The gases and mercury vapor react and produce UV light inside the glass tube. The UV light then illuminates the phosphor coating present on the inside of the glass tube that emits the bright white light.
They also come in a wide range of colors to choose from, making them excellent choices for indoor lighting.
Do fluorescent lights get hot?
Fluorescent lights do not get warm when used for a short period. However, since a small amount of the light energy is wasted as heat, the fluorescent light bulb or tube may get a little warm when used for a long time. Additionally, as fluorescent lights use chemicals, they do not get hot.
Table of Contents
Fluorescent light bulbs use chemical reactions to produce UV radiation. This UV radiation lights the phosphor coating on the tube. The glow of phosphor coating causes the fluorescent light to produce bright white light.
LED fluorescent lights:
Nowadays, LED fluorescent lights are available for indoor lighting and various other applications. Unlike fluorescent light bulbs that rely on chemicals to light up, LED fluorescent light bulbs use a different technique to produce light.
LED fluorescent lights use a series of LEDs placed inside the light tube. When current is supplied, the adapter built into the light changes the current from AC to DC. The DC then passes through the LEDs that light up and produce bright white light.
Fluorescent lights operating using chemicals do not get significantly hot. When touched, they do not feel hot to the touch. Instead, they feel warm to the touch as some electrical energy is wasted as heat energy.
Similarly, LED fluorescent lights do not get hot. If they are kept turned on for a long time, the light bulb or tube may get warm but not significantly hot. Moreover, as these do not use chemicals, LED fluorescent lights stay colder than most normal fluorescent lights.
How warm do fluorescent lights get? How hot do fluorescent tubes get?
Incandescent light bulbs are inefficient when lighting up a room or space. Most of the electrical energy in an incandescent light is released as heat energy rather than light energy. This production of heat energy makes the light bulb inefficient and hot.
In fluorescent lights, most electrical energy is converted to light energy. A small percentage of the electricity is wasted as heat energy. This small amount of heat energy makes the fluorescent light bulb or tube feel warm to the touch.
Although fluorescent lights are more efficient than incandescent lights, LED fluorescent light bulbs are more efficient than traditional fluorescent lights. LEDs convert more than ninety percent of the electrical energy to light energy.
A tiny percent is wasted as heat energy, making the light bulb or tube warm.
Nowadays, fluorescent lights are widely used in residential and commercial buildings. It has been observed, at 100W, fluorescent light bulbs and LED fluorescent light bulbs have a temperature of 179°F and 87°F, respectively.
Additionally, fluorescent light tubes reach approximately 180°F at 100W.
Is it normal for fluorescent light bulbs to get very hot? Should a fluorescent ballast get hot?
Fluorescent lights are more efficient than incandescent lights. Most of the electrical energy supplied to fluorescent lights is converted to light energy. A small percentage of the electrical power is wasted as heat energy which warms up the light bulb or tube.
Therefore, fluorescent lights should not feel too hot. They may feel warm when you touch them, but they should not be so hot that you cannot keep holding them. It is not normal for fluorescent lights to get very hot.
However, if your fluorescent light is a few years old, it may overheat. This overheating is due to it wearing out over time. A fluorescent light bulb that will expire soon may get very hot, and you should replace it with a new one.
The fixtures for fluorescent lights use a device called a ballast. The ballast supplies the electrical current to the light required to start it. When ballast wears out over time, it starts to overheat.
You should consider replacing the ballast if it is continuously overheating. If the ballast expires, then the fluorescent light will not turn on. After replacing the ballast, the fluorescent light will work as intended.
What causes fluorescent lights to overheat?
It is not normal for fluorescent lights to overheat. Fluorescent lights may overheat because of the overheating of the ballast. The ballast may overheat because of the following reasons:
Incompatible bulbs:
Ballasts installed in fluorescent light fixtures are designed with specific ratings. Their ratings determine the amount of voltage that is used in the ballast. When the ballast ratings do not match as required, it becomes incompatible.
This incompatibility causes overheating, flickering, and often a loud whine while the light is turning on.
Power surges:
Sudden power surges are a concern for sensitive electrical components. Ballast is an example of such a sensitive electrical component. Power surges are damaging for ballasts.
A sudden power surge can cause the ballast to break and stop the light from functioning until the ballast is replaced.
Problems in the wiring:
If the ballast always receives high voltage, the wiring may be at fault. Constant high voltage to the ballast will cause it to overheat and break. Overheating and breaking of ballast will require frequent replacing of the ballast.
Also, if the light turns on and off frequently, it may be damaged.
Damaged starters:
Modern fluorescent lights do not require an additional starter to aid the light in starting when the switch is closed. However, old fluorescent lights need the help of a starter to turn on. Sometimes, when the starter is faulty, the ballast overheats.
The ballast overheats because the starter fails to deliver the current sent by the ballast to the rest of the light tube. As a result, the ballast overheats and expires sooner than expected.
These are some of the reasons why a ballast may overheat. When a ballast overheats, the fluorescent light overheats along with the fixture. It is unusual for a fluorescent light tube or bulb to overheat.
Does temperature affect fluorescent lights?
Fluorescent lights are affected by surrounding temperatures. The surrounding temperature affects the starting and operation of a fluorescent light bulb or tube.
If the temperature is too low, about 0°F, the fluorescent light may flicker or start with a low dim. It is advised not to store fluorescent lights in unheated storage rooms or leave them out in the open. The cold temperature will negatively affect the fluorescent lights.
Additionally, before starting fluorescent lights, bring the temperature of the light down to room temperature. Warming the fluorescent light tube or bulb will let the fluorescent light provide the optimum performance.
Which light bulbs run the coolest?
Among the many light bulbs, fluorescent lights produce negligible heat. However, LEDs give off no heat as they do not require any heat to cause the light elements to glow.
Fluorescent lights run significantly cooler than incandescent lights. As fluorescent light bulbs are more efficient, most electrical energy is converted to light energy, and a small amount of energy is converted to heat energy as waste.
LED fluorescent lights are more efficient than most normal fluorescent lights. As a result, the LED fluorescent light bulbs run the coolest.
Fluorescent light heat output vs led
Below is a comparison between the heat output of fluorescent light and that of a LED fluorescent light.
Efficiency:
As mentioned earlier, fluorescent lights are more efficient than incandescent lights. And LED fluorescent lights are more efficient than most normal fluorescent lights. LED fluorescent lights are the most efficient when it comes to lighting.
Fluorescent lights produce significant heat compared to LED fluorescent lights.
Temperatures:
Fluorescent lights are less efficient than LED fluorescent lights. So, the operating temperature of a fluorescent light bulb is more than that of a LED light. A fluorescent light operating at 100W has a temperature of 179°F.
On the other hand, a LED light, working at 100W, has a temperature of only 87°F.
The heat produced:
Since fluorescent lights are less efficient than modern LED lights, they release more heat while generating light. As a result, fluorescent light bulbs are warmer than LED fluorescent lights.
LED fluorescent lights do not give off any heat while generating light.
Final Thoughts
Fluorescent lights convert most of the supplied electrical energy to light energy. While generating light, fluorescent lights waste a small amount of electrical power as heat. As a result, fluorescent lights get warm. However, it is unusual for a fluorescent light to get too hot.