What are HID Xenon Lights? - Vol.283
Most people do not think about their headlight until they desperately need them or one happens to burn out. However, headlights play an important safety role, especially while driving at night. Today, many vehicles are switching to a new lighting style. This is leading drivers to ask, "What are HID Xenon lights?".
How do Standard Headlights Work?
Way back when, automobile headlights were actually kerosene or acetylene lamps mounted on the front of the vehicle. As with everything else, technologies have advanced and new products have become more streamlined, not to mention far safer. Modern headlights, which are found on most vehicles manufactured in the last one hundred years, involve the use of a light bulb. Similar to the bulbs we place in our lamps at home, headlight light bulbs are much smaller, yet function the same. While this technology has served us well in our vehicles over the last century, there are now new headlight options on the market.
What is Xenon?
Xenon is an element on the periodic table, often known as Xe. It is an odorless, colorless, noble gas that is very dense. This gas was discovered in the late 1800's, and is found in the Earth's atmosphere in trace amounts. When electricity is applied to xenon gas, it emits a very bright blue or lavender glow. Having been studied and developed since its discovery, xenon is now found in certain lighting, lasers, anesthesia, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologies. In a closed container xenon is safe, however, if the human body is exposed to the gas in significant amounts it may be hazardous.
What are High Intensity Discharge Lamps?
High Intensity Discharge, or HID, lamps are lights created via electricity and gas. Known as an electric gas discharge lamp, this style of light requires two tungsten electrodes which create an electric arc traveling through a circuit. Normally, these electrodes are placed within a fused aluminum or fused quartz tube that is transparent. Either style of tube will also contain metal salts and gas, which reacts to the electric spark, thus creating light. A high intensity discharge lamp will produce more light than a standard incandescent bulb or even a fluorescent bulb. An added benefit of the HID lamp is that less power is needed to create the greater amount of light.
How do Xenon Lights Affect Drivers?
As HID xenon headlights are becoming more popular on automobiles, there have been mixed reactions. Some drivers have complained that the bright blue glow emitted from the xenon is too intense, to the point of blinding oncoming traffic. Others have touted the brightness as a blessing, especially for persons who have to commute through very dark areas. Another positive aspect of the high intensity discharge xenon lamp is its shelf life. While drivers with standard incandescent bulbs will need to replace the bulbs multiple times throughout the vehicle's life, HID xenon lamps last far longer.
Can I Change my Standard Headlights for HID Xenon Lights?
Drivers who currently have standard headlights and wish to switch to xenon HID lamps can do so at home. Many different sellers offer conversion kits, which come with all of the components necessary to upgrade their lighting. Buyers should take care to purchase the conversion kit that is appropriate for their specific vehicle. After the plug and play installation, drivers should expect to have headlights offering 300% more overall light.
While it may take a while for all drivers to convert to xenon HID headlights, the concept is not far fetched. Just as we progressed from the kerosene lamp to the light bulb, HID lights are the future of headlight production.