Myths and realities
Contenido
Hasta hace pocos años, estas lámparas tenían algunos inconvenientes y limitaciones, heredados de la tecnología del tubo fluorescente clásico. Las lámparas fluorescentes compactas actuales han mejorado ostensiblemente la tecnología fluorescente inicial gracias a la electrónica y la mejora de los compuestos luminiscentes. No obstante, algunas características de estas luminarias son objeto de polémica, especialmente tras el inicio de la prohibición de las bombillas incandescentes convencionales en la Unión Europea a partir de septiembre de 2009.[2].
Toxicity
Fluorescent lamps contain mercury "Mercury (element)"), a heavy metal used in gas form to produce ultraviolet (non-visible) radiation, which is then converted into visible light by a fluorescent coating. Mercury poisoning is very harmful to the health of humans, fish and birds.
Useful life
The on and off cycles of CFL bulbs affect the length of their useful life, so that bulbs subjected to frequent switching on can age sooner than their theoretical duration,[3] therefore reducing economic and energy savings. This is applicable in places of occasional use, such as hallways or toilets. Bulbs in very closed luminaires should also be avoided, as high temperatures also reduce their useful life.[4].
The controversy has been aggravated by the poor quality of many of the bulbs distributed on the market: a 2006 study showed that more than half of the bulbs of certain brands lasted less than 100 hours, instead of the 3,000 or 8,000 advertised.[5].
Gradual start
The first models, which appeared in the 1980s and 1990s, required relatively high temperatures to generate sufficient light emission. Since these models used electromagnetic ballasts and starters, just like a linear fluorescent tube, they not only had to gain temperature, but also caused flickering when turned on. Since the mid-1990s, the electromagnetic ballast and starter were replaced by an electronic transformer, incorrectly called electronic ballast, which, together with improvements in the fluorescent substances present in the tube, have improved ignition times, as well as the time required to reach maximum luminosity. However, in traffic areas, such as hallways, the delay in switching on can be annoying and impractical.
Buzz
Lamps with electromagnetic equipment tended to hum in time with the frequency of the electrical grid, which operates at 50 Hz or 60 Hz depending on the country, regardless of the voltage. Electronic lamps do not use a ballast but rather a highly optimized electronic transformer that produces high starting voltage at very high frequencies, a condition that helps the increasing reduction in size. This very high frequency almost completely reduces flickering.
Low power
Until the turn of the century, CFLs had lower performance, were slow to start, and were fallible. Today, a 24W CFL can replace a 100W incandescent bulb with even more luminous flux. The problem continues to be the large size of high-power bulbs, which often do not fit into conventional lamps, or are unaesthetic.
Many users also claim that the theoretical power of CFLs is not real, and that they illuminate less than what is said on the labels, as well as that there was a power equivalence with incandescent that was too high or optimistic. This is often true: however, this impression is due to the numerous bulbs labeled with a power significantly higher than their real power,[5] and is therefore a problem of quality control agencies, and not of the technology itself.
To solve this, current lamps come with the expression of the luminous flux they emit, in lumens. Given that the incandescent lamps had a performance between 10...15 lum/W (higher the higher the power), it would be enough to divide the flux printed on the label by 10...15 to find the approximate equivalence of the new lamp with an old one.
Security
Fluorescent tubes equipped with magnetic ballast can explode if it goes into a short circuit, since in this state it is equivalent to a piece of cable that connects the tube directly to the electrical network, overloading it. The fluorescent lamp with a magnetic ballast has suffered from these problems, but the electronics are completely exempt, since it contains an electronic transformer that isolates the tube from the mains, even in the worst conditions, so that today's models are safer than any lamp, except LEDs. Normally these only break due to improper or accidental hits, so it is enough to use them inside a good device or in a position where they are protected from impacts.
Coldness of light
Fluorescent tubes are almost always associated with a white light that tends toward blue, which can be a problem for people accustomed to the warmth of light from an incandescent lamp. Nowadays you can buy compact fluorescent lamps in colors such as daylight, neutral and warm. Daylight is the classic fluorescent light, warm is a yellowish color similar to that emitted by incandescent lamps, and neutral is a middle ground between the two. There are also tri-phosphor lamps, which emit equal amounts of red, blue and green light, generating a more perfect white that accurately reproduces all colors. In addition, fluorescent lamps are beginning to appear that emit red, blue, green, yellow, amber and the so-called black light.
In any case, the "warmth" of light depends not only on its color temperature, but also on illuminance. For low illuminances, warm colors are appreciated, but "cold" colors are allowed when the illuminance is high, without appearing to be so. The model of white light is the sun, but it emits with such power that no one would say it is a cold light. In this sense, see the Kruithof curves.
Interference
Energy-saving light bulbs use a small transformer with an oscillator that produces radio and electromagnetic interference. Not only that, some models interfere exactly in the 2.4 GHz band, thus canceling the coverage of WiFi networks. In audio equipment, such as tube microphones (bulb), power supplies and the like, they produce noises such as those produced by the lack of ground connection (gnd), or on the contrary, when radio signals are picked up without ground (lift).[6].
Recycling
One of their drawbacks is that because they contain small amounts of mercury, these bulbs must be recycled conveniently, depositing them in appropriate places. They cannot be thrown into the trash or recycled glass, because when they break they release mercury, promoting mercury poisoning.