- Newer model vehicles often have xenon HID lights installed in the factory.car headlights image by Kho Guan Ann from Fotolia.com
Xenon light bulbs have a xenon gas-filled alumina arc tube and an electrical ballast. When an electrical current flows through the xenon gas between two electrodes, metallic salts also located in the tube are vaporized, exciting the xenon gas and causing a bright blue light to emit from the tube. Xenon lights are considered High Intensity Discharge (HID) lights because of the high voltage required to produce the light in a xenon bulb. Xenon lights are most commonly found in vehicles in the front headlamp space. - Stoplight bulbs are bright and easy to see from a long distance because of the LED bulbs.stop! image by Paul Heasman from Fotolia.com
The LED's design is based upon a semiconductor diode. An electrical impulse flows through semiconductor material and photons are released in varying degrees of energy. LED light is bright, and the color depends on the amount of energy expended creating the light. Stoplights are a familiar example of LEDs in practical use. - Both xenon lights and LEDs cost more money per bulb than incandescent bulbs. LEDs cost up to $100 each or more, and Xenon lights are more affordable at $80 per bulb. Vehicle factory-installed xenon HIDs can cost more for the labor plus the cost of the bulbs.
- Xenon lights and LEDs save energy by using fewer watts per bulb than a traditional incandescent bulb or halogen light. Neither xenon lights nor LEDs are readily available to replace traditional incandescent light bulbs in home applications. LEDs can last up to 15 years and may surpass standard compact fluorescent (CFL) lights in energy efficiency and cost savings over time.
- Xenon lights and LEDs are filled with gases and components like mercury that can be hazardous if they are broken. Contact your hazardous waste recycling center for information on disposal of these specialty bulbs.
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LEDs
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