Can I Use CFL And LED Together | Answered!
CFL and LED both are eco-friendly light bulbs. They were invented after the incandescent or traditional bulb. Nowadays, people tend to use CFL and LED more because incandescent bulbs waste 90-95% of energy. Though both save a lot of energy compared to the regular bulb LED is the best. Not only in energy saving but also function and performance LEDs are way better than CFLs.
Is It Possible to Use CFL And LED Together?
Yes, you can use CFL and LED together. Whence CFLs save 20-30% more energy than regular bulbs an LED saves 80-90%. So of course, people tend to buy LEDs more. But there is one problem with LED which is it’s costly. That’s why when you need a lot of bulbs for a room or fixture you have to think about the cost before buying LEDs. in this case, you can mix bulbs to save money.
For mixing bulbs in a fixture or room you shouldn’t get the Edison bulbs to avoid energy wastage. But you can’t buy dozen of LEDs if you’re out of budget. Therefore, you should mix LEDs with CFLs. Because CFLs are budget and environmentally friendly. Yet there are many differences between LED (Light emitting diode) and CFL (Compact fluorescent lamp).
Differences Between CFL And LED
There is only one thing where LED and CFL are the same, energy efficiency. Or else they are different in their shape, light color, and activity. CFLs are available in spiral tube shapes and LEDs are in long tube shapes. If you set them inside of a fixture then the shape might not be noticeable, or you can put them in a creative sequence.
Now in the case of the light hue, CFL produces a yellowish warm color while LED emits blueish cold color. The light can be balanced if you put them in a formed sequence. But the problem arises in the functioning time differences of the bulbs. Whilst an LED takes 20-30 seconds to turn on and illuminate light completely, CFL takes a little more time than that. Also, CFL produces 70% heat with light.
Although, all the differences and shortcomings can be solved if you can arrange them correctly. You can follow a simple sequel of one CFL and one LED, two CFLs and one LED, or three CFLs and one LED. But try not to put more than three CFLs between two LEDs. because if you do so the differences will be noticeable and the beauty will be ruined.
Mixing LED And CFL: Safety Concerns
In the question of the safety of mixing LED and CFL, there are many mixed opinions. Some say it’s safe to use LED and CFL in a fixture or line together. On the contrary, some say it’s quite risky and this act can lead to short circuits and damage the fixture. But if you use the bulbs of the same volt, watt, and amp as needed in the fixture there is nothing to worry about. As all the bulbs will draw the same amount of energy at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Can I Mix CFL And LED?
You can get some benefits by mixing CFL and LED. Such as you can save money by buying fewer LEDs and also by using fuel-efficient bulbs. Again, you can create a design sequel of the bulbs of different shapes. And the mixed yellowish-blue hue will provide an aesthetic vibe.
Can I Mix LED And Regular Bulbs?
You can mix LED and regular incandescent bulbs but this won’t be beneficial to you. Because there will be two different categories of bulbs on a circuit. So, the bulbs won’t get their needed energy flow and will underperform. There will be pressure on the circuit too and it can overheat.
Can You Mix CFL And Incandescent Bulbs?
No, you can’t mix CFL and incandescent bulbs, because CFL isn’t as strong as LED. Therefore, if you put CFL and regular bulbs together the bulbs will burn out and the circuit line will be hampered.
Can I Replace 4 Pin CFL With LED?
You can get 4-pin LED replacement bulbs in the market. They are specially designed for replacing 4-pin CFL. For this, you can easily set them without any extra wires. In case you can’t find them in your local market search for them online.
Conclusion
Putting CFL and LED together on a fixture or circuit line can be advantageous to you. Because you’re saving money and also the shortcomings of CFLs are covered by LEDs. Here by shortcoming, it’s meant the time CFL takes to turn on. This can be frustrating to wait for your lights to work. Thus, you should put LEDs with CFLs so when you turn on the switch you don’t have to wait for the illumination. As the LED lights will start working in no time.
