Can you still buy mercury vapor bulbs?
Although the bulbs are still widely available, the United States banned the sale of mercury vapor ballasts in 2008. According to the ban, existing fixtures can remain in service but, as they burn out, they must be replaced with newer, more efficient lighting alternatives.
What are mercury vapor bulbs used for?
Description. Mercury vapor lamps are bright, long-lasting light sources that are often used to light large areas such as streets, gyms, sports arenas, banks, or stores. The bulbs have an inner quartz tube containing the mercury vapor discharge.
Can I use a high pressure sodium bulb in a mercury vapor fixture?
Incandescent and mercury vapor lamps in exterior locations should be replaced with metal halide, high-pressure sodium and/or low-pressure sodium lamps.
Do mercury vapor lights use a lot of electricity?
Compared with newer HID lighting, mercury vapor isn’t very energy efficient. The “efficacy”—or amount of light produced per unit of electricity consumed—is 20-60 lumens per watt. This is better than incandescent lamps (about 15-20 lumens per watt), but significantly lower than other HID lighting.
What happens if you breathe in mercury vapor?
The inhalation of mercury vapour can produce harmful effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys, and may be fatal. The inorganic salts of mercury are corrosive to the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract, and may induce kidney toxicity if ingested.
Why does my mercury vapor light go on and off?
Sodium and mercury vapor lamps have a failure mode in which they warm up, go to normal “on” mode and after a short while overheat or over-current. They are immediately shut down by the safety circuitry in the lamp. After a few seconds, the cycle starts over.
What is the difference between sodium and mercury Vapour lamps?
Answer: The light in Sodium Vapour lamp is from an atomic emission process whereas in Mercury Vapour Lamp it is, finally, from fluorescence emission. The mechanism of light emission in a sodium vapour lamp is simple and straight-forward.
What is the difference between mercury vapor and high pressure sodium?
High pressure sodium produces a more neutral white light. Mercury vapor bulbs produce light with a distinct blue tint to it. In many countries, including the USA, mercury lighting is being phased out in favor of the more efficient types of HID bulbs.
Which light bulbs have mercury?
250-watt metal halide and high-pressure sodium light bulbs contain 38 mg and 15 mg of mercury respectively. Even fluorescent light bulbs contain around 5 mg of elemental mercury regardless of wattage.
How do mercury vapor lamps work?
As with fluorescent lights, mercury vapor lamps require a ballast to supply the proper voltage and regulate the current to the electrodes. The ballast is designed to be used with a specific size, or wattage, of bulb. Using a mercury vapor lamp with a ballast that was made for a higher wattage bulb might damage it or cause it to explode.
Are mercury lamps still legal?
Though restrictions were placed on mercury ballasts, Mercury lamp use is still legal for the replacement purposes in existing fixtures throughout an enormous installed base. The US Congress passed legislation in 2005 known as the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
What do light bulbs contain mercury?
fluorescent bulbs,including compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs);