If you own a halogen torchiere floor lamp, you may be getting more than you bargained for. More than 50 million halogen torchieres have been sold in the U.S. since the late 1980s. Their standard light source is a high-wattage halogen lamp, which produces a clean white light that many people find attractive. These lamps are popular, inexpensive and dimmable -- but they are also highly inefficient and extremely dangerous.

Halogen torchieres are a serious fire hazard, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. They estimate that the lamps have been linked to more than 350 fires, 30 deaths, and 114 injuries in the U.S. in recent years.

The halogen torchiere heats up to 1100°F, which can ignite nearby flammable objects within minutes. Demonstrations have shown that when a frying pan was placed on the torchiere fixture, it cooked an egg within three to five minutes.

Another serious problem with halogen torchiere lamps is their extreme inefficiency. Amazingly, a halogen torchiere lamp costs more money in one year to operate than its original purchase price. That's because these lamps consume as much energy as a typical refrigerator and 95 percent of this energy is wasted electricity.

Halogen torchiere lamps yield one watt of visible light and nine watts of heat for every ten watts of power consumed. Put another way, you get one kilowatt hour worth of light for every ten kilowatt hours that show up on your PUD bill. Dimming the torchiere may reduce light output, but it also reduces the lamp's efficiency.

The safe alternative to a halogen torchiere is a cool-burning, energy-efficient compact fluorescent torchiere. While energy efficient lights may cost a bit more up front, they pay for themselves quickly because they use less energy. A compact fluorescent torchiere uses up to 85 percent less energy than the comparable halogen fixture and is six to eight times cooler, a difference of up to 900° F.

Battle of the Bulbs

Halogen torchiere:

Compact fluorescent torchiere:

For more information, contact Sharon, Klickitat PUD's Energy Services Specialist. You can call her at 509-773-7622 or toll-free at 800-548-8357.