The Pros and Cons of Halogen Bulbs | The Family Handyman Page 1 of 4

The Pros and Cons of Halogen Bulbs

Halogen versus fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs.

Before you buy your next light bulb, know when and where halogens are worth the extra
money over ordinary incandescent bulbs.
By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine:May 2000

TIME
Instant!
Change your light bulb instantly

COMPLEXITY
Super Simple!
How many homeowners does it take to screw in a light bulb? You'll know once you read
this article!

COST
Under $20
Depending on how many bulbs you're buying your cost will be around $4 per bulb. Bulb
wattage and style also affect cost.

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The Pros and Cons of Halogen Bulbs | The Family Handyman Page 2 of 4

Step-by-Step
Overview: When and where halogens are worth the extra
money
If you're an average homeowner living in the average house, 32 light bulbs will
blaze away in your hallway, refrigerator and workshop tonight. The lion's share of
those bulbs will be the standard inexpensive incandescent, screw-base type—a
bulb based on simple yet ingenious technology that has remained the same
throughout its 100-plus year history. But recently, two upstarts have begun
challenging this old standby: compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), because of their
tremendous efficiency, and halogen bulbs, because of their longevity and brighter,
whiter quality of light. For the lowdown on halogen bulbs, read on.

How halogens are different

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Figure A: Standard argon-filled bulbs
When standard argon-filled bulbs glow, minute amounts of tungsten evaporate from the
filament and are deposited as “soot” on the inner shell of the bulb. This burned-off
tungsten has two drawbacks: The “soot” gradually reduces light output, and it slowly
weakens the filament until it becomes thin and breaks and the bulb “burns out. ”

Cost: About 50¢ for a 75-watt bulb

Life span: 750 to 1,250 hours
Light output: 1,180 lumens for a 75-watt bulb
Best uses: The best and most affordable all-purpose bulb around. Good for general
lighting in bedrooms and other living spaces where you want “soft” light and for fixtures
with bulbs that are in the line of sight.

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Figure B: High-tech halogen-filled bulbs
When high-tech halogen-filled bulbs glow, small amounts of tungsten burn off the
filament, but instead of being deposited on the bulb shell, they combine with argon,
which redeposits the tungsten back onto the filament. This has two advantages: The
globe isn't darkened by soot, and the filament lasts longer, since it's continuously being
“rebuilt.”

Cost: About $4 for a 75-watt bulb

Life span: 2,000 to 2,500 hours (some manufacturers guarantee lights for two years or
more)
Light output: 1,300 lumens for a 75-watt bulb
Best uses: In track and recessed light fixtures that you want to focus or concentrate
light on a particular area or object; in desktop, reading or other work-area lights where
you want bright, focused light; in fixtures that are tough to reach where you want long-
lasting bulbs; in banks of light where you want all the bulbs (new or old) to glow at the
same intensity.

Standard incandescent the bulb wall. When enough tungsten has evaporated, the
weakened filament finally bulbs (Fig. A) work on a very simple principle: Electric current
passes through a thin tungsten filament inside a gas-filled bulb. The resistance that the
filament puts up causes it to heat up and glow. The gas inside the bulb—traditionally,
argon—prevents the filament from combining with oxygen and burning out. As the
filament glows, microscopic amounts of tungsten burn or evaporate from the filament and
are deposited as “soot” on breaks (usually from the shock of being clicked on) and
POOF, you've got a burned-out light bulb. Halogen bulbs (like the one shown in Fig. B)
function similarly, but with a few key differences:

They're composed of a small, pressurized, peanut-size bulb inside a larger outer shell.
The gas inside this inner bulb is halogen. When tungsten evaporates from the filaments
of these bulbs, the halogen combines with it, escorts it back to the filament where it's
redeposited, then heads out to round up more escaped tungsten particles. Since there's
less soot on the bulb's shell, light output remains strong, and since filaments are
constantly being rebuilt, the bulbs last longer. But the key difference— and the quality
that makes them useful and unique—is they emit a whiter, brighter and more easily
focused beam of light, almost like real sunshine.

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The Pros and Cons of Halogen Bulbs | The Family Handyman Page 4 of 4

Pros and cons of halogen lights

Pros
The pure white light halogens emit makes them ideal for certain fixtures and situations.

• For reading and other exacting tasks, the bright light reduces eyestrain.
• For display lighting, where you want to highlight artwork, photos, crystal or
architectural features, the white focused light makes colors appear more vibrant.
Halogen spotlights allow pinpoint focus. Using standard bulbs for general lighting in
the same room heightens the effect of halogens even more.
• For outdoor use, halogen floodlights cast a brighter, easier-to-see-by light. And since
they last twice as long as standard bulbs, you won't need to struggle to reach hard-to-
access outdoor fixtures as often. They have other benefits too. They're 10 to 20
percent more energy efficient and cheaper to operate. They burn brighter longer (a
halogen bulb will still be cranking out 94 percent of its original light output near the
end of its life, while a standard bulb diminishes to a measly 82 percent).

Cons
Of course, not everyone or every place loves halogen. They cost at least four times as
much and don't give off that warm glow of a standard bulb we're accustomed to. And they
have an intense glare; they need to be shaded, shielded or directed so the filament isn't
in your line of sight.

Halogen bulbs burn hotter than standard incandescents, so care must be taken in their
use. It's possible for the protective outer shell to break and for the inner bulb to continue
working (though the outer shells are incredibly durable). This can pose a hazard, as the
hot inner bulb can explode if moisture hits it. Dispose of any damaged bulbs. And, as you
should do before replacing any bulb, check the light fixture label to make sure a halogen
bulb is compatible and within the fixture's listed limits. Halogen floor lamp bulbs caused a
flurry of fires a few years back. The bulbs weren't the standard screw-base type bulbs
shown here, but long, skinny types with 500-watt filaments positioned only 1/8 in. away
from the outer glass shell. These ultra-hot bulbs, coupled with the open-top design of
torchiere lamps, meant objects contacting bulbs could easily ignite. Torchiere lamps
today have safeguards—protective glass domes and metal grids—to shield the bulb and
minimize fire hazards.

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