About Halogen Lights Pros & Cons

Illumination

• Halogen lights produce more illumination than incandescent lights and work well in accent lighting, automotive head lighting and accent lighting.

Improvements

• The Halogen-IR lamps produce more light than normal halogen lights by trapping invisible infrared spectra and reflecting this energy outward to further increase illumination, leading to 40 percent more energy efficiency, according to the University of Michigan. Improved halogen systems increase their temperatures, which increases the energy efficiency of the halogen light. While more efficient, these lights still lack the efficiency of the fluorescent lights.

Controls

• Halogen lights work in dimming circuits, which make changes to the alternating currents to allow homeowners to dim the lights, reducing illumination. However, their bulbs will blacken after frequent dimming, which reduces the lamp's light output. Leaving the halogen light on for eight hours will fix the blackening. Halogen lamps are often compatible with lighting timers and other forms of control, according to the US Department of Energy.

Efficiency

• Halogen lights last longer than incandescent bulbs and they're also more compact, expanding the potential uses for these lights. Halogen lights cost more than incandescent lights but are more efficient, though not as efficient as fluorescent lights. Halogen lights use transformers that waste energy, even when the halogen light is turned off, unlike fluorescent lights.

Fire Hazards

• Some kinds of halogen lights, such as torchiere-style halogen lamp fixtures, can reach very high temperatures, potentially causing fires when the lamps come in contact with flammable materials such as curtains and clothing. The bulbs can reach temperatures as high as 1,200 F. Always turn off this style lamp when not at home and keep flammable materials away from the light.

Visual Effects

• Light sources can affect how colors appear. When a light source lacks some colors in the spectrum, that light source can change the color of other objects. Halogen lights have better color rendition than incandescent lights, causing them to make rooms look better. They create white light, which tends to make objects nearby look better and also make some objects sparkle.