A good quality light in our home has been a part of our daily lives. It ensures both our safety and security, which is why choosing the lamp that suits our needs and meets our requirements is very important. There are different types of the light bulb in the marketplace like the filament lamp.
It is known to be an ideal choice for basic lighting needs – but are filament lamps beneficial to us? In this article, let’s find out the advantages as well as the disadvantages of filament lamps, and how they affect our overall lifestyle. 
What are Filament lamps?
So, what exactly is a filament lamp? A filament lamp is one of the most used and most common types of light bulb which typically contains a thin coil of wires called the filament which its name came from. Filament lamps usually heat up once an electric current passes through the thin coil or filament which produces light as a by-product or result.
The lightning works as a resistance as the temperature of the filament increases due to a high amount of electricity passing through it. The electric current that passes through the filament is usually not directly proportional to the voltage across it.
A number of electrons move through a conductor like a metal wire and then collide with the ions found in the metal. The resistance is caused by difficulties in the current flow and as the temperature increases, the metal ions will tend to vibrate more. This simply means the more collision between the electrons and metal ions, the more the resistance will increase.
As one the oldest kinds of lighting, filament lamps can have both advantages and disadvantages as well.
The Advantages of Filament lamps
– One of the most common advantages of using filament lights or lamps is that if modern technology is not required, filament lamps are widely available and circulated.
– Filament lamps have been around for hundreds of years now, and that’s for a reason – mainly because they offer excellent reliability and effectiveness as well.
– The filament lamp’s light bulb is housed in a sealed oxygen-free chamber which is necessary for preventing any combustions or explosions.
– Another advantage of using filament lamps is that it allows you to control the lighting exposure, for example, the dim and warmer lighting.
– The use of filament lamps is very simple, it lights up the moment you turn it on. Some types of lamps or light bulbs like sodium lighting can experience a delay for up to 10 minutes before they light up and start working properly.
– Filament lamps offer excellent colour rendition which is also great for providing a warm ambiance or lighting atmosphere. The use of filaments is used by some people, including homeowners, to add elegance to different rooms in their home because it can be dimmed easily. The bulbs of filament lamps are also available in different colours for extra features.
– The filament lamp’s operating cost can be particularly expensive but it can be an ideal option for long run uses compared to the other forms of lighting. However, the light bulbs for the filament lamps offer very low initial cost and are available at low prices.
The Disadvantages of Filament lamps
– The most common disadvantage associated with the use of filament lamp is that is can be costly to run for long periods. As mentioned before, its initial cost is low compared to other types of lighting, however, the running costs can be significantly higher than other forms of lighting.
– Over 90% of power and heat are required to light a filament light bulb – in short, using filament lamps might not your best bet if you want to save money on your bills.
– Filament lamps are also very fragile and hence, should be handled very carefully to avoid frequent replacement which can add to its operating and maintenance costs.
– Another disadvantage is that the filament light bulb requires more power to work. Saving energy is one of the biggest concerns the world is facing which is why we tend not to opt for this type of lightning. Using less electricity contributes towards helping the environment, as large amounts of carbon along with other pollutants are commonly released when electricity is being used.
– It also contributes to concern about global warming, mainly because the filament light bulb requires more power and emits too much heat which could eventually increase the overall temperature of our planet. Increasing temperature is certainly not a great thing and filament lamps can add to this problem.
To reduce the different disadvantages of using filament lamps, many experiments have been made with different materials, on crafting filaments such as natural fibres, and pure metals and alloys of different metals, which shares a goal in finding the best materials for a longer lighting life and light intensity as well.
Conclusion:
So, are filament lamps beneficial to us?
The answer is both yes and no. Why? Because based on the advantages, using filament lamps can add extra elegance to your room and the light’s intensity can be controlled, which is considered a big plus. However, counting the different disadvantages, such as increased power requirements and heat emissions which can contribute to the global warming concerns, the use of filament lamps might not be so beneficial after all.
So, which type of lighting is the best choice you ask?
LED lighting.
Taking advantage of the different unnecessary features of the filament lamp, LEDs are no wonder making a huge step which will eventually overtake the filament lamp in the near future – mainly because they offer an appreciable lifetime and are great for long time use. They also offer excellent durability which is definitely a big advantage.