Any room (both domestic and public or industrial) is equipped with artificial lighting. Naturally, to operate the fixtures, light bulbs are needed . In our country, for use in lighting fixtures operating from a 220V network, the most widely used are E27 lamps. The consumer in the modern market is presented with a wide selection of such products. They differ both in power and price, as well as in design features and energy-saving characteristics.
What does the marking E27 mean
International marking, which manufacturers put on the packaging or glass flask, means that the metal base of the E27 lamp has a right-hand thread with a diameter of 27 mm. It is intended for screwing into the lamp holder. This applies to all products of this standard, regardless of variety.
Varieties of lamps
Most household lighting devices (such as ceiling chandeliers, sconces, wall lights, table lamps , etc.) are designed to install E27 lamps. Naturally, numerous manufacturers of these electrical consumables produce several varieties of lamps of this standard:
- conventional vacuum;
- halogen;
- luminescent:
- LED light.
The last two types are classified as energy-saving lamps, since they consume significantly less power from the mains.
In order to achieve sufficient illumination of the same room, you can use E27 lamps from all of the above categories. However, their specifications and price per unit will vary significantly. An ordinary consumer, not particularly versed in the complex electrical terms of lighting products, is primarily interested in:
- unit price;
- term of continuous operation;
- power consumption;
- the final cost of operation (for example, in terms of one year), which is the sum of the price of the product itself, multiplied by the number of pieces required for a given period, and electricity charges.
Vacuum bulbs
Historically, the very first electric light fixture was a conventional e27 vacuum incandescent lamp. Structurally, it is a carbide thread, placed in a glass flask, which is mounted on a metal cartridge. In an air environment, the thread burns out almost instantly, which is why a vacuum is created in the container during manufacture.
The bulb of such a lamp is of three types:
- transparent
- matte;
- with a reflective coating for directional propagation of the light flux.
Technical characteristics of such products are very low:
- Continuous life usually does not exceed 1000 hours.
- Very low efficiency: only 7-9% of consumed energy is spent on lighting, everything else is spent on the generated heat.
The main advantage of such lamps is the low price. Such products, depending on the power and design features of the flask from manufacturers such as Iskra, Lisma, TELZ or JazzWay, now cost from 7 to 16 rubles. Similar products from Philips, Cosmos or Osram will cost a little more: from 19 to 25 rubles apiece. And although many consumers already consider these classic products to be a relic of the past, their use is very economically justified in rooms where high light is not required or where light has been on for a short time (for example, in corridors, hallways or toilets).
For information! In order to save energy, 100 W E27 lamps in Russia are banned for production and subsequent sale.
Halogen bulbs
Initially, such products began to be manufactured for installation in car headlights (dipped and main beam). Structurally, such a lamp is very similar to a conventional (vacuum) one. The only difference is that the tungsten filament is placed in a small flask with a special substance - halogen (hence the name). The designers designed the filaments for use with a voltage of 220 V and placed this small product in a regular glass container with a standard E27 base. This made it possible to adapt such products for use instead of conventional incandescent lamps.
In terms of consumer properties (with the same power consumption), halogen products surpass their vacuum analogues:
- shine twice as bright;
- minimum service life - 2000 hours.
Today, the price of such lamps starts at 70 rubles apiece.
Energy Saving Fluorescent Tubes
Initially, gas-discharge light sources were mainly used only in office, public, warehouse and industrial premises due to the large size of both the lamps themselves and starting chokes. However, experts in the field of electrical engineering managed to create special compact energy-saving fluorescent lamps with a conventional E27 base. Depending on the geometric shape of the light-emitting tube filled with gas, such products are divided into:
- ring;
- with a protective glass flask.
Compared with a conventional vacuum lamp, such products have undeniable advantages:
- power consumption is five times less (provided that the same illumination is created);
- service life is 10-15 times longer.
However, along with an undeniable economic effect (the cost of paying for electricity for lighting is significantly reduced), the inherent disadvantages of these products must be taken into account:
- In the gas filling the tubes, there are mercury vapors (albeit in small quantities). Therefore, they must be handled with extreme caution.
- There are certain difficulties with the disposal of failed devices. It is strictly forbidden to simply throw them in the trash: this leads to environmental pollution. But if you act according to the rules, then you will have to pay for disposal at a specialized enterprise, and even spend your own time. Some management companies (taking care not only about energy saving, but also about the comfort of residents) allocate special rooms where residents can store such lamps for free. And then they are centrally taken to recycling plants.
- Slight pulsation of the light flux (harmful to human vision). Manufacturers smooth out this drawback by applying a special phosphor to the inner surface of the tubes.
The cost of such products today starts from 120-140 rubles apiece.
LED household appliances
The most innovative environmentally friendly light sources intended for installation in household lighting devices are LED lamps designed for operation from a household electrical network with a voltage of 220V. Structurally, such products consist of:
- several LEDs (hence the name);
- built-in power supply;
- heat sink for heat dissipation.
By external design, these devices are made:
- pear-shaped or spherical;
- with special reflectors (for example, for installation in table lamps or directional light sources).
Advantages of the LED lamp E27:
- service life from 15,000 to 50,000 hours;
- energy consumption is 8-10 times less (compared with a vacuum incandescent lamp);
- absolutely safe to use;
- There is no need to dispose in special enterprises.
The main disadvantage of such products is the limited angle of light propagation - not more than 280⁰ (due to design features). Although it can be considered very conditional.
The price of lamps with E27 base was until recently quite high. However, the rapid development of SMD technologies has allowed developers to reduce the cost of such devices and make them completely economically competitive with fluorescent counterparts. Numerous Chinese manufacturers offer LED lamps at a price ranging from 150-180 rubles apiece. The cost of well-known and time-tested brands (for example, LG or Verbatim) is much higher. However, the guaranteed period of continuous operation will be much greater.
Finally
The wide variety of E27 lamps on sale today sometimes makes the final consumer choice difficult. It all depends on personal preferences. If you are not annoyed by the need to often replace electrical elements in lighting fixtures and spend extra money to pay for electricity, then you can use ordinary vacuum "monsters." Installing LED lamps (for example in a chandelier), from a proven and well-established manufacturer, you will forget about the stepladder for at least 12-17 years.