What is the full form of CFL

CFL: Compact fluorescent lamp

CFL stands for compact fluorescent lamp. It is an energy saving lamp that consumes less power than the old incandescent lamps. It consists of a glass tube and two electrodes. The glass tube contains mixture of argon gas and mercury vapor and its inner surface has phosphor coating.

How a CFL works

CFL has different mechanism to produce light than the incandescent lamps. In an incandescent lamp, electric current passes through a wire filament. It heats the filament and the filament glows to produce light. In CFL, the current passes through the tube containing the mixture of argon gas and mercury vapor. The current activates the mercury vapor which produces ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light then excites the phosphor coating on the inside of the tube which produces visible light.

Types of CFL

CFL can be of two types:

• Integrated
• Non-integrated

Integrated: In an integrated CFL, the tube, the electronic ballast and the bayonet fitting are combined in one single unit.

Non-integrated: In a non-integrated CFL, the electronic ballast is permanently installed in the luminaire. It is not combined with the bulb so only the bulb is needed to be changed at its end of life.