Ask Electrical Question
E Books

Halogen Lighting

Halogen bulbs are a variation on incandescent bulb technology.  There are definite advantages and disadvantages to halogen lighting, and factors to consider for the use of halogen bulbs in residential lighting.

One of the things that shorten an incandescent bulb’s life is that the tungsten within the bulb evaporates.

If a trace amount of a halogen gas (such methyl bromide) is added inside the bulb, a chemical reaction takes place which removes the tungsten from the wall of the glass and deposits it back onto the filament, extending the life of the bulb.

In order for that beneficial chemical reaction to take place, the filament needs to be hotter than for incandescent bulbs.

The good news is that a hotter filament produces a whiter light and is more efficient (more lumens per watt).  The bad news is that a hotter filament means that the tungsten is evaporating faster, so a denser, more expensive fill gas (krypton) and a higher pressure are used to slow down the evaporation.  A higher fill pressure will break a bulb made of soft glass, so a hard glass is used.

Costs rise when moving to a harder glass, so typically the glass envelope is made much smaller.  A smaller glass envelope around a hotter filament results in a glass envelope that will get much hotter.

For a consumer considering a halogen bulb for indoor residential use, the high temperature of halogen bulbs deserves serious respect.

In this author’s opinion, the benefits do not outweigh the danger.  I would consider a ceiling-hung halogen chandelier, but I will not use a freestanding halogen lamp inside of my home.  If a freestanding halogen lamp fell over, or, if a freestanding lamp fixture is placed close to curtains or other flammables, a fire could result.

Don’t Touch!

When replacing any halogen bulb, do not touch the glass envelope.  The salts in your skin oils penetrate and weaken the glass.  The bulb not only has a shorter life, but when the bulb dies the filament doesn’t merely burn out, but rather the bulb envelope shatters.  The light bulb industry calls it a “non-passive failure.”


Some newer halogen bulbs use expensive xenon instead of argon or krypton as the fill gas to improve the performance of the bulb.  Some people call these new bulbs “xenon bulbs”, but other light bulb technologies also use xenon, so the name “xenon bulb” is confusing.  “Xenon-halogen” would be a more precise term.


Halogen-IR(TM) is a halogen bulb with multiple thin layers of a special coating on the outside of the glass bulb.  By carefully controlling the thickness of the layers, a selective filter results that is transparent to visible light but reflects infrared light.  The infrared light that normally would escape as heat is reflected back onto the filament.  Thus the filament is warmed by heat that would have escaped into the lamp’s surroundings, which makes the bulb more efficient.

The most widespread use of the technology is in outdoor flood lamps.  A 60 Watt H-IR(TM) can produce output similar to a 120 Watt standard incandescent or a 90 Watt standard halogen.

In Summary:

Advantages:  Longer life, high light output, greater efficiency, compact size, whiter, brighter light with less blackening, dimmable

Disadvantages:  More expensive than incandescent, higher heat output could result in risk of fire

Applications:  Interior, interior recessed, track lighting, exterior floodlights and security lighting






  • Geraldine

    Thank you, guest technician Kaczorowski, for explaining the dangers of halogen bulbs.
    Your work in electronics qualifies you for the following: I have developed severe Electricity Sensitivity as explained by Lucinda Grant, author of the Handbook on ES,
    due to my westside neighbor’s connecting my
    appliances and webtv and running another cable thoughy my house to connect to his generator during hurricane Katrina and Wilma’s power outage five years ago.
    I believe his background lacked proper training, for heconnected his generator to his utility box which is said neevr to be done, as it can cause an explosion.

    (Ever since hurricane Andrew, there have been dangerous EMF fields in hurricanes, and I thought you could explain why this neighbor
    supposedly an electrical contractor, would overexpose me to such extensive radiation.
    It was if , as astronauts in space, the calcium in my spine disintegarted and caused scoliosis as well as ES, though first diagnosed as shingles. If you send me your email address, I will be happy to forward Lucinda Grant’s online article about Electric Sensitivity.

  • Nick

    Does the same problem with heat apply to 12V halogen bulbs?? I want to install a ceiling fixture that has four 35W GY6.35 12V bulbs.

  • Pingback: Halogen Lighting – New Developments » Nikki Hebert

  • Ciellemarky

    Thanks for the advice. Now i know the advantages and disadvantages of using the halogen light.
    Electricians in Melbourne

  • Jerome Peng

    Hi for led lighting pls visit we have energy 110v led strips,led bulbs,led spotlights,led panel lights,etc.


The Basics of Household Wiring DVD


Terry Peterman, the Internet Electrician
Electrical Wiring
Electrical Diagrams
How To
Electrical Tools
Electrical Videos