Sometimes there is a product which meets several needs all at once and does so with benefits for years to come.  This fluorescent is that type of product, as it has attributes that make it easy to use.  Nothing has been more exciting in the area of screw-in fluorescent lighting than the higher wattages that are now available.  It only makes sense that people would want more light in a compact fluorescent, as they used to have to sacrifice in the past.  In fact, it was always about getting by with less and that meant less illumination.  Now all that has changed with these great lamps.  The TCP 42 watt compact fluorescent light bulbs are different from other higher wattage lamps as the size, though larger than low wattage units, is probably the smallest source for this light output.  These are really very compact with a spiral twist shape that allows for it to be used in shorter applications or even in many table lamps for reading. Fluorescent bulbs depend on a certain length of tubing which will create the light by the phosphors that are on the inside.  TCP made this 42 watt lamp to fit in many places in order to replace a 150 watt incandescent bulb.  TCP has been a market leader in compact fluorescent lighting technology and has innovated in areas that the traditional larger manufacturers haven't.

As with all fluorescent bulbs, they rely on ballasts inside of the fixtures or units to make them work.  Most of the time though the ballast in the lamp are matched electrically and so it's good to make sure the ballast you have is the right one for the lamp you choose. In fact, these TCP 42 watt compact fluorescents have the ballast as an integral part of the unit.  You can't change the ballast, when the light goes out you will need to change the unit.  That may change in the future but for right now the ballast the lamp or mated together and you have no choice because they are one complete unit.  This is good for home users because you don't have to determine what's gone bad when it finally does get to the end of its life, you simply replace it with a complete new bulb. We have these with the standard medium base and we even have one with a mogul base which is the oversize base which is often used in industrial applications, but some really old lamps in homes have them as well.

These bulbs come in a four colors including the more desirable full spectrum light in two variations.  The full spectrum 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.  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. 2700 Kelvin would be a warm tone color, 4100K would be office white, 5100K would be a daylight color and 6500K would be a blue sky white.  So if you like something that's going to emphasize natural colors or things like wood, the 2700K color is something most people choose.  If you're trying to match up lighting in an office, then the 4100K will most often do that making things look clean and efficient.  If, on the other hand you want to get the look of full spectrum daylight, then either the 5100K or the 6500K color would be best for you.  For most people, this will be satisfactory for most of the applications that you might run into. 

Remember that there are many types of TCP 42 watt compact fluorescent light 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 as well.  Whatever type you choose or have, you will be saving energy while getting the most light you can for your money.  We have a large inventory of fluorescent bulbs for nearly every type of light fixture in the field.  If you need help identifying a bulb, our customer service representatives can help you determine what you have.