What is a halogen bulb?
Halogen is a type of incandescent lamp. It has a tungsten filament just like a regular incandescent bulb, but instead the bulb is filled with pressurized halogen gas. |  |
Why do halogen bulbs last longer than incandescent?
When an incandescent lamp operates, tungsten from the filament is evaporated into the gas of the bulb and deposited on the glass wall. The bulb "burns out" when enough tungsten has evaporated from the filament so that electricity can no longer be conducted across it.
The halogen gas in a halogen lamp carries the evaporated tungsten particles back to the filament and re-deposits them. This is called the halogen regenerative cycle. This gives the lamp a longer life than regular incandescent lamps and provides for a cleaner bulb wall for light to shine through. The lifetime and efficiency of a halogen bulb also depends largely on the type of gas (usually krypton, sometimes xenon or argon) used.
Why do halogen lamps need covers or guards?
Most halogen light bulbs are pressurized and have the possibility of explosion. The covers and guards are safety measures.
Why can't you touch some halogen light bulbs?
The natural oils on your fingers will cause the halogen lamp's life to shorten. If you touch a halogen light bulb, wipe it clean with a cloth and rubbing alcohol.
How much heat or infrared radiation is emitted by halogen light bulbs?
Because incandescent and halogen bulbs create light through heat, about 90% of the energy they emit is in the form of heat, also called infrared radiation. To reduce the heat emitted by regular incandescent and halogen light bulbs, it's advisable to use a lower watt bulb, like 60 watts instead of 100.
Will dimming switches work with a halogen light bulb?
Conventional incandescent dimmers will work to dim halogen lamps. However, the effectiveness of the halogen cycle to keep the lamp walls clean and give longer life may be affected. This cycle depends upon correct lamp operating temperatures, which will be changed when the lamp is dimmed. Therefore, using a dimmer may not extend the life of your halogen lamp as much as a dimmer typically extends the life of a standard incandescent lamp.
