Consumer durables are goods that are not destroyed in a single use. Most of them last for months, even years. Modern examples of consumer durable goods include refrigerators, consumer electronics, and lighting products. Along with batteries, light bulbs are arguably the most popular category of consumer durables. Americans spend about one billion dollars on two billion incandescent replacement light bulbs each year. From desk and table lamps to chandeliers and track lighting, the average U.S. home has between forty and fifty incandescent replacement light bulbs.
Who invented it?
That's not as easy to answer as you might expect. American school children are taught that Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light bulb. But on the other side of the Atlantic, most instructors teach their students that Joseph Swan, a British physicist and inventor beat him to it. According to historians, €The Wizard of Menlo Park,€ aka, Thomas Edison, gets most of the credit because his version was the best available at the time. It was a prototype that actually worked and was fit for public consumption. With that said, Edison did not invent incandescent replacement light bulbs on his own.
The quest to produce a long-lasting light source began in the early 19th century, nearly three-quarters of a century before Thomas Edison received his patent for his electric lamp that used a carbon filament. No fewer than 22 notable inventors contributed to the development of the revolutionary invention before Joseph Swan and Edison began their work.
Although they have been around for well over a century, incandescent replacement light bulbs are still the most popular light bulbs on the planet, and it isn't even close. As we mentioned, Americans buy billions of them each year. Though they may someday be replaced more efficient and longer-lasting bulbs, such as fluorescent lamps, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), or high-intensity discharge lamps, that day is not today. In fact, it may take decades for competing technologies to become affordable for the average earthling.
It is also important to note that incandescent bulbs are available in a wide array of shapes and sizes and can be used for numerous applications. Let's say, for instance, that you need miniature replacement light bulbs for your car or private airplane. Light bulbs that rely on new technologies are extremely difficult to find when it comes to specialty products. Most of these replacement parts rely on incandescent technology.
Bulbs that are truly hard to find can often only be located online. If you own an old car that has hundreds of thousands of miles on its odometer, odds are the bulb has been discontinued. In other words, you will not be able to buy them at your local hardware store or home improvement center.
What to look for?
The benefits of buying online extend to just about every product you could think of or imagine. Because they have few overhead costs, internet sellers are free to pass these savings along to their customers in the form of lower prices. Reliable sellers should offer discounts on shipping based on quantity. They should also, of course, offer impressive catalogues filled with hard-to-find items. Last but not least, a good seller does not impose minimum or small order charges. That way, you can buy bulbs individually without incurring a penalty.
Who invented it?
That's not as easy to answer as you might expect. American school children are taught that Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light bulb. But on the other side of the Atlantic, most instructors teach their students that Joseph Swan, a British physicist and inventor beat him to it. According to historians, €The Wizard of Menlo Park,€ aka, Thomas Edison, gets most of the credit because his version was the best available at the time. It was a prototype that actually worked and was fit for public consumption. With that said, Edison did not invent incandescent replacement light bulbs on his own.
The quest to produce a long-lasting light source began in the early 19th century, nearly three-quarters of a century before Thomas Edison received his patent for his electric lamp that used a carbon filament. No fewer than 22 notable inventors contributed to the development of the revolutionary invention before Joseph Swan and Edison began their work.
Although they have been around for well over a century, incandescent replacement light bulbs are still the most popular light bulbs on the planet, and it isn't even close. As we mentioned, Americans buy billions of them each year. Though they may someday be replaced more efficient and longer-lasting bulbs, such as fluorescent lamps, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), or high-intensity discharge lamps, that day is not today. In fact, it may take decades for competing technologies to become affordable for the average earthling.
It is also important to note that incandescent bulbs are available in a wide array of shapes and sizes and can be used for numerous applications. Let's say, for instance, that you need miniature replacement light bulbs for your car or private airplane. Light bulbs that rely on new technologies are extremely difficult to find when it comes to specialty products. Most of these replacement parts rely on incandescent technology.
Bulbs that are truly hard to find can often only be located online. If you own an old car that has hundreds of thousands of miles on its odometer, odds are the bulb has been discontinued. In other words, you will not be able to buy them at your local hardware store or home improvement center.
What to look for?
The benefits of buying online extend to just about every product you could think of or imagine. Because they have few overhead costs, internet sellers are free to pass these savings along to their customers in the form of lower prices. Reliable sellers should offer discounts on shipping based on quantity. They should also, of course, offer impressive catalogues filled with hard-to-find items. Last but not least, a good seller does not impose minimum or small order charges. That way, you can buy bulbs individually without incurring a penalty.
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