Since the invention of fluorescent light bulbs, users have been saving energy with the most efficient small light source available.  Now there are more choices in the color you would like to have in those lamps. One of the most popular is the full spectrum compact fluorescent bulb. When it comes to lighting up a space to be like more natural daylight, these are the best choice among all types of lighting today. They are chosen most often because of the great natural color which most people prefer along with energy efficiency as well. When compared to incandescent lighting, these are longer lasting, using much less energy making them a perfect choice for almost any type of lighting. They don't have the yellow color of incandescent light either. There are several kinds of full spectrum compact fluorescent bulb types which include the regular household base, some that are plug-in types and some short linear bulbs.

As with all fluorescent bulbs, they rely on ballasts inside of the fixtures or units to make them work. The ballast is important because it is specific for each type of lamp.  You can't change from one type of fluorescent to another without changing the ballast in most cases.  On a rare occasion there may be a ballast that is made for several different types such as in the case of some commercial plug-in Sylvania Dulux lamps. Most of the time though the ballast in the lamp are matched electrically so it's good to make sure the ballast you have is the right one for the lamp you choose. Many of you are probably familiar with the screw base that you would use a regular household light socket.  On these, the ballast is an integral part of the lamp itself.  Usually they are a one-piece unit and when you're done with it, you throw it away.  This is good for home users because you don't have to determine what has gone bad when it finally does get to the end of its life.  You simply replace it with a complete new bulb that you have.

You can get these in almost any color you want including the more desirable full spectrum light.  The daylight compact fluorescent has special phosphors that give it a similar color to daylight or natural sunshine.  It produces light the way our eyes naturally use it, giving better visual acuity and reducing problems like eyestrain. This is one of the biggest complaints with fluorescent lighting, that it's too stark or irritating. The full spectrum bulb helps reduce these complaints as people get the light that they are naturally used to in daylight sunshine. But fluorescents can come in many other colors as well and are identified by their Kelvin temperature. By definition, virtually all are full spectrum in that they contain some of all colors in their spectral range. However, the term full spectrum is primarily used when referring to those lamps that fall into the white to blue/white color temperature range. Color temperature is measured by a term called Kelvin. 3000 Kelvin would be a warm tone color, 5000 Kelvin would be a white color and 6500 Kelvin would be a blue/white color.  You'll find a great variety of these for your home in the regular household base, so you don't have to change out fixtures or table lamps, simply screw it in and get great daylight color.

With the advent of higher electrical costs, many businesses are looking for ways to save energy with lighting.  Obviously, these are the perfect choice to replace higher wattage incandescent lamps and save energy.  But why sacrifice color or the look you want when saving energy? With the products available today, you don't have to. You can get a natural daylight color while saving energy.  You can do this in your home as well.  Just look for areas where you might use incandescent light bulbs and find the right replacement on our web site.  You will find a great reduction in your electrical bill while still getting the amount of light that you want.  Keep an eye out for electric utility rebates in your area which might be available for these bulbs.  This is more true in commercial lighting than it is for residential as they are a larger user of electricity during the day or high demand times. If you are a commercial user, then you might see gains in productivity by using full spectrum compact fluorescent light bulbs, so it's a good investment for your business too.

Remember that there are many types of full spectrum compact fluorescent bulbs, we describe some of the most common used in home and commercial lighting here.  Keep in mind that we also stock all the larger or linear types of fluorescent lamps used in commercial lighting.  Whatever type you choose or have, you will be getting more natural lighting and saving energy. We have a large inventory of bulbs for nearly every type of light fixture in the field.  If you need help identifying the bulb you have, our customer service representatives can help you determine what you have.