What are the disadvantages of Halogen Lamps?

Answer 1

They use too much electricity. In incandescent bulbs, a current is applied to a think wire that is called a filament. In fluorescent bulbs, a current is applied to a gas that fills the tube. There is no wire in a fluorescent tube. It's takes a lot less energy. LED lighting applies current directly to a semiconductive material which changes state without needing to get hot.

An incandescent bulb has a wire filament that heats up and glows when enough electricity passes through it. The length, thickness, and material of the filament determines how much light is given off by the filament, how much heat it generates, how much electric current it draws to emit that amount of light, and how long it lasts before burning out. Although Incandescent bulbs are considered inefficient because much of the electricity is converted to heat instead of just light, there are situations where the heat generated is also useful. Bakeries use commercial ovens with rows of many of these bulbs to generate the heat for baking. The bulbs are easily replaceable and cheaply available compared with electric ovens that use are forms of resistance wiring to create heat. In the winter such bulbs also help warm a home with radiant heat supplementing other forms of home heating.

Fluorescent bulbs are tubes with a Mercury vapor. Since mercury is normally not a vapor at room temperature, the ends of the tube have a filament which heats up and glows when the lamp is turned on. The is enough to make mercury in the bulb vaporize. Electricity passing through the bulb then makes the mercury vapor generate ultraviolet light. The inside of the tube is coated with a material which when exposed to ultraviolet light generates visible light. This method is considered more efficient than an incandescent bulb as much less heat is generated. Fluorescent lamps are more expensive as additional parts are necessary to control the electricity to first heat the mercury to a vapor, switch off the filament, control the current going through the tube. Although fluorescent bulbs last longer than incandescent because it does not use a filament for light, each time it is turned on, it uses a filament which will eventually burn out.

An LED (Light Emitting Diode) is an electronic component called a diode that is constructed to emit light when electricity passes through it. The diode itself generates very little heat and theor is no filament to burn out so it has a very long lifetime.

Answer 2

They get very hot; so they could pose a hazard for burns or fires.

They should not be touched at any time, not only when they are hot but also when they are new and being screwed into the lampholder, because the oil from hands and fingers will cause them to malfunction.

Even the smallest trace of any oil will cause them to have a very short operational life. So the bulb should always be held using its bubble-wrap jacket - if one was supplied in the box - or, failing that, always use piece of cling-film.

Answer 3

The light is fine, but the bulbs get extremely hot. They cannot be placed near anything flamable.

Answer 4

Price.