What are Tungsten lights?
Tungsten or Tungsten Halogen lights are incandescent filament bulbs which are common in homes and offices but have been being slowly replaced with longer lasting, more reliable bulbs. What sets these bulbs apart is that they take advantage of what is known as the “halogen cycle.” Each bulb has pressurized halogen gas within them. That gas helps redeposit evaporated tungsten metal back onto the filament to shine brightly. Tungsten lamps operate at a high temperature, and thus have a higher color temperature and are more luminous.
Tungsten bulbs are often used to mimic daylight because they produce a warm light (in the upper image). They usually have open-faced light fixtures or Fresnel. They can go up to 200kW and usually have a dimmer switch to help you control direct light. They produce a continuous spectrum of light from near-ultraviolet to infrared, producing near-perfect color rendition.
If you want to change the color temperature, you need to use gels.
Advantages of Tungsten Lights
- Almost perfect color rendition
- Low cost
- Does not use mercury like CFLs (fluorescent) or mercury vapor lights
- Better color temperature than standard tungsten
- Longer life than a conventional incandescent
- Instant on to full brightness, no warm-up time, and it is dimmable
Disadvantages of Tungsten Lights
- Extremely hot
- High power requirement
- The lamp is sensitive to oils and cannot be touched
- The bulb is capable of blowing and sending hot glass shards outward. A screen or layer of glass on the outside of the lamp can protect users.