the back of the lampholder.
T2 T4 T5 T6 T8 T9 T10 T12
¼” ½” 5/8” ¾” 1” 1 1/8” 1 ¼” 1 ½”
6-13W 6-28W 4-54W 25W 10-
32W
20W 40W 14-
60W

8. Any questions?
 If you need more help choosing, there are a variety
of articles with more information
 OR
 You can contact the contractors at B.K. Electric
Services
 310-430-2300
 www.bkelectricservices.com