Looking For A Better Light Bulb?

Recently with all of the talk of LEDs, CFLs (compact fluorescent bulbs) and even bans on incandescent bulbs, there has been a great deal of conjecture on which bulb is best. While CFLs are highly efficient, many claim the frequency of light can lead to headaches, or are upset about the presence of trace amounts of mercury in a majority of the bulbs. More importantly, CFLs have been linked to many possible fires and are a poor choice of bulb for leaving on when not home since they have have a chance, however slim, of catching fire due to prolonged heating and failure of the circuit boards. LED lighting, while largely flawless are still not immune to circuitry fires in rare cases – though far less so than with CFLs due to lower or even no heat and fewer parts to go wrong – but are mainly just extremely expensive and often quite poor in their ability to light a room the way an incandescent bulb can. Did we mention that an LED bulb uses even less electricity than the already ridiculously low wattage use of the CFL? Indeed, however, most seem to still prefer the even, all-round glow of the incandescent bulb that the others just can’t seem to imitate.

But what about the new laws banning incandescent bulbs? The high wattages? The short lifespan? The easily damaged filament? Well, there is an option that can address 3 of these 4 concerns, the “rough service” incandescent light bulb. Designed to be used in places of shock and vibration, out of reach areas where changes must therefore be few and far between, the rough service incandescent light bulb is the perfect choice for any home lighting situation, is very inexpensive, will take a punishment, only they last 5 to 20 times longer! The thicker filament coupled with multiple filament supports, creates a long lasting and strong bulb. Certainly a bulb that can outlast any standard light bulb, lasting up to 20,000 hours, placing it well within the realm of the incredible longevity of the LED bulb! The best of the rough service bulbs, not even double the price of a standard incandescent, will last over 20 times longer and take shock as well!

The drawbacks of rough service bulbs? Wattage and a slightly dimmed light at wattage level due to filament size. The solution? Always choose a wattage of 15 watts over your current bulb. If you are used to a 60 watt bulb, use a 75 watt. If you use a 75 watt, pick up the 100 watt rough service as a replacement. Generally speaking, your fixtures should be capable of handling the upgrade, however, please be certain to check your fixtures for compatibility with the upgrade if making one. The rough service uses the same wattage as any other incandescent bulb and is therefore not as efficient in power consumption as LED or CFL lighting for these applications. But as for the purpose behind the use of most incandescent varieties, it is the quality of the light that is sought after. This combined with the incredibly safe aspects of the incandescent (so long as you do not contain them inappropriately or use higher wattages than appropriate for your fixture or environment, as with any bulb of course), it is still largely a bulb of choice for many or even most applications where used, particularly those where a bulb is left on for extended periods of time unattended.

As for legalities, incandescent bans and the like, the rough service incandescent bulb is immune to the ban in most areas that are banning the incandescents! While every area is a bit different, the case for most areas is that the rough service bulb, due to its ability to endure what other bulbs – yes, even CFLs and LEDs – cannot, it is immune to the ban. So you can go on using your incandescent bulbs as always despite other similar bulbs being banned, you are simply “forced” to use the superior, longer lasting and therefore far cheaper and better, rough service variety of incandescent bulbs

Make the change, particularly on porch lights, fan lights, etc where nearby doors and switches are slammed and pulled on a regular basis. Something that severely limits standard bulb life and is often neglected as the culprit in frequent bulb changes. This will not happen with rough service bulbs, as they are designed with supports to take such vibration unlike any other bulb, including LEDs and CFLs.

*As a tip, with these bulbs, like any, keep the service number and perhaps packaging of any bulbs you are currently installing and be sure that you mark their installation dates and typical use times. If the bulb ever falls short of its expected lifespan, simply call the company to let them know that the lifespan was far too short and they will send you replacement bulbs in nearly every case!

While many local hardware stores will largely only carry the 5,000 to 10,000 hour varieties at best, often only 2,000 hour, you can order the far longer lasting 20,000 hour varieties here:

You can find 40 watt, 20,000 hour rough service bulbs here: http://amzn.to/1u7I0Sj
You can find 60 watt, 20,000 hour rough service bulbs here: http://amzn.to/1oMEz3O
You can find 75 watt, 20,000 hour rough service bulbs here: http://amzn.to/1u7IeJd
You can find 100 watt 20,000 hour rough service bulbs here: http://amzn.to/1n2ZigE

Ultimate Survival Collection: http://bit.ly/1vsdnFb

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