Gas Discharge Lamps

What is a gas discharge lamp?

Gas discharge lamps consist of a discharge tube in which an anode and a cathode are enclosed. The tube itself is made of quartz glass so that it can withstand the high operating temperatures of the lamps. Inside the tube is a certain gas (e.g. halogen, sodium or xenon gas), which emits light when a certain minimum voltage is applied.

With us, you can find metal halide lamps by their base and manufacturer. You can find the respective subcategories via the drop-down menu in the top tab. You can also use the filter function on the left at any time. Here you can easily sort the products by the manufacturers, or the bases you need.

Please note: Gas discharge lamps usually have the base and the name of the respective manufacturer in the product title. So while all G14 gas discharge lamps are suitable for a corresponding socket, they are titled differently by different manufacturers. For example, Philips calls them CDM-T - where CDM stands for "ceramic discharge metal-halide". If, on the other hand, the lamp is made by Osram, it is given the abbreviation "HCI-T". Therefore, always pay attention to the specification of the base in the product title so that there is no confusion.

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Here you will find an overview of the most popular socket types:

• G12
• G8.5
• BY22d
• PGJ5
• GU6.5
• GX12
• E27
• E40

What are the advantages of gas discharge lamps?

Gas discharge lamps used to be the right light source when you needed particularly bright lighting - and they are still often used today. And this is no coincidence: depending on size and gas charge, this type of lamp can emit up to 110,000 lumens (based on our range). Moreover, the colour rendering of the light emitted is particularly authentic, so that most gas discharge lamps achieve a CRI of 90-99 Ra - and thus almost faithfully imitate sunlight.

Many gas discharge lamps can also be dimmed. However, you should always check the technical information of the respective product to find out whether this is the case. Especially in the case of low-pressure lamps, it is often the case that lamps cannot be dimmed.

Crucial disadvantages of gas discharge lamps are the often high power consumption and the toxic components (especially in the form of the gas charge), which can harm not only you but also the environment. You should therefore always dispose of used or broken lamps at a recycling centre!

What types of gas discharge lamps are there?

Gas discharge lamps come in many different types and shapes. In our webshop you will find over 500 different products of this kind. The choice here is not only between the bases, but also between the product types and the manufacturers of the lamps. The areas of application of the lamps are also numerous: from lighting stadiums to car lamps to illuminating industrial plants, gas discharge lamps are very versatile in their areas of application.

A small list of the most common models can be found here:

Metal halide lamps

These gas discharge lamps are particularly variable in their field of application: there are models with low power consumption around 20 watts as well as lamps with high power consumption around 4,000 watts. The latter are particularly suitable for professional applications, such as illuminating an industrial plant or a film set. Metal halide lamps emit a white light. 

High-pressure sodium lamp

.Sodium vapour discharge lamps are often used as street lighting.
(Image: AdobeStock/Bence)

This type of gas discharge lamp emits a yellowish light. This is because the gas discharge itself already produces light in a very limited Kelvin range - this is also referred to as a monochromatic light. This has a negative effect on the colour rendering value of the lamp, which is why additional xenon gas is used in some of these lamps to add a certain blue spectrum to the light. This type of lamp is quite efficient with up to 120 lm/W and is therefore often used for street lighting.

Low-pressure sodium lamp

Unlike the high-pressure version of this lamp, low-pressure sodium vapour lamps emit a strictly monochromatic light of 1,800 K. They thus shine in a dark colour. They thus shine in a dark yellow tone, which is why they can only be used where high colour rendering is not important - for example on roads or in industrial plants. Because of their striking colour, they are often used as signal lamps. The special thing about these lamps: with up to 206 lm/W, they are currently the most efficient electric lamps on the market.

Is it worth switching to LED gas discharge lamps?

In our range, you will not only find gas discharge lamps in various forms, but also their LED counterparts. In many cases, these offer the same luminous intensity as their predecessors and are often much more efficient. They often also have a longer service life, which is why you can save not only electricity costs but also maintenance costs with modern LED lamps. Another advantage: LEDs do not contain any toxic substances, such as mercury gas. On the contrary, many of the electronic components can even be recycled. You can find our entire range in the category: LED gas-discharge lamps.

A small comparison as an example: the Osram Powerstar HQI-T is a halogen vapour discharge lamp that requires 250 W of power and emits a large amount of light at 19,000 lm. It therefore has a luminosity of 76 lm/W. The Osram HQL LED high bay luminaire is suitable for direct replacement with the Powerstar - both have an E40 base. On the other hand, it comes with 140 W and emits 20,000 lm. It thus has a luminosity of 143 lm/W. This makes the LED lamp a much more efficient choice.