Home Lighting Tips: Fluorescent Versus Incandescent

November 15, 2010 Filed Under: Lighting

The types of light you choose fluorescent or incandescent also affect lighting quality. Fluorescent tubes give off two to three times as much light per watt as incandescent bulbs, cost two-thirds less to operate, and last far longer. The size and shape of fluorescent fixtures limit design possibilities, however, and the direction of fluorescent lighting is difficult to control.

For years, critics charged that fluorescent lighting produced colors that were too cold and so in response, manufacturers developed “warm white deluxe” tubes that approximate the color range of incandescent lighting and are more flattering to food. Choosing incandescent and fluorescent lighting needn’t be an either-or decision. You might use fluorescent lights above or below wall-hung cabinets, for instance, and one or more incandescent fixtures for ambient or task lighting.

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