Halogen Desk Lamps – For That Little Bit Extra
There’s been a lot of publicity, some would say hype, surrounding halogen lamps over the past twelve months or so, especially since phasing out the traditional light bulb began. But, is halogen lighting all it’s cracked up to be? The truth is, it does have it’s place in domestic lighting, and although not ideal for every application, for desk lamps halogen is superb.[DFR::ec966fe4-fc3c-6408-4884-ec4b10f19046-2687-af|align_right_1]
First things first, halogen bulbs are what is know as incandescent bulbs, as are ordinary light bulbs. In basic terms, a thin wire filament is caused to glow by passing an electric current through it; oxygen is kept out by the glass bulb, which is why the filament doesn’t just burn up.
In halogen lamps, the filament is housed within a glass envelope and surrounded by a mixture of inert gas and halogen. The result is that the filament burns brighter, hotter and for longer. The downside of this is an increased running temperature, which means that halogen lamps should no longer be the first choice for inset ceiling and wall lights. This is because they back into a small enclosed space, which makes them a potential fire hazard.
The heat output is obviously a major disadvantage in this type of application but there is another characteristic that could be seen as a drawback in some settings: halogen lights do not produce the same cosy, rosy glow of traditional light bulbs. Nevertheless, in some situations the cosiness is of secondary consideration; with a halogen desk lamp for instance the aim is to shed clear light on your paperwork, which is exactly what is does.
The fact is, light produced by these lamps is markedly different from traditional light bulbs and whilst it is ideal for some applications, it is less useful for others. When it comes to halogen desk lamps, however really you can’t go wrong.
Halogen light is bright and white, not only making colours appear brighter but also reducing eyestrain, which particularly explains why halogen lamps have become so popular as reading lights and desk lights.[DFR::9c9b091b-8d61-2aea-4afd-a94086415cf2-2687-af|align_left_1]
Because of the brightness, halogen lamps must be shaded. The Benefit of a shaded halogen lamp is that you can use the shade to direct the light where you need it. In the case of a halogen desk lamp, the illumination falls onto your paperwork and is not dissipated around the rest of the room.
The other reason for the rising popularity of halogen lighting is the low running cost. A halogen light typically lasts two or three times longer than a standard bulb. Some commentators, in fact, quote a running life of up to 3,000 hours. At the same time halogen lamps use 10% to 20% less energy.
Halogen desk lamps, it would seem, are the ideal way to appreciate the advantages of this modern light source, without experiencing any of the disadvantages.
Tags: Desk Lamp, desk lamp ideas, desk lamps, desk light, desk lighting, desk lights, halogen desk lamp, halogen desk lamps, halogen desk light
